Ladakh - heartland of the India Himalaya, is located at the northern tip of India surrounded by China. It is a surprising part of India - a land of high passes (and I mean HIGH!), wide open spaces and a primarily Tibetan Buddhist culture. During my visit there I had the opportunity to visit a nomad community. It was a fascinating day!
We were on the road at 4 in the morning so that we could arrive at the camp prior to the herds leaving to graze for the day. The road took us over the Tanglang La pass (17,480 feet) to a high plateau where a community of nomads raise sheep and goats. Not just any goats - these are the Changra goats that thrive at these high altitudes. In the fall these goats grow a thick downy undercoat in order to survive the harsh winter. As the weather warms in the early summer they start to shed this. It is this hair that is combed out daily and is the source of Kashmir Pashmina or cashmere as we know it. The nomads of this area depend on the milk and hair of these goats for their livelihood.
Each morning the herds of goats are milked and combed prior to setting out over this vast area in search of grass. The herds and their herdsmen walk continuously throughout the day in search of grass. On an average they wander between 40 and 50 kilometres each day, both winter and summer, before returning to the camp in the early evening. I was struck by the relationship the people have with the herds - it was not uncommon to a smaller goat being carried in their arms. This is a harsh environment - even on this June day it was cold and there was a light snow falling. In the winter snow covers the ground and temperatures drop into the -20s.
This was a fascinating glimpse into a very different culture and way of living. Truly a special day.
Ladakh produces about 40,000 kilograms of pashmina hair a year. In the past this has all been sent to the province of Kashmir for processing (hence the name cashmere). Now they are able to process about 12,000 kilograms locally in Leh, Ladakh. The rest continues to be sent to Kashmir.
