The Land of Snows

Nam Tso

Nam Tso is one of the most beautiful lakes in Tibet. It is located about 235km northwest of Lhasa in Damshung county. The lake sits at 4718m / 15,475 feet above sea level. A sign at the park entrance lists Nam Tso as the highest lake in the world, but I know of many lakes in the Changtang region of Tibet that are higher than Nam Tso. The lake is frozen for many months out of the year. When it thaws, it is a deep turquoise color. The snow-capped mountians in the background make it one of the most scenic places in Tibet.

The small monastery of Tashi Dor is located near the main tourist area of the lake. The monastery has just a handful of monks who live there. There are two large rock towers near the monastery that are always draped with prayer flags and khata (traditional Tibetan scarves). Entrance into the monastery is free.

Along the way from Damshung town to Nam Tso, you pass by many nomads living in black yak hair tents. This is one of the best places in the greater Lhasa region to see traditonal Tibetan life. You can see many herders with their yaks. It is possible to camp at Nam Tso. There are several tents where you can stay at as well as numerous little shops and restaurants to choose from. You can take a short horse ride near the lakeshore for Y10.

Getting to Nam Tso from Lhasa is easy. Many travel agencies arrange 1 and 2 day trips to the lake. Most of the one day trips to the lake cost Y200 per person. You leave around 7am and return to Lhasa around 7pm. For Y250 or so you can take a 2 day trip that includes staying the night at the lake. If you have a group of people I would recommend renting a private vehicle to go to the lake. Yes, it is going to be a little more expensive, but you can stop at several of the nomad camps along the way and spend time with the Tibetans who live there.  The best time to go to the lake is in the early fall when there are not as many tourists. Winter is another good time to go to the lake, though the road to Nam Tso can often be closed due to snow. Going up to Nam Tso you have to cross over the 5190m / 17,023 feet Kong La Pass which can be impossible at times in the winter.

 

 

Handwoven Yak Wool Tents

Nomad tents are usually made from yak wool that has been hand spun into yarn. It takes about a year to make a mid-sized tent. When going to a nomad home, it is common to see the women spinning yak wool into yarn. Mongolian gers (nomad tents) are often very thick and well insulated. Tibetan tents are very thin. From inside the tent you can see the blue Tibetan sky through the hand spun yarn. Nomad tents are held up using hand spun yak wool rope and 8 to 12 wooden poles. The top of the tent has a large opening that is used to let smoke out and to let the warm sunshine in. Prayer flags will always be flying outside across the top.

The inside of nomad tents are very simple. Nomads are very poor and own few belongings. Inside there will be some sleeping mats and blankets, a stove, a table or two, a few extra clothes and a little food. Nearly all tents will have a picture of a local lama and often will have a picture of the 14th Dalai Lama. A thangka (Tibetan buddhist painting) will also be found hanging inside.

Yaks are kept tied up outside of the tent using lines of rope that are made secure by two wooden stakes driven into the ground. Each line of rope will have 8 to 10 small loops which are put around one of the yaks feet at night (or tied through the yak's nose). A few dogs will also be kept tied up outside the tent. Large piles of dried yak dung are stored close to the tent. Since many nomadic areas of Tibet have no trees, yak dung is often the only source of fuel. It is common to see Tibetan buddhist sculptures made in the yak dung.

Hand woven yak wool tents are quickly disappearing. Many nomads now only live in these tents in the summer months. They live in mud-brick homes the rest of the year. Others are moving into towns to live in traditional style Tibetan homes or are being relocated into cities (such as Xining) where the government gives them a modern style apartment. I visited a remote monastery last December and came across several dozen yak wool tents in a storage area. I was told that these tents had be sold to the monastery over the past 6 months by nomads who were moving into mud-brick homes.

Though there are fewer and fewer yak wool tents each year in Tibet, there are still a few areas that have them. The northern regions of Nagchu and Ngari prefectures in the Tibet Autonomous Region, Yushu prefecture in southern Qinghai and northern Ganzi prefecture in Sichuan province all have nomads still living in yak wool tents. For more information about nomads, please email me at [email protected].

Tibet Highways

This is a shot along the Xining-Jyekundo Highway between Mado (Maduo) and Domda (Qingshui He) just as the sun was about to set. The elevation here is about 4500m.

I came across an article a while back that was about the construction of the railway from Golmud to Lhasa. The article is from December 2003 and it stated that up to that point there had been no deaths during the construction of the railway due to altitude sickness. The article, from a Chinese website, went on to talk about deaths that occured while building highways across the Tibetan Plateau, particularly the highways from Xining to Jyekundo (Yushu), Sichuan to Lhasa and Qinghai to Lhasa. I was amazed by the statistics that I read. During the construction of the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet highways a total of 3000 people were killed or 1 person for every 2 kilometers. Those are pretty high numbers, but not nearly as high as the number killed building the highway from Xining to Jyekundo. Over 10,000 people died building the highway to Jyekundo (which was finished in 1943)! From Xining to Jyekundo is about 825km / 516 miles. That equals 12 deaths per kilometer or 19 deaths per mile! That is insane! I don't think I can ever travel on these highways again without thinking about how many people died building them. I thought I would include some pictures of these main highways that go through the Tibetan Plateau.

 

The top picture is along the route from Darlag to Machen at an elevation of 3800m. The picture above is along the south side of Amnye Machen near the town of Huashixia at 4100m.

This is near Amnye Machen along the north face at 4100m.

Tibetan Hospitality

For this article I am going to write about Tibetan hospitality. According to Wiktionary hospitality is defined as "the act or service of welcoming, receiving, hosting or entertaining guests". Hospitality is something that Tibetans are very good at. I never cease to be amazed at the courtesies extended to me by nomads, college-aged students or by my Tibetan neighbors living in my complex.

I am from the US (west coast to be precise) where we are not really known for our hospitality. I am familiar with the term "Southern Hospitality" and have experienced it to some degree, but even that is of no comparison to the hospitality found in Tibet (and really in most of Asia). When I was young, I read a few stories about people who would hitchhike across the US in the 1950's and totally rely on the hospitality of strangers to make it from one coast to the other. These people weren't free loaders. They would offer to work for the family in exchange for a ride, a hot meal or a place to stay for a few days. Many young people traveled across the States and Canada in this way. Back then it seemed that taking in people was something normal to do. Offering a ride to a hitchhiker was common. Inviting strangers to dinner wasn't weird. But times change. Most people in the US don't pick up hitchhikers. Most people don't stop to talk to people they don't know. Most people would never think of inviting someone over for tea or dinner that they had just met. Some people may argue that it is too dangerous to do those acts of hospitality and kindness in this day and age. I understand that (but I don't accept that as an excuse). But, in many regions of the world (even in some areas that are thought "dangerous") this type of hospitality is found everyday.

I have been fortunate to travel to most corners of Tibet over the past 5 years. In 2006 alone I traveled nearly 25,000km (15,600 miles) overland through Greater Tibet. The hospitality shown to me was amazing. In December 2006, I did some research for The Discovery Channel among the nomads of northern Kham. For 8 days I spent my time with nomads who lived either in black yak hair tents, or in small mud brick houses. When I entered into their homes, they were always excited to see me. Even if they were busy doing work, they took time to sit down with me to talk. Within a minute or two of me arriving, a cup of milk tea or butter tea was in front of me. Every time I took even the smallest sip of tea, someone (usually the wife or oldest daughter) was there to refill my cup. Bread and candies were placed in front of me as well as some dried yak meat. I came to these nomad tents unannounced. They had no idea I was coming. At one place I visited, one of the older daughters began to cook up some yak meat just for me and my two Tibetan friends who were traveling with me (picture is above). Many of the families I interviewed during this trip offered to let me stay in their tents or houses free of charge.

In 2003 my wife and I visited a good friend of mine who lived in northeast Amdo. We were in the area and decided to take the hour long taxi ride to his village (his village was actually only about 25km / 15 miles away, but it took over an hour due to horrible road conditions). The plan was to visit him and his family for a few hours or so and then head back to the county town. When we arrived, my friends family was so happy to see us. They had no idea we were coming, but were still excited that we came to visit them. We visited them for a few hours and then told them we had to get on our way back into the county town. Our friends had a puzzled look on their faces. They thought we were going to stay with them for 3 or 4 days...not just 3 or 4 hours! Even though we had shown up completely uninvited, they wanted us to stay with them for as long as we could. We kindly explained to them that we only had a short time to be with them and that we had to be on our way. They couldn't understand why we would only come to visit them for a few hours. My wife and I felt bad, but we really had to be on our way.

In the US if people show up at your house uninvited, you will probably be annoyed with them. "Why didn't they give us a call before they showed up??", some may think. Most people in the US definitely wouldn't want people to stay with them 3 or 4 days having arrived uninvited. Tibetan hospitality is so much different than that of Americans. I have read many books about Tibetans who have went on pilgrimage to the capital city of Lhasa. Many of them live in places far from Lhasa and it takes them a year or more to walk there. The pilgrims often rely on other Tibetans for food and shelter while on the long pilgrimage. These pilgrims tell many stories of the Tibetan families that took them in during their journey. These families fed them, gave them a bed to sleep in and often gave them a little money or tsampa (roasted barley flour) to help them with the rest of their trip. This may have existed in America in the 1950's, but it is gone today.

We have many Tibetan friends. Tibetans don't celebrate birthdays. Many Tibetans are not even sure when their birthday is (I once had a friend tell me that he was born either in the spring of 1981 or spring 1982. His father wasn't quite sure.). Since I am an American, birthday parties are a part of my culture. I always have a birthday party and invite between 25 to 35 of my good Tibetan friends to my house for a party. I always tell them NOT to bring me gifts. Since Tibetans don't exchange presents or even celebrate their birthdays, I wouldn't want to ask them to do something that was contrary to their culture. But every year almost all of my Tibetan friends bring me a gift. My office at my home is filled with gifts my Tibetan friends have given me over the years (from yak heads to sheep skins). Their hospitality to me isn't just shown in their homes. They bring it with them to my home as well.

I want to say thank you to the countless Tibetans I have met over the years who have shown me a form of hospitality I have NEVER been shown in my country. Of all the things I have learned from Tibetans, I hope I never forget how to be a hospitable person. Most Americans are too busy to show real hospitality. Maybe it isn't just that they are busy. Perhaps they just don't care. I know I didn't care about it before I came to Tibet. But after living on the Tibetan Plateau for 5 years, I hope I have changed. Thanks for taking a minute to read this.

High Mountain Passes

The highest mountain passes in the world are in Tibet. You don't have to drive too far to find a 3000m, 4000m or even 5000m+ pass. Tibet is covered in the highest mountain ranges on the planet with roads going over them. One of the highest passes in Tibet is the Tang Gu La (pictured above). Heading south from Golmud to Lhasa on Highway 109 you cross this monster pass at 5231m / 17,158ft above sea level. The oxygen levels here are less than half of those found at sea level. Most people experience at least some minor symptoms of altitude sickness when going over passes like the Tang Gu La. Minor symptoms include a headache, shortness of breath and nausea. Many Chinese and foreigners, who cross this pass on the bus, take an oxygen can or oxygen pillow with them to help relieve some of the symptoms. The new train now has oxygen available free of charge in all of the sleeping berths and seats making it much more pleasant going to Lhasa.

The Ba Yan Ka La mountain pass, pictured on the left, is one of the borders between Amdo province and Kham province. The Ba Yan Ka La is found on Highway 214 heading south from Xining to Jyekundo. The sign lists it at 4824m, but there are two other small signs off to the left (near the prayer flags) that give two other elevations which are over 5000m. My altimeter always lists this pass at around 4950m / 16,236ft so I am going to say that is the "official" elevation of the pass.

The Kamba La pass has a great view of Yamdrok Lake and sits at an elevation of 4852m /15,915ft. It is located less than 2 hours southwest of Lhasa heading towards Gyantse. This is one of the most beautiful mountain passes in Tibet. The winding road drops 400m / 1312ft down to the lakeside.

This pass is found just before entering Chumarleb, about 5 hours northwest of Jyekundo. At 4690m /15,384ft, the temperatures here in the winter are brutally cold. High winds blow here all year long. The town of Chumarleb sits not too much lower than this pass. The town sits at around 4300m / 14,104ft. It's crazy to think that the mountain passes are this high, but the mountain tops are so much higher!

This pass is found on the road between Drido and Jyekundo way out in the middle of nowhere. At 4797m / 15,735ft it is one of the highest passes in northern Tibet. The pass, like most others across Tibet, is covered in colorful prayer flags.

This is another high pass found in southern Tibet. Being at 4812m / 15,783 feet takes the breathe right out of you.

The Gyatsola pass stands at 5220m / 17,122 feet. You cross this when heading to the north face base camp of Mt. Everest. The wind at this eleavtion is always intense.

Quiet Home in Kham

This was taken in a remote area of Chumarleb (Qumalai) county in far northern Yushu prefecture at an elevation of 4100m / 13,450ft. Winters in this region of Tibet (eastern Changtang) are very cold with night time temperatures between -20C and -30C. The nomad family who lives in this house invited me in for some butter tea and boiled yak meat. Their yak can be seen grazing on the other side of the frozen river. This family lives in a house in the winter and in a black yak hair tent in the summer.

Yaks...The official animal of Tibet

Yaks. When people think of the animals of Tibet, a yak has to be among the first they think of. Eighty-five percent (or about 10 million) of the world's yaks live on the Tibetan Plateau. A yak is built to survive tough environments. Yaks have three times more red blood cells than normal cows so they are able to live without any problems on the high elevation grasslands of Tibet. Their long, thick hair insulates their bodies from winter temperatures that can get to -30C (-22F) or colder. Most yaks are black, but it is not uncommon to see white or gray ones especially on the grasslands of northern Amdo (modern day Qinghai province).

Tibetans have a long history of using yaks. Experts believe that yaks were first domesticated in Tibet at least 3000 years ago. They are sturdy, sure-footed and perfect for using as pack animals to cross high mountain passes. They can easily carry loads of 70kg (154lb) along rough and steep mountain trails. For centuries yaks have been used to carry salt from the Changtang (northern Plateau) to towns across Tibet and even across the Himalaya into the Dolpo region of Nepal. Yaks can begin being used as pack animals at age 2 and can often live to be over 20 years old.

Yaks are the most important animals to the Tibetan people. Nomads keep yaks in herds between 20 and 100. Most of Tibet is treeless, so dried yak dung is used as fuel for fires. Yak hair is woven into yarn and used to make tents and rope. Yak hide is used to make boots and boats. Yak meat is eaten by nearly every Tibetan family. It is high in protein with only one-sixth the fat of regular beef. In the summer months it is dried, but in winter it is often eaten raw. Yak milk is high in fat and is usually made into butter, yogurt and cheese. Yaks are always given names, but their names are different from the names given to people.

Wild yaks, called "drong" in Tibetan, once roamed all across Tibet. They were hunted to near extinction and now number less than 1000. Males can measure up to 2m (6ft 6in) at the shoulder and weigh up to 1000kg (2200lb). Most of the wild yaks of Tibet now live in the Kekexili Nature Preserve located in southwest Qinghai and northeast Tibet Autonomous Region. Inside Kekexili they are protected from hunters. China government officials are spending a lot of money in hopes of multiplying the number of wild yak in Tibet.

 In nomadic areas, yaks are still used as a mode of transportation. Yaks are either fitted with a saddle or are ridden bareback. It is not uncommon to see children riding a yak while out grazing the yaks. Many towns across Tibet hold annual summer horse festivals. Nearly every horse festival will hold a yak race which adds to the fun of the festival.

Nomads

Even though it is now the 21st century, there are still well over 1 million nomads on the Tibetan Plateau. Nomads, known as "drokpa" in Tibetan, live a difficult life. Most Tibetan nomads live in Amdo, northwest Kham and Changtang. Nomads are easily identifiable by their wind-burned cheeks and thick fur coats. Winters in these areas are brutal with temperatures often getting below -30C (-22F). Most areas where nomads live are above 4000m (13,120ft) so winters are long and summers are short.

Tibetan nomads live in black yak wool tents  called "ba" in Tibetan. These tents will house an entire family and their belongings. The tent is heated with a yak dung stove. Since many regions of Tibet are above the tree line, dried yak dung is used as fuel. Women and children go out every morning and collect yak dung to be dried. Nomad tents are easy to put up and take down. When a family is ready to move to a new pasture, the tents are rolled up and packed onto yaks. Prayer flags can usually be found strung up outside of nomad tents. It is also common for nomad tents to have idols and images of Buddha inside. In the summer months it is common for Tibetans to live in white, canvas tents. These tents often have one or more of the eight auspicious symbols on it. These canvas tents are also used during horse festivals. Nomads will often live with members of their extended family. Usually nomad tents are in groups of two or three, though sometimes they are alone. Nomads live far from towns and villages and have little in modern technology. In some areas, nomad life has changed little over the past 500 years.

Nomads herd yaks and sheep. A small herd of yaks will be 20 while a large herd could have over 100. Nomads keep their yak in line using a sling shot made of woven yak hair. Boys as young as 7 can be seen herding yaks on their own. Older men will bring a thermos of milk tea or butter tea with them when they head out to graze their yaks. Watching the yaks graze can be quite boring so often nomad men can be seen laying in the bright sun taking short naps. While the men are out grazing the yaks, the women stay at the tent and take care of the chores there. Gathering water is important as is cooking food and watching the children.

Nomads don't sleep on beds, but on sleeping mats. The sleeping mats are more like rugs. They keep warm using blankets and sheep furs. Nomads wear big sheep fur lined coats with extra long sleeves called "chuba". These coats are very warm and help to keep them warm on cold winter days. Hats made from fox fur are worn by most nomads along with boots made from yak hide and lined with fur. These boots come up high on the leg to just below the knee. A long, sharp knife can be found on the side of every nomad. Tibetans cut towards themselves, not away from themselves as most people in the West are taught. Amulets or pictures of the Dalai Lama are worn around their necks along with many strings of prayer beads.

Tibetan nomads are some of the most interesting people on earth. They life in some of the most remote areas and endure many hardships. Nomads are happy to have you come and look around their tent and share a cup of butter tea with them. Most travelers to Tibet don't see nomads. They live far from the bright lights of Lhasa. If you have the chance, I would highly recommend spending a few days with this unique group of people. A lot of my free time is spent hanging out with them.

Go here for more nomad pictures.

Kekexili

What is Kekexili? Kekexili (ཨ་ཆེན་གངས་རྒྱལ།།), is a nature preserve on the northern Tibetan Plateau that is home to most of the Tibetan antelope, wild donkeys and wild yaks of Tibet. It is a high grassland area that sits at 4700m (15,416ft) above sea level covering 45,000 square kilometers. Kekexili is found in Yushu Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in southwest Qinghai province. This region of Tibet is in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham. If you take the train or bus from Xining or Golmud to Lhasa, you will pass through some of Kekexili. It is a place a stunning beauty and is the theme of many Tibetan songs. It is surrounded by high, snow-capped mountain peaks and is home to few people. Most of the people who do live there are nomads who live in black yak-hair tents. Winters are long and extremly cold in Kekexili. Hunting is strictly forbidden in the nature preserve. The Tibetan antelope was hunted to the point of near extinction in the 1990's. A film, also called Kekexili, was made in 2004 about a group of Kham Tibetans from Yushu Tibet Autonomous Prefecture who came together to form a patrol to protect the Tibetan antelope. The film is based on a true story.

Kekexili is a special and unique place unlike any other on earth. It is remote and barren, yet has a certain draw to it. It is one of my favorite places in all of Tibet. I chose to name this site after this great place.