Lakes In Ladakh

Ladakh is home of few, but very beautiful lakes. As peak winter temperatures in ladakh comes down to near -- 50 degrees for days at a time, everything in Ladakh freezes at that time -- the Indus and Zanskar become broad highways of ice, and the great lakes, Pangong and Tso Morari, freezed to a depth of several meters.

Sometimes emerald-green and sometimes midnight-blue pool of water, with shores covered in foliage looks so great that one could spend hours there, exploring is girdled by soaring peaks as high as 6,500m. You have to cross the Chang La (Pass) at a height of 5,599m to get to the lake. Be prepared for a 'not exactly smooth' journey as some stretches are rather backbreaking. You will cross the villages of Durbuk, and Tangste where you find a small temple. You could stay at the campsite in Mugleb. situated at a distance of about 150km from Leh, Spangmic is the last village you are allowed to touch according to the guidelines of the permit. You could try your hand at riding a yak at one of the villages and pretend to be a highland bloke.

Past the Thanglang La (Pass) and a soak in the hot springs of Chhumathang, you arrive at the salty Tso Kar or the 'White Lake', so named perhaps because of the parched salt that cakes the shores of the lake. Tso Kar is at a distance of 155km from Leh. You can camp at the nearby Thukje village and also visit the monastery of Thukje. Further along the road are the hot springs at Puga. The road finally cuts through the Rupsu Valley to meet the 27km long and 8km wide Tso Moriri, or Mountain Lake that touches a hamlet with the same name. The lake looks up to an endless sea of mountains. The region is home to the nomadic tribe called Khampas who can be seen in the summer months with their large herds. The area also boasts of an impressive range of wildlife and is one of the better places where you could try and spot marmots, foxes and the Tibetan wild ass.

Pangong Lake
Pangong Lake in Kashmir is the world's highest brackish lake at 14,256 feet above sea level. A few years back the government decided to open it to tourists though the lake and its surrounding is under army surveillance. The tourism department intends to develop the infrastructure and facilitate the route leading to the lake.

A place too easily arrived at is scarcely worth traveling to at all. Consider the 'tired tourist' who simply seeks solace in much talked about destinations, where he tends to relax and stroll the evenings away, buy a few souvenirs and sample the cuisine from the endless menu. And there's the 'tireless traveler' - the learning by living person who opts for a destination in order to explore and experience the unknown.

The topography throughout the journey shoots up so abruptly that they throw off all calculations of distance - what looked to be a ten-minute crossing easily required an hour or more. At times, it appeared as if so many of nature's forces were warning us away at the steep slopes and uneasy bends and not to forget the great chunks of ice appearing static and frozen in time. At Darbuk village near Tangste Valley stood a chain of war memorials with Regimental Insignias in commemoration of the soldiers who lost their lives during the Indo-Chinese war of 1962. Some of the army bunkers and trenches are still in use. Villagers can be seen here along with their large herds of Pashmina sheep and long tailed yaks.

Tsomoriri Lake
Tsomoriri or "Mountain Lake" is situated in the middle of the elevated valley of Rupshu surrounded by 6000 m peaks which completely surrounds the lake. This valley is inhabited by a small scattered population of "Changpas" nomadic shepherds who also engage in trade and work in caravans in Ladakh, Lahaul and Spiti. The Area is rich in wildlife including the "Kyang" (wild ass), red fox and the rare, highly endangered, snow leopard. Black necked cranes and geese flock to the lakeside for breeding during the summer months. It also houses 350 years old Karzok monastery which has about 33 resident monks.