Dolpo: Trade in Saldang and Dho Tarap

In order to reach Saldang, two passes have to be crossed, one at a height of 5’400 m! This video clip shows the incredible strain of such an undertaking.

Local products are not sufficient to guarantee survival. The Dolpopa (inhabitants of the Dolpo area) traditionally trade salt from Tibet to the lower parts of Nepal, where they maintain netsang (literally "nesting place") relationships. Each family in Dolpo has netsang partners in most villages of Dolpo District, a network that facilitates travel as well as trade. In return for salt, the netsang provides grain and shelter. The netsang partners trade with each other on preferential terms, based on fictitious family relations that may last for several generations. Recent changes such as the easy availability of salt from other regions and the closed border with Tibet have put the netsang system under pressure.