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Insight Asia

Asian Corridor in Heaven

< Himalayan Salt Trek >

Changtang Reserve, Tibet

Every April, this land of silent
peace becomes alive.

This is because of the nomads
and their 60 yaks that make

their way through here.

They are about to embark
on a long journey.

The journey is one of the
biggest events here

at Changtang Reserve.

Another group of nomads

are making their difficult way
over the hill in the plateau.

They, too, are travelling
with 40 yaks.

Finally, the wanderers reach
the promised destination.

They look to stay
overnight here.

The nomads get busy
tying up their yaks.

Everyone has gathered
at a single place.

They are discussing
their next departure.

That decision is to be made by
the eldest amongst the group.

Yesterday was March 3rd on
the Tibetan calender, a lucky day.

We'll be starting off tomorrow.
Make sure all of you are well prepared.

I hope everyone has a safe trip.

Smoke arises from the fire
made with tree barks

as the cloth with Buddhist scriptures
written on it is hung.

This ritual is performed
to God to ask for

safety during their long journey.

A migration in large numbers is initiated
on this vast Changtang Reserve.

In total, the procession

includes 100 yaks and 8 nomads.

The purpose of this trip
is to acquire

something that is vital
for their survival,

salt.

Looking after the yaks is
not an easy task.

Yaks are reluctant to
cross the stream.

A sharp contrast to its very orderly beginnings,
the procession line is met with chaos.

There is a struggle between
the yaks that don't want

to cross the stream and the nomads
who are trying to force them across.

The plateau, situated at 4,000 meters
above sea level, is very dry.

Rain is almost non-existent.

The nomads that live in this plateau
are called Drok-pa.

They must travel 15 days
to acquire salt.

If the nomads come across something
unexpected during this time,

they may have to extend
their travels to 20 days.

But still, they cannot rush it

because of the water and grass
that the yaks feed on.

The travellers prepare
to camp out.

They've walked a distance
of 8 kilometers today.

For these Drok-pa nomads, the yaks
are the essence of their lives.

The meat of the yak serves as
the main source of food

and the fur is used
to make clothing.

The reason for camping out after
3 to 4 hours of travelling a day

is to allow the yaks to fully feed on grass
and drink water so they can carry salt later.

While camping out,
each yak must be tied up.

If they are not tied up, the yaks
will get too tired to move

and become ill when they
are carrying the salt.

That's why sometimes we must camp out
all day and let the yaks rest.

This yak is showing
symptoms of appendicitis.

It's not moving around that much.

The only remedy is to force
it to roam around.

There is no other means
of treatment here.

This yak's hoof is injured.

An operation is performed
on the spot.

The yaks and the horses

are ready to spend the night here.

But there is just one more thing
left for the people to do.

I pray to you, Padmasambhava.

Please help us to become
free from pain.

Please let our paths be peaceful.

Please help us so that everything that
we wish for in our hearts will come true.

Please look after us so that
we are always at peace.

Wild donkeys are running
in the morning sunlight.

The donkeys are wandering animals
here at the reserve.

They also travel the plateau
in search of water and grass.

The pursuit of salt
continues once more.

The daily routine of the
travellers is quite simple.

Step by step in slow procession, the nomads
continue to travel to the salt flats

at Lake Drabye, which is
130 kilometers away to the north.

But this is a very important
task for these Tibetans.

They must acquire the salt
from Lake Drabye

to exchange for crops in the market.

Without the salt, life would
be impossible for them.

This is because crops
do not grow here.

Lake Drabye is a treasure chest.

Each year, salt is carried out

by thousands of trucks
and yaks from the lake.

The salt is supplied
not only to China,

but to neighbouring nations
like Nepal and India.

But the salt in the lake
does not decrease.

Obtaining and selling salt involves

many difficult tasks.

There are many instances

when the yaks and lambs
become ill from malnutrition.

On top of that, the trip to and from
the market takes about a month.

We trade the salt with crops

that do not grow in our regions.

Sometimes, we trade the salt for
brown sugar or other items.

When our journey is over, we take
our newly traded items to our families.

Take good care of the yaks and horses
by feeding them good grass and water.

Enjoy yourselves and rest.

We'll be arriving at the lake first to
acquire salt of the highest quality.

Let's go.

Four from the nomadic
group hit the road first.

They are the advance team.

They must reach the lake
before everyone else to gather the salt.

These four men cannot
travel with yaks

because water and grass cannot
be found in the lake.

It takes an entire day on foot
to travel to the salt flats.

This is the salt flats at Lake Drabye.

The visible white
crystals are salt.

The advance team has finally
arrived at the lake.

For them, the lake is
a gift from God.

How is it possible that
salt flats have formed

in this highest plateau on Earth?

The Himalayas and
the Tibetan Plateau

both belonged
underwater long ago.

40,000 years from now,
the continents of India and Asia collided.

It was then that the land beneath
the water rose to the top

and formed the mountain ranges and
plateau that we know of today.

And this is why the water
in this lake used to be salty.

Today, the water has evaporated through
long-term exposure to the sun,

leaving only the salt residue.

The gathering begins.

In some ways,
this work is very simple.

By using the horns of yaks,

salt is crushed into small bits.

This is truly a gift from God.

Sometimes, we gather wet salt from the lake.

But we'll be able to get dry
salt this time around.

Dry salt is superior
in quality to wet salt.

In addition, it's easier
for the yak to carry,

and the work itself is
less straining.

I pray to the God of Salt Lake.

Please allow us to take the salt

from your holy Salt Lake.

The first salt will be
presented to Buddha.

And the second salt will be presented
to the God of Salt Lake.

Please protect the yak and the
horses of the salt merchants.

Please help us to do
all this with ease.

How will they have survived
without the salt?

They are now packing
200 bags with salt.

Salt is placed into wool saddle bags
and sewed shut,

a task taken on by
the advance team.

Always carry a sewing
kit with them.

They seem very handy
with the needle and thread.

All that's left now is for the yaks to
arrive and transport the bags.

The member in charge of the
meals is getting ready.

Yak's feces are used
as fuel to boil water.

This is the only means of fuel here.

Therefore, they must always
carry around twigs

and yak feces on their journeys.

A salt merchant must
not have relations

with women from the moment
he leaves home.

Nor can a woman wander around
the procession of salt merchants.

These rules must be kept.

If the God of the Salt Lake becomes
angry, things will go wrong.

The yaks that will carry the salt
are feeding on grass.

But snow has begun
to fall, little by little.

The nomads that are left behind
have much to worry about.

If it snows, it'll be harder
for the yaks to carry

the wet salt because
it becomes heavier.

It snowed slightly yesterday,
and it seems it'll snow again today.

If it rains, it'll have an impact
on our trip back

and the temperature
will drop even more.

Since we know now that the weather
at the lake is worse,

we must hurry before
the snow continues.

Fortunately, it has
stopped snowing

and the salt gathering has
also been completed.

A messenger is dispatched
to retrieve the yaks

that will carry the salt.

The morning at the lake
is very busy.

They are paying a tribute
to God for blessing

them with the salt.

Approximately 30
kilograms of salt

can be loaded onto
a single yak.

Most of it will be
traded for crops.

This is the only way for the
Drok-pa nomads to survive

and be provided with food.

For them, it's truly a blessing that
they'll be able to gather salt here

again next year.

Now the salt must travel a long way
to reach its destination

The hillsides of the Himalayas are
situated at 4,800 meters above sea level.

They also serve as a boundary
between Tibet and Nepal.

Every year in August, an outdoor
market is held for a month.

The market is located at the
highest elevation on Earth.

The Nepalese that have travelled
over the Himalayas set up tents

and wait for people
to start bartering.

Now they have to live here
until the Tibetan nomads arrive.

With the Himalayas surrounding them,
they are scattered all around.

Over the years,
these people have overcome

the barren land by bartering.

The Nepalese have brought

sheep leather and grain.

We grow grains and
vegetables in our village

and bring them out here to sell.

And in return,
we buy salt, tea, butter,

clothes, and shoes
before heading back.

This man has crossed over the
Himalayas only to bring with him

5 potatoes, 4 cloves of garlic

and half a bag of barley.

The one thing that the Nepalese
want to buy most is salt.

This is because deep in the
Himalayan Mountains, salt is rare.

A successful transaction
has been made.

Salt gathered by nomads
of the Changtang Reserve

is handed over to
a Nepalese merchant.

Now comes

a new journey over

the snowcapped peaks
with the yaks carrying the salt.

The Himalayas boast a clutter of

mountains situated at the
highest elevation on Earth.

The picturesque scenery is home to snow
that never melts all year round.

But that's how trekkers
view the sights.

For the people who must live in
these mountains on a daily basis,

the Himalayas are a barren land,
a place that must be overcome.

This is the Dolpo District,

north of Mt. Dhualagiri.

Not a single tint of
green can be found.

In a village located in the
far northern part of Nepal,

barley harvested in the fall
is being pounded.

But it's not enough.

It's only enough to last

5 months out of the year.

The villagers visit Buddha every day,
reciting Buddhist scriptures.

The voices reciting the scriptures
are very sincere.

On the other hand,
they must do whatever

they can to gather the necessary
grains before the winter arrives.

It's early November.

Five men from Dolpo
start on their journey.

They must be hurry before a big
snowstorm hinders their path.

Known as the Dolpo-pa,
these men are rushing off,

carrying something on 40 yaks.

It's salt that's being
carried on yaks.

The salt was bought in the market held
at the Tibetan border last summer.

The villagers are heading to a place
where they can sell the salt

in exchange for food they lack.

Their destination is Hurikot, a village on
the lower skirts of the Himalayan Mountains.

It will take them 12 days
to reach the village.

Each step is heavier than the last for the yaks
as they push through the piled up snow.

They must cross over a couple of
snow-capped summits to

arrive at their destination.

The Gandala La is the highest summit
they must pass during the trip.

It's 5,500 meters
above sea level.

In addition, the climate has
taken a turn for the worse.

The men must make it over the
mountain before it starts to snow.

If they end up in isolation, death may be
the only thing that awaits them.

The voices of the Dolpo-pa
are getting sharply louder.

It's a struggle for life, taken on by
both the yaks and the men.

At night, we light the firewood

and heat the rocks

to make ourselves warm like this.

We let the yaks get
close to the fire.

If we depart in the morning, we'll
reach a place in three hours

where the yaks can stay.

It's a place with water.

It's really hard to
be a yak shepard.

We must lead the yaks

to the rock fields if we have to.

We're destined to scream
in front and back of

the yaks while walking.

We sing and laugh

and the day comes to an end
after herding yaks.

We rise to Mt. Kailas,
risking our lives.

We make profit out of
yarn and salt.

Oh, the land of yaks.

Mt. Kailas is above. Lower down,
the land of Dolpo.

Our bodies are always
covered with wounds.

Mt. Kailas is above.
Lower down, the land of Dolpo.

Lake Phoksumdo

As they barely climb over
the snow-capped summits,

they are now faced with cliffs.

The path along the cliff
of Lake Phoksumdo

is the most dangerous route.

The narrow path, measuring 1 meter
in width, stretches on without end.

A single false step taken by

either a yak or a person
can result in falling

600 meters into the lake.

Such accidents do
occur from time to time,

but the Dolpo travellers
regard such fatalities as

sacrifices offered to the Himalayas.

This salt is like life to us.

Salt is necessary for
every person's life.

Salt is required for everything,
from making tea

to cooking potatoes.

Even this tea has salt in it.

Salt is everything to us.

So is farming. So are vegetables.
Everything.

I'm 42 years old now.

I've raised yaks from when I was
seven to fifteen years old.

And after that, I got into
the salt business.

Sometimes, it gets so cold that water freezes.

If we make a wrong step on the ice,
both the people and yaks can slip.

We have to go over the Kagmala.
If someone slips, he'll die on the spot.

We trade the salt for corn.

3kg of salt is traded for good quality corn.

If the corns aren't very nice,
we trade them for 2.5 kilograms of salt.

If the corns are very bad, we trade them
for only 1.5 kilograms of salt.

And even that's not
entirely fixed.

The paths that the Dolpo caravans
have taken are very dusty.

Because the dry soil has been weathered
over a long period of time,

it has turned into something almost like flour.

They are now closing
in on their destination.

Slowly, green trees are
starting to appear.

The village of Hurikot

at the lower foot of the Himalayas.

This is the final destination of the Dolpo caravan.

The people here are called
Rong-pa because

they live below the mountain.

The relationship between
the Dolpo caravans and

Rong-pa villagers date back to ancestral past.

Bargaining has finally begun.

It's the moment where salt
from Tibet's Changtang Reserve,

having travelled to the Himalayas,
meets its final consumer.

But it's not just people
that await the salt.

Salt is vital and of utmost
importance to cattle.

What would we do without salt?

If people do not have salt,
they can live without it,

but what about the animals?

It's not as if the animals can talk.

If animals aren't fed salt,
they'll dry up

and we'll be committing sin.

A sack of salt and three sacks of corn
are being exchanged.

This is the compensation
for having risked

one's life to travel over
the Himalayan Mountains.

They must be happy with their transactions.

The Dolpo caravan throws
in some tea as a gift.

This tea has made its

way from Sichuan having
travelled 5000km.

The quest for salt and all of its long
journeys have come to an end.

The Dolpo caravan will stay
here for the winter

and head home in the spring.

Tibet's Changtang Reserve to the village
below the Himalayan Mountains,

the roads of this journey were
long and dangerous.

But when spring comes
again next year,

the same roads will be travelled.

It's the only way they can
continue their lives.