Spring Snow on the Northern Plateau

Spring snow on the northern Tibetan Plateau is very common. Much of the northern plateau is over 4000m / 13,120 feet, with many areas over 4500m / 14,760 feet, so snow in late spring and even early summer happens. Most of the Tibetan Plateau remains closed at this time to foreign travelers, but the regions in Qinghai and Yunnan are open. Once you leave the area around Xining, the population of Qinghai is predominantly Tibetan. That is especially true of the prefectures of Yushu (southern Qinghai) and Golog (southeastern Qinghai). These 2 prefectures have a total population of around 400,000 and Tibetans make up over 93% of the population. I spent the first 2 weeks of May traveling through these two prefectures. We ran into a severe snow storm about 3 hours south of Xining which caused us to stop and stay the night at a hotel. The snow provided opportunities for some great pictures. The top picture is taken about 75kms / 47 miles north of Mado at a small monastery.

This next picture is taken of the grasslands in Mado county in Golog prefecture. It was around -12C  / 10F that morning, but the bright sun made it feel a little warmer. The nomad Tibetans in the area were just about ready to untie their yaks to have them graze in this area.

This third picture is of a nomad woman herding her yaks through the snow. Nomads on the northern Tibetan Plateau lead difficult lives as the weather is cold and snowy for up to 10 months out of the year. Many of the nomads in this area live in traditional style Tibetan tents.

If you have any questions about traveling through the  Tibetan Plateau, please send an email to [email protected]