Drass
On the road to Kargil, about 60 kms west of Kargil, lies the small town of Drass, in the Drass Valley. It is the second coldest inhabited place in the world. Repeated snowfall in the winters, plummet its temperature to less than minus 40 degrees.
The Zozila pass, the Himalayan gateway to Ladakh, is from where the Drass valley commences. On your trip to Ladakh, you should go for a tour to Drass which had been an important trade route for Pan-Asian trade in the yester years.
Trekking tours to Suru valley generally opt for Drass as the convenient base. It is a three day long trek that passes through beautiful upland villages and blooming meadows on either sides of the Umbala pass.
On your tour to Drass, you can also avail of the trekking trip to Amarnath. The trekking starts from Minamarg below Zozi la and takes you across the high pass. It is a 3 day long trek. Shorter treks and hikes are also undertaken from Drass, to the upland villages.
For ages Drass’s inhabitants have negotiated the formidable pass even when the whole sector remains snow covered. As trade routes developed, Drass became more accessible and tourists keen in catching a glimpse of the beauty of the Drass Valley, while venturing on a tour to Drass. Tourists are required to register themselves at the Tourist Registration Centre at Drass, when traveling from Srinagar to Ladakh.
Zanskar
Zanskar is 20kms South of Rangdum across the Pazila watershed. It is one of the most isolated regions of the Himalayan Valleys. Panzila is at a height of 4401 ms, a picturesque tableland circumscribed with the snow covered peaks and has two alpine lakes. While on your tour to Zanskar you will enjoy the majestic view of the “Drang-Drung” glacier in the Stod valley.
“Drang-Drung” glacier is considered the largest glacier besides the Siachen glacier. It is spectacular to view the long winding river of ice. A cliff like projection of the glacier is the point from where the Stod or Doda River rises.
The Zanskar valley that lies between the Great Himalayan Range and the Zanskar mountains is drained by two principal streams that meet to form the Zanskar River. Around a 10,000 strong Buddhist population resides in the area. It covers a geographical area of 5000 sq kms.
About 8 months in a year, the area remains closed because of heavy snowfall. Plan your tour to Zanskar between the months of July to October. Zanskar today is considered the only surviving cultural satellite of Tibet.
As you trek along the mountains, you will come across a number of ancient but active monasteries. There are many remote caves in Zanskar that had been used by sages for meditation. Around these meditation caves, many religious establishments have evolved. On your tour to Zanskar you can explore these remote caves.
Nubra Valley
Nubra Valley is a wonderful placesituated 150 kilometers North of Leh. Nubra Valley has extremely cold tempertatures during the winter, but the scenario all around is so mesmerizing that it has become a favorite tourist spot in Jammu and Kashmir. The Nubra Valley can be reached from Leh, via many high passes. Lying at a great altitude, a tour to Nubra valley makes for a unique experience.
Nubra valley had been an active part of the Caravan Route in ancient times, but at present it offers ample opportunities for mountain lovers to enjoy its splendor. In this valley you will get unparalleled trekking opportunities. The picturesque landscapes are bound to leave you bewildered. Nubra Valley is the homeland of the double humped Bactrian camel.
Nubra Valley is drained by River Nubra, which is a tributary of the Shyok River. Shyok River flows almost parallel to river Indus on the northern side of the Ladakh range. Nubra Valley is a rich stretch of land. Because of its richness of vegetation, Nubra Valley is referred to as the “Orchard of Ladakh”.
Pangong Lake
Pangong lake is really one of the amazing lake in the in the world. Beauty of Pangong cannot be described but can only be experienced. While most of a day trip to the lake, but one can highly recommend that to spend atleast a day here watching the myriad colors of the lake at different times of the day. The sunset & the sunrise are the best time to witness the sheer beauty of this place. You can either stay right on pangong lake in tents. It gets very cold in the night.
This place is really Heaven on earth. The colors of the lake are so beautiful that you can see different shades of blue across the lake. Usually many folks come to Pangong and see the lake from either Looking or from Spa milk and then return back to Leh. However ahead from Spangmik towards Chusul and the landscape around the lake is absolutely fantastic. It does become very cold after end September and since the season ends by Mid September.