The Mountain Tamers

Imagine living in a place that is completely isolated from the rest of the world for 6 months every year. This is the case for many of the mountain communities in Ladakh. Once the roads close in October the locals know winter is upon them. This is considered a ‘State of Emergency’ in many other parts of the world. Extreme conditions make for resilient and humble people. Every task necessary for survival is tedious and cumbersome at best. Running water ceases to exist as the pipes freeze so trucks deliver water in huge canisters to various stops around town three times per week. Every household meets the truck with as many containers as they can muster and trudges the heavy, cold loads back to their homes. This water must first be boiled for drinking and cooking. Laundry becomes the most dreaded chore as it is all washed by hand and hung on the line where it freezes for three days and then eventually dries.

The electricity is forever on and off again. If there is a storm, families are likely to be without power for days at a time. Heat also becomes a major concern. Small pieces of wood are gathered and prepared before the season, as well as, cow manure dried out to use as another source of fuel. A cow pattie thrown on the fire typically burns for about twenty minutes. Now these fireplaces do not heat an entire home; they heat a single room for as long as they are maintained. This means that clothes must be layered and lots of blankets used for the long, cold nights.
As I spoke to Dolma about the winter experience, I could only imagine the difficulties her and her family face everyday. Life has no choice but to slow down with only the basics taken into consideration – food, clothing and shelter. There are no fresh vegetables available so food such as potatoes, rice and corn must be stockpiled. Often times, the basic necessities such as sugar and salt run out in the community. Families must ration themselves and prepare from the onset of winter.

But why do the roads close for 6 months of the year? Well if you have ever experienced a Ladakhi mountain road you may understand. Twisty, turvy, bumpy, lumpy, single-lane roads slither through the mountainscape. Some are edged with cliffs that drop death-defying lengths to glacial riverbeds far below. Others switchback time and again giving new meaning to turning a corner. Hand painted signs line the road and warn motorists of the dangers and hazards. Some noteworthy signs include (and you have to love the underlying connotations):
~ Better to be Mr. Late, than Late Mr.
~ After whiskey, driving rhiskey.
~ Don’t gossip. Let him drive.
~ Drive slow, live long.
~ If you married, divorce speed.

Compound these roads with ice and snow during the wintertime and you have a recipe for disaster. Pavement seems to be a relatively new phenomenon but is found few and far between. And there definitely are no snow removal mechanisms in these parts. During the warm season, work crews comprised of young boys and men set out to conquer and construct the mountain roads one rock at a time. Everything is constructed by hand using tools that look like they are from prehistoric times. Huge boulders are smashed down to big rocks, which in turn are beaten down to smaller stones, which eventually become gravel and finally sifted to sand. Fire blazes under makeshift containers as tar is churned and asphalt formed. The work crews look extremely exhausted; their faces and clothes blackened by the tar and intense heat of the sun. Yet there are still smiles on their faces as they squat by the side of the road smoking a beadie and watching the world drive on by. They call themselves ‘The Mountain Tamers’ and it is these brave men that provide access to the mountain communities for the 6 months of the year that travel is possible.