The Salt Route: Tibet to Himachal Pradesh to Zanskar.

Thinley Wangyal

Thinley Wangyal, an 85-year-old trader from Rupshu, in Changthang, India, is among the few remaining merchants in Ladakh who have journeyed to the legendary salt lakes of Mindum Tsaka and Kyeltse in Tibet. He visited Mindum three times and Kyeltse once. During his travels from Rupshu to these lakes, he journeyed with a team of about four people and 80 sheep, 40 of which he owned. Thinley Wangyal would begin his journey to Mindum immediately after the Losar festival in Ladakh. Each sheep carried empty Lugals: pair of woollen bags, used for transporting dry salt.

Traveling through Nyoma, Koyul to reach  Demchok (or Lari Karpo). It took him four days from Demchok to reach Mindum. From Demchok, Mindum Tsaka lies to the southeast toward Kang Rinpochey-the sacred Mount Kailash. Mindum Lake, resembling a very large Kongto ( depression in the gorund)is abundant in high-quality salt. To harvest the salt, Thinley Wangyal would cover his legs with sheepskin, known as Lugpa and enter the lake to remove the salt.

During their time at Mindum, Wangyal and his companions survived on Phey a staple food they brought with them. He would remain at Mindum Tsaka for 15-20 days, during which time they dried the salt on Tsali/Chali-woolen carpets typically made of yak hair. Once the salt was sufficiently dried, it was packed into Lugals and sealed for the long journey home and beyond.

The return journey included regular rest periods for the sheep, a practice known as Chakma. Mindum has no permanent population, but traders lived in tents known as Rebos. While Shamma traders traveled toward Tashigang and Rudok, they did not venture to Mindum. Thinley Wangyal visited Kyeltse only once, as the salt there was not as highly regarded. 

After returning to Rupshu, Thinley Wangyal would wait until the eighth month of the Ladakhi calendar to travel to Zanskar to sell the salt harvested from Tsaka. The traders from Rupshu would organize themselves into teams called Nangtso, consisting of about 5-6 members. Almost every family would send one representative. When Wangyal was young, he recalled that there were about 40 families in Kharnak, who organized themselves into 5-6 Nangtsos. Each team had a leader known as the Tsongspon, typically the member with the most sheep and salt. While the rest of the team traveled on foot, the Tsongspon would ride a horse.

Additionally, each group included a Gyalwa, responsible for maintaining the Lugals and repairing any damage to the bags. There was also a Lukzee, or shepherd, who was often the poorest member of the team, typically owning only 7-8 sheep. In return for his services, the Lukzee was allowed to use some of the other members’ sheep to transport his salt-filled Lugals. While the roles overlapped and the hierarchy was not strictly enforced, the Tsongspon would often travel separately and only rejoin the group as they neared Zanskar. From Rupshu, Wangyal’s route to Zanskar passed through Skyachuthang, Dozam, Tarchey Sumdo, Tangze, Ichar, and his final destination, Pibiting. There, they would set up a market and trade with his Zanskarpa friends for about seven days. The atmosphere during the stay was festive, with music, dance, and the traditional Ladakhi drink, chang. On the return journey, the Tsongspon would typically depart early.

Thinley Wangyal also participated in the popular market at Do-zam (Patseo in the maps), in Himachal Pradesh, where he traded Bal (wool) for rice, maida, Khara, and Kuram from the Karjapas. The journey from Rupshu to Sarchu in Himachal Pradesh, on foot, took him four days. Dozam, located north of Manali and south of Sarchu, was chosen as the market site because taking sheep farther south to Manali, which was warmer, would have been uncomfortable for the animals. The temporary market itself was a small gathering of no more than 100 people. The Karjapas only traded for wool and did not purchase sheep. Instead, they sheared the wool, which was then measured using a scale known as the Nyaga. A sheep typically yielded 2-3 kilograms of wool, which could be exchanged for 12-15 kilograms of rice.

In Zanskar, salt was bartered for an equal quantity of Nas (Barley). While Thinley Wangyal never ventured into Sham, he did sell salt as far as Thiksey, where his mother’s family lived and where he is settled at present. He noted that the salt from Tsokar was of inferior quality and required cleaning using a pan.