Taking an icy path to pastures new

In the mountains of Tibet, shepherds drive vast herds of sheep across a frozen lake each winter

Migrating to pastures new in the depths of winter is tough enough, but doing so across a frozen lake with thousands of sheep in tow poses an extra set of challenges.

Yet that is exactly what happens every year on Puma Yumco Lake in the Tibet autonomous region.

At the coldest point of the year, shepherds bring their sheep across the icy lake to their winter pastures, a practice that has been observed for thousands of years by the inhabitants of Dowa village in Nakartse county. At 5,070 meters above sea level, the winters are long and the summers mercilessly short.

Herders spend a month on islands in the lake, where the grass grows to waist height and the sheep, being well fed, give birth to their lambs.

Before the break of dawn on Feb 9, 47-year-old Kunsang Cering led the first trip across the lake this winter.

"I could not sleep well. There is too much work to do," he said.

Though the ice can reach a meter thick and is as hard as rock, the herders take every precaution to ensure a safe crossing.

"The older and better experienced men walk on the ice and mark a path they deem safe. Then the women in our village carry stove ashes and spread them on the ice to make a safe path," Cering said.

"We need to move the sheep fast. The earlier we set foot on land, the better."

As the flock moved forward, the icy surface groaned under their enormous weight - plateau sheep weigh many kilograms and are valuable, selling for at least $100 each.

Some sheep dared not move on the ice and Cering had to force them forward. When smaller animals wandered off or fell, the herders picked them up in their arms.

It took more than two hours to complete the three-kilometer journey across the frozen lake.

Halfway across, the sun rose and Cering quickly started to whip the herd onward.

"We drive the sheep forward, and the sun drives us forward. We need to quicken our steps before it gets warm," he said.

Meanwhile, Yeshe Wangyel, a monk in a local monastery, prayed for a safe and smooth crossing for the herders and their sheep.

"When I was young, I also herded sheep across the lake. It was so cold, and we were afraid that the ice would crack. There were some heart-stopping moments, but as far as I can remember there were no accidents," he said.

(China Daily USA 03/03/2017 page5)