The land of Changpa Nomadic tribe, where only the bravest and strongest can live. Living in a tent with extreme weather and snowfall in the winter where temperatures will fall to the freezing point of -40°C. with one of the highest altitude plateau in the world with an altitude of 4,525m above sea level, the main water source comes from the snowfall of the mountains. making Changtang a cold desert.

Welcome to the tent

Rebo, is the traditional Changpa tent, are made of yak wool, the material protects the nomads from the extreme cold and icy winds. Its woven with space to allows plenty of sunlight and wind. Yet, surprisingly, the tents are warm and cozy. When it rains, it just flows off the tent’s surface and not a drop enters inside. Yak wool is real magic.

Inside the tent

The design of this tent is more than a thousand year old and passed from generation to generation, it’s a century old.

She is 32yo and her husband is 28yo. In the past, a changpa man would be deemed to have come of age if he knows how to make good shoes, while a lady was expected to be a good weaver.

Most of their time is taken up by the same cycle of daily activities, the men do most of the outdoor work and women mainly do the milking, cooking, spinning, weaving and raising children, as well as tending the baby animals.

Milk and milk products like cheese are an important source of income or barter for Changpa families.

She is making Chhang ,an alcoholic drink that is made of barley, rice or millet.

The Chhang, is an alcoholic drink that is made of barley, rice or millet. It is one of the important and indispensable barley based alcoholic beverage prepared and consumed by the people of Ladakh for centuries.

She is making Butter Tea.

Butter tea has become a necessity in this climate, high-altitude conditions of the Himalayan region, butter tea is like a special kind of oxygen, fat, energy and calories.

Butter tea is not only a ritual but also a survival and traditional Tibetan medicine has also long supported the combination of butter and tea.

One of the most outstanding features of the society of Ladakh is the status of women. Ladakhi women own an esteemed and reputable status in the society and revel in being independent.

The Changtang is home to the Changpa, a nomadic Tibetan people. The Champa Nomad is a very strong and brave tribe, they can survive on a very high plateau with extreme weather, in very dry, empty deserts and It gets very little rainfall. Their survival depends only on livestock, they get everything they need from them like milk , meat, skin for tents and wool for coats and sweaters .

The traditional Changpa accommodation, called Rebo are made of yak wool, it really does a magic, It looks very simple, but it’s very comfortable and warm inside.

This is the land of Changpa tribe. Cold Desert, harsh and freezing temperature with an alttitude of 4800m.