Snow Days at Norlha

The signs of winter on the Tibetan Plateau cling fast; the earliest snow can come at the end of September, the latest in June. Though they bring a chill, these snows keep a playful edge; one wakes to a milky sky and a delicate white blanket that has disappeared by noon, seeped into the brown soil, eager to receive it.

Especially in Spring, Herders and animals like this slowly trickling snow, that brings moisture to the pasture. Winter snow has a different character, as it hardens and stays, though the winters are so cold that it only makes its way on warmer cycles and it too, is welcome as a bringer of moisture to the animals, for whom the lakes and water holes are now frozen.

Snow may be fine for nomads, but it is a pain for house owners, and Ritoma nomads have winter houses. The snow gathers on the flat rooves which requires regular maintenance to avoid leakage and needs to be swept off immediately.

At Norlha, snow has taken on a different character; one for photo shoots and snowball fights, an off season option to water fights; work and fun, all wrapped into one.