Key facts about Pangong Tso

• ~ 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.

Permits & Checkpoints

As travelers begin the climb up the mountains, the first of the few checkposts await the traveler (both ways) to ensure the BRO know who travel in this remote terrain in the event of breakdowns or other unforeseen events. The permits are issued by the Leh Tourism department for a nominal fee.

The Terrain gets interesting

Climbing further towards the Chang La pass, the terrain starts unravelling itself. Before one realizes, travelers quickly gain altitude. The views offered parallel those looking out of a plane window. Mountainous terrain – rough, smooth, carved – all worn with time, offer innumerable visual combinations along with ever changing skies. Extremely beautiful moments, too fleeting in time to remember all.

Remoteness Personified

Chang La - 3rd highest motorable road in the planet! An army outpost, requiring one to climb 17,500 feet before  descending to 14,000 feet to reach Pangong. (According to a prior Kunzum post, Chang La is technically the 2nd highest motorable road.)

Valleys - Winding down below Chang La, travelers drive through valleys – surrounded by mountains everywhere. The scenery changes every kilometer of the journey!

Streams - 108 kms from Leh, one reaches the town of TangTse. A checkpost awaits along a stream and army barracks. Noodles and tea warm travelers – the  last stop before eternity.

Vastness - In this vastness and beyond, one feels like the speck that they are in this Universe. Sceneries to behold forever.

Almost There

Poetic License to the BRO – Saftey signs line up the entire route into Pangong Tso. Some are downright cheeky (Darling I love you, but not so fast), others have bad grammar, even spelling mistakes. The Border Roads Organization (BRO) must be commended not only for maintaining motorable roads, but, for also sharing their wisdom through safety signs with a quirky sense of humor. On descending Chang La, the latter part comprises incredible valley drives with Yaks, wild Horses, Marmots, Birdlife, Pashmina Sheep dotting the scenery. One almost wishes that this would never end. As these thoughts emerge, the below signboard heightens the anticipation for travelers.

Pangong Tso – Surreal!

The pictures speak for themselves. This is what one will see on arriving..

Eternal Memories

Epilogue: Can this be for Real?

I cannot get over the lingering memories of Pangong Tso – even though it has been 2 months since we returned from Ladakh. The lucky ones who have made the long and arduous trek to this “Heaven on Earth” will truly understand what I mean. One had to have been there to relate to what I am saying, as a life changing moment transcends one into another world. Words simply cannot do justice to this incredible creation that we were privileged enough to have seen. And thankful to have the good fortune to tell everyone about the splendidness that is Pangong Tso. An expanse of water spanning 134 km long and 5 km wide at it’s widest point, surrounded by the most rugged terrain. Imagine this – a visual extravagance as far as the eye can see, pin drop silence, the clouds sifting continuously – one can see the same view differently based on the skies and cloud formations every few minutes! A sense of calm seeps in all the way to the soul. For someone not believing in religion as it is preached in it’s current form, but having the modesty to realize that there is some force behind all this, I ask of this creator – if there was one, “What were you thinking when you made this?” Am I glad of the outcome!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DioZCY7FjG8[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGVuhZbpEWo[/youtube]

This is a trailer of the chapter ‘Not in the Fast Lane’ from my book on funny road signs, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep. Enjoy.

There is now a separate blog, PeepPeepDontSleep.com where you can see funny roads signs, shop signs and advertisements not only from the book, but also new ones.

Get a Sign a Day: You can also subscribe to get a sign daily or weekly in your inbox.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHm_W88-BVY&fmt=18[/youtube]

This is a trailer of the chapter ‘Zen and the Art of Survival’ from my book on funny road signs, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep. Enjoy.

There is now a separate blog, PeepPeepDontSleep.com where you can see funny roads signs, shop signs and advertisements not only from the book, but also new ones.

Get a Sign a Day: You can also subscribe to get a sign daily or weekly in your inbox.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32mXMjya9gc&fmt=18[/youtube]

This is a trailer of the chapter ‘The Wise Men Speaketh’ from my book on funny road signs, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep. Enjoy.

There is now a separate blog, PeepPeepDontSleep.com where you can see funny roads signs, shop signs and advertisements not only from the book, but also new ones.

Get a Sign a Day: You can also subscribe to get a sign daily or weekly in your inbox.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcnJ_jSLdx8&fmt=18[/youtube]

This is a trailer of the chapter ‘The Near and Dear Ones’ from my book on funny road signs, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep. Enjoy.

There is now a separate blog, PeepPeepDontSleep.com where you can see funny roads signs, shop signs and advertisements not only from the book, but also new ones.

Get a Sign a Day: You can also subscribe to get a sign daily or weekly in your inbox.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDiGpxcn6mE&fmt=18[/youtube]

This is a trailer of the chapter ‘The Right Spirits’ from my book on funny road signs, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep. Enjoy.

There is now a separate blog, PeepPeepDontSleep.com where you can see funny roads signs, shop signs and advertisements not only from the book, but also new ones.

Get a Sign a Day: You can also subscribe to get a sign daily or weekly in your inbox.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLUmDzBpClg&fmt=18[/youtube]

This is a trailer of the chapter ‘Watch Those Curves’ from my book on funny road signs, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep. Enjoy.

There is now a separate blog, PeepPeepDontSleep.com where you can see funny roads signs, shop signs and advertisements not only from the book, but also new ones.

Get a Sign a Day: You can also subscribe to get a sign daily or weekly in your inbox.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXULBGKdgrk&fmt=18[/youtube]

This is a trailer of the chapter ‘Blowing Their Own Horn’ from my book on funny road signs, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep. Enjoy.

There is now a separate blog, PeepPeepDontSleep.com where you can see funny roads signs, shop signs and advertisements not only from the book, but also new ones.

Get a Sign a Day: You can also subscribe to get a sign daily or weekly in your inbox.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFPvDrYh2CU&fmt=18[/youtube]

This is a trailer of the chapter ‘Die Another Day’ from my book on funny road signs, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep. Enjoy.

There is now a separate blog, PeepPeepDontSleep.com where you can see funny roads signs, shop signs and advertisements not only from the book, but also new ones.

Get a Sign a Day: You can also subscribe to get a sign daily or weekly in your inbox.

[youtube]http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=2S_VoO0tBOY[/youtube]

This video has been made using images of road signs from my book Peep Peep Don’t Sleep. All these have been put together under the chapter Better Safe Than Sorry. Hope you enjoy the same.

There is now a separate blog, PeepPeepDontSleep.com where you can see funny roads signs and advertisements not only from the book, but also new ones. You can also subscribe to get a sign daily in your inbox.

Unless you believe in reincarnation.

Can you think of a better caption for this road sign? What does this say to you?

This sign was spotted by me on the road from Kargil to Leh in Ladakh.

If you have something to add to this sign, do so in the comments below. Or if you have a funny road sign or ad you may have captured on camera, send it to me at ajay@ajayjain.com and I will include a selection on Kunzum.

For more such signs, you may want to read my new book Peep Peep Don’t Sleep.This link will allow you to read sample chapters and also provide you ordering information.

Now, that should be an incentive.

Can you think of a better caption for this road sign? What does this say to you?

This sign was spotted by me on the road from Jispa to Sarchu in Himachal Pradesh on the way to Ladakh.

If you have something to add to this sign, do so in the comments below. Or if you have a funny road sign or ad you may have captured on camera, send it to me at ajay@ajayjain.com and I will include a selection on Kunzum.

For more such signs, you may want to read my new book Peep Peep Don’t Sleep.This link will allow you to read sample chapters and also provide you ordering information.

So what are vodka, wine and tequila? Can you think of a caption for this road sign? What does this say to you?

This sign was spotted by me on the road from Leh to Kargil when you go via Batalik in Ladakh.

If you have something to add to this sign, do so in the comments below. Or if you have a funny road sign or ad you may have captured on camera, send it to me at ajay@ajayjain.com and I will include a selection on Kunzum.

For more such signs, you may want to read my new book Peep Peep Don’t Sleep.This link will allow you to read sample chapters and also provide you ordering information.

Cover image of Peep Peep Don't Sleep, a book by Ajay Jain

My second book, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep, just came out and I am pleased to share this news with you.

It is a collection of funny road signs and ads I have been collecting on Indian highways over the past one year, with a bit of my own commentary thrown in. It is a high quality picture book, printed in all colour on 170 gsm art paper. It came off the press only two days back.

You can check it out for images and sample chapters at http://ajayjain.com/peep-peep-dont-sleep. Links to order the book can also be found here. Happy to receive any orders for the same.

As any road traveller in India will tell you, the country is full of signs on the roads, in shops, restaurants and hotels that can be called funny, strange, queer or interesting.

I have been creating this collection for a forthcoming book, and there is now a dedicated blog for these. Click on Kunzum Signs to keep track of these as more go up every week.

Hope these leave you smiling for the day whenever you read them