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The
Zanskar sub-division of Kargil district is
centered around its main settlement at Padum.
Four main routes over passes up to 500m
converge here from Lahaul in the Chenab
valley, Kishtwar, the Suru valley and Leh.
Truly one of the most desolate places in the
Himalaya, Zanskar is known for its spectacular
scale, hardy mountain folk and extreme winter
when the Zanskar river freezes to from the
"chador" over which mail runners
operate.
A
long and winding river of ice and snow, the
Drang-Drung" is perhaps the largest
glacier in Ladakh, outside the Siachen
formation. It is from the cliff-like snout of
this extensive glacier that the Stod or Doda
River, the main tributary of river Zanskar,
rises.
About 20 kms.
South of Rangdum stands the Pazila watershed
across which lies Zanskar, the most isolated
of all the trans Himalayan Valleys. The
Panzila Top (4401 m) is the picturesque
tableland adorned with two small alpine
lakes and surrounded by snow covered peaks.
As the Zanskar road winds down the steep
slopes of the watershed to the head of the
Stod Valley, one of Zanskar's main tributary
valleys, the majestic "Drang-Drung"
glacier looms into full view. A long and
winding river of ice and snow, the
Drang-Drung" is perhaps the largest
glacier in Ladakh, outside the Siachen
formation. It is from the cliff-like snout
of this extensive glacier that the Stod or
Doda River, the main tributary of river
Zanskar, rises.
Zanskar comprises a tri-armed valley system
lying between the Great Himalayan Range and
the Zanskar mountain.The three arms radiate
star-like towards the west, north and south
from a wide central expanse where the
region's two principal drainage's meet to
form the main Zanskar River. It is mainly
along the course of this valley system that
the region's 10,000 strong, mainly Buddhists
population lives. Spread over an estimated
geographical area of 5000 sq. kms. High
rise, mountains and deep gorges surround
Zanskar. The area remains inaccessible for
nearly 8 months a year due to heavy snowfall
resulting in closure of all the access
passes, including the Penzi-la. To-day,
Zanskar has the distinction of being the
least interfered with microcosms of Ladakh,
and one of the last few surviving cultural
satellites of Tibet. Within the mountain
ramparts of this lost Shangri-la stand on a
number of ancient yet active monastic
establishments. Some of these religious
foundations have evolved around remote
meditation caves believed to have been used
by a succession of famous Buddhist saints
for prolonged meditation in pursuit of
knowledge and enlightenment.
The 240 km long Kargil-Padum road, of which
the first 90 km stretch is paved, remains
opened from around mid July to early
November. In June, the summer is at its
height in the region and the climate is
ideal for trekking along the route free from
vehicular traffic of any kind when the
countryside is freshly rejuvenated into life
after months of frigid dormancy.
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