Mohinder, a carpenter by trade, owns a workshop in Bhagsu and designed and constructed Jagatram Niwas himself. Mohinder, too, is an experienced trekker, with ten years’ guiding experience. His longest trek to date was from Heini to Lahaul Valley in twenty days.

Rekha and Santosh are also siblings. They undertake the day-to-day running of the guesthouse – cooking traditional Himachali meals and ensuring that Jagatram Niwas is always more than a ghar (house), but rather a home. Rekha and Santosh hail from the nearby village of Naddi, near to Dal Lake; one of the area’s sightseeing attractions.

Rakesh Kumar is our lead guide. Born in Heini, he trained at the Regional Mountaineering Institute, McLeodganj, and has 16 years’ experience of mountaineering, trekking and rock climbing. He has led many treks in the Dhauladhar and Pir Pinjal ranges.

Originally from England, Matthew now lives with the Singh family in Heini. Matthew is a writer and journalist who, besides working with the Jagatram Niwas team, is writing a novel and working for www.thetibetpost.com. He also taught English to Tibetan ex-political prisoners in exile for the two years to 2009 (www.guchusum.org)