Tibetan Argalis on way to Tso Moriri in Ladakh
As you drive towards Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri, you enter Changthang Eco Zone. It is an extension of Changthang, the Northern Tibetan Plateau, and covers about 15,000 square km. The elevation varies from 13,000 – 23,000 feet and the region is dotted by wide valleys amidst rolling hills and the occasional mountain lake. It’s a cold desert that gets very little rainfall and very high solar radiation. Summer temperatures range from 0 °C to 30 °C but the winter is hostile, with the land freezing over at -20 °C to -40 °C.
The region is strikingly beautiful but very desolate too. You wouldn’t want to be stranded here. There are few permanent human settlements. What motivates people to lead such meagre lives in these harsh conditions, virtually cut off from the world? And still be happy? The only other people you see are the nomadic Changpas who pitch tents wherever their livestock find pastures. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Blue Sheep,
Changpa,
Changthang,
Kiang,
Ladakh,
Lynx,
Pangong Tso,
Snow Leopard,
Tibetan Argali,
Tibetan Wild Ass,
Tibetan Wolf,
Tso Kar,
Tso Moriri
- ~ 14,000 Feet above sea level
- 134 km long
- Around 5km at the widest point
- Roughly 6o% of it is in China and the rest in India
- An Endorheic Lake – meaning it is a closed drainage basin that retains water without any outflows to rivers or oceans
- The lake freezes completely in the winter in spite of being salt water!
A Dramatic Drive
The Journey
The 150km distance takes around 5-1/2 hours. Getting out of Leh (11,500 feet), the scenery unfolds. Within a short drive, one passes through the summer residence of the Dalai Lama, thebeautiful Sindhu Ghat next to the Indus River, the centuries old monasteries of Shey Palace and the Thiksey Gompa. These monasteries are perched on hilltops offering a place for monks to embark on a life of learning in the most serene environments. Then comes the climb into Zingral, ChangLa; the descent into Dubruk, TangTse, Lukung & finally Pangong Tso.
[continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Himalayas,
Ladakh,
Pangong Tso,
Road Signs
On way to Pangong Tso in Ladakh
As you descend the 17,586 ft high Chang La to get to Pangong Tso (‘lake’), you see a sign at Durbuk: ‘Welcome to the land of beautiful mountains and blue water lake.’
It’s a sweet spot. Maintained in an eco-friendly manner. There’s a bright green litter bin yet some visitors throw food wrappers along the lake. People!
On a rocky patch, there’s another sign, ‘Ice hockey, the sport of Eastern Ladakh, promoted by Army’. The area is also the world’s highest army habitat it seems; only the sign read ‘Arty Habitat’. Creative, eh? [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Chang La,
Durbuk,
Ladakh,
Pagal Nala,
Pangong Tso
Karma with his wife and child at Spangmik Village near Pangong Tso in Ladakh
Karma’s life will never be easy. He lives in Spangmik village, beside Pangong Tso. At over 14,000 ft, summer is too short and barely warm while winter is endless and pitiless. He works as a cleaner in a government school in Durbuk, a couple of hours away by bus. If he can, he comes home on Sundays.
Home is his old father, teenaged sister (who doesn’t attend school), wife and a toddler son. They grow vegetables in the summer for themselves and sit idle in the winter, waiting for time to pass. Why don’t they move to a lower altitude, where life is more comfortable and where there are jobs for other family members? [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Gyalwang Drukpa,
Karma,
Ladakh,
Pangong Tso,
Spangmik
If you see three Brown-headed gulls in a lake, how do you make add another fifty to give them company? Throw a few bread or biscuit pieces in their directions – and you will have dozens appear like magic to be the early bird who gets the crumbs.
[Click on any of the images for a larger view]
I discovered this when I started feeding the few birds in the lake, and did not even realize when the others came in. It was a delightful experience playing with them after that. Every bit of biscuit I threw amongst the birds saw them flap and waddle to get it, jostling each other in the process. Those flying around would swoop down and add to the commotion, even as some would just wade around with the peaceful countenance of the Buddha. The latter either had full stomachs, or preferred finding food in a more dignified manner. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Birds,
Brown Headed Gulls,
Himalayas,
Ladakh,
Lake,
Pangong Tso,
wildlife
The Himalayan Marmots come across as just the right species you may want to cuddle in bed to stay warm in the cold climes of Ladakh. But these mammals belonging to the squirrel family are swift to retreat into their burrows at the slightest hint of human approach. Even if their squat body and short stocky limbs suggest limited athletic prowess.
[Click on any of the images for a larger view]
I have come across Marmots beyond Khardungla Pass on the way to Nubra valley and on the way to Tso Moriri, only catching fleeting glimpses through my camera lens. However, one set of five decided some publicity may be good for them and put on a show for me. About fifteen miles from Pangong Tso on the way back to Leh. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Himalayan Marmots,
Khardungla,
Ladakh,
Mammals,
Pangong Tso,
wildlife
No one seems to have told Chang La that it is the second highest motorable road in the world at 17,586 feet (5360 m) after Khardung La – it is content with the bronze medal not realizing it beat Taglang La by four feet.
[Click on any image for a larger view]
I left this statistical aberration to surveyors to enjoy the views from this pass, surrounded by snow even in the summers. Over a delicious and warm cup of special Chang La masala tea served complimentary by the Army. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Chang La,
Changla,
Himalayas,
Ladakh,
Pangong Tso,
pass
