The festival, which is accessible from Paro via a scenic trek, unfolds in the alpine villages of Soe Yaksa and Soe Yutoed in collaboration with Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Park. Here, semi-nomadic families open their world to visitors, offering insight into their traditional lifestyle and deep-rooted bond with the land.

The air is filled with laughter and cheer as villagers compete in rope pulling, archery, and icy pole climbing—games born of resilience and highland life. Children perform folk dances passed down for generations, while yak herders invite you into their homes, each stone wall holding centuries of quiet strength.

But there is reverence, too. The festival serves as a stage for conservation by hosting awareness programs about the elusive snow leopard, with an estimated population of only around 96 in Bhutan. Prayer flags flutter in mountain winds, and meals of ema datshi simmer over open fires as stories flow as freely as the rivers below.

In this vibrant fusion of celebration and purpose, visitors are reminded that the spirit of the Himalayas lives not just in the peaks but in the people who call them home.