Situated at an altitude of around 4200m, Pangong Tso ('Tso' being Tibetian for lake), is the largest and most visited of all of Ladkah's high altitude lakes. The lake is around 130km long.. so long that over two-thirds of the lake is across the international border in China. The lake is brackish and it is one of the largest and most beautiful brackish lakes in the country.
The waters of the lake vary in color between emerald green and deep blue. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, the views are different every few hundred meters that you go. If you are a photographer, you'll go nuts exploring the place, looking for the perfect shot. The best photo ops are to be had at the reflections in the small pools of water that are present along these shores. The landscape surrounding the lake is mostly barren, rocky and grey with sparse vegetation. Close to the water, the shores are covered with some type of moss.
Getting There:
The lake is situated some 154km to the west of Leh and is reached by a beautiful 5 hour ride. You will initially pass the picturesque villages of Shey and Thikse. And then at Karu, you turn left off the Indus river and pass the villages of Chemrey (there is a beautiful hill top monastery here) and Sakti. After Sakti is the climb up to the ChangLa pass. At some 5400m or 17800ft it is touted as the third highest motorable pass in the world. Over the other side you pass the army memorial at Durbuk and then on towards Tangtse. From Tangtse it is some 40km to Lukung, the head of the lake where you can stay in eco huts. Further on there is the Spangmik village, which is the last point you are allowed to visit on this trip.
Leh -> Karu -> Sakti -> ChangLa -> Durbuk -> Tangtse -> Lukung (lakeside) -> Spangmik (lakeside)
Accommodation:
On reaching the lake, there is a couple of options for your accommodation. First off at the very beginning of the lake is Lukung. There is an eco campsite there (run by the local village community), consisting both of tents and regular rooms. The rooms are of a dormitory type (shared bathroom) and it costs around 200Rs a bed. You can also pitch your tent by the campsite but beware.. the surface is rocky with a lot of pebbles. Food is available on request and so is hot water. Fresh water availability is a bit scarce there (the chowkidar told me that it is 40Rs per can), so use it sparingly.
Also further on you can reach the village of Spangmik (the last village you are allowed to visit), there is a hotel there and a couple of guest houses. Although they tend to be a bit more expensive than the eco camp at Lukung.
Add your Comments using: