Pack mules are still a common means of transporting supplies between villages on the Annapurna Circuit, a 300km trek around the Annapurna massif. Particularly in the more remote areas not yet connected by roads. Sporting neck bells of various sizes and pitches, the sound of passing mule trains makes a welcome musical addition to the soundscape. There is usually a lead mule with a larger bell that sometimes wears an elaborate headdress. Using calls or whistles the owner communicates with the lead mule to control the speed and direction of the mule train.