roaming2: Tsomoriri Lake and Tsokar Lake

9/23/13 We have been on a one night trip to the high lakes of Tsomoriri and Tsokar. We overnighted in a town overlooking Tsomoriri, Kozog, at just over 15,000 ft and it was Cold. We went to see the local monastery - some of these are really old and beautiful. Then we went further up to see if there was a nomad camp around. We ended up crawling into a nomad tent and visiting for a while. The tent was hand woven Yak wool and looked black in the distance. The tents are so low - dug in with a circular rock wall under ground maybe three feet with about three feet of very low flat tent above. It was so neat and orderly since a whole family live in there. They burn any kind of dung they can get in their stove. We're very polite and welcoming. They have many Pashmina goats which are their main source of income when they sell the wool. Sheep for milk, cheese and meat and Yaks and Horses for moving up and down with the seasons. Really interesting.

Then going past Tsokar Lake on the way back to Leh we saw a lot of birds and red foxes hunting the pikas and marmots and hot springs spewing up. Then over quite a pass Tanglang-la at 5224 meters 17,135 ft. It was spitting snow and driving these roads is a bit frightening at best and we get pretty beat up being bounced around so much.

Photos of army bases definitely not done but this sign seemed OK. Up here India is surrounded by enemies claiming this area as theirs - China and Pakistan.

Tsomoriri Lake -- mountains on left are about 22,000 ft

Driving through high desolate beautiful country.

Big Yak making a break from the heard.


Nomad hearder tent at above 15,000 ft near Tsomoriri Lake.


He has moved a stone and invited us into the tent. What a nice smile for someone living this really hard life.Most are not in the traditional herder robes but we saw some still in traditional garb, but not this guy, however his wife surely was but she was down in the village helping with the harvest earning some barley.

Inside the hand woven wool tent everything was very neat and clean. Notice the large battery connected to the solar panel outside! Also there is a propane cooking burner. Blankets were so neatly folded and stored around the tent ledge.


The top is open in the center and he tells us that it stays that way unless it snows and then they throw wool blankets over it.

The Nomad (forgot his name - we have to start writing things down on the spot) Is considering a question from Susan as translated by our driver - All chances of error because the driver is not very good with English, So we think the answer is about 70 Pashmina goats. sheep enough for the winter and for wool, some Yaks and horses to use for carrying the household when moving. Notice the head space -- the tents that sit barely above the ground are dug in and surrounded by a circular rock wall

He used sheep and goat dung to fire up the stove and put some water on for tea. His son was very polite but he wanted candy -- we gave him a banana we had with us and he ran back to the tent all excited,

A little girl in the town at the lake where harvest is in full swing before the snows arrive. She is in traditional dress for the area.

Tsomoriri Lake surrounded by big snow covered peaks.

Chanting while they cut the barley with hand scythes.

Gathering what small pieces are left in a field.

Red fox hunting for pikas

Yes they are here too -- The Wild Ass.

We gave this man a ride to where he will begin his 4 hour walk up into the mountains to home. We are at about 14,500ft.

Susan's photo of the Nomad herder.

Susan's photo of the Tsomoriri Lake

Plain above Tsokar Lake

Plain above Tsokar Lake with our road in the foreground. Desolate high beautiful place. Nomad animal pen in foreground for when they move through here grazing the animals.