Every July, shepherds, teachers, and policemen saddle up at 3,700 meters and play polo with almost no rules. The Shandur Polo Festival has run since 1936 on the world's highest polo ground, and getting there is an adventure in itself. Here's what to expect, how to reach Shandur Pass, and why this festival is unlike anything else on the planet.

At their peak, estimates suggest the Kalasha numbered anywhere between 200,000 and 400,000 people across the Hindu Kush. Today, fewer than 5,000 remain who still practice the original Kalasha faith.