Yak Wool- A unique fibre from the Himalayas

Advocacy, Case Studies, Craftspersons/ Artisanal, Employment/ Livelihood

Yak Wool- A unique fibre from the Himalayas

Catherine Allié and Angtak

Issue 42,Summer 2023
Catherine Allié and Angtak
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Issue #10, 2023                                                                              ISSN: 2581- 9410 The yaks on the Changthang Plateau in Eastern Ladakh live in altitudes between 4,000 and 5,000 m and therefore, need to have a very warm coat to keep warm during the cold winter months with temperatures up to -40 C degrees. They have a three-layer coat. On the very outside, the hair covering the yak is used for making tents and ropes. The mid-layer is a bit thinner however too rough to use as a fine wool. The wool closest to the body is the finest and used for garments. It is called ‘khullu’ and keeps warm, is odor-resistant as it absorbs moisture easily and releases it into the air. Each year in the summer, we source yak wool from the nomad community in Kharnak. In Ladakh, the yak appears in 3 different colors: dark brown which is the most common, beige which is less common and the rarest, the white yak, its wool can sometimes have a tint of grey, too.
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