Rangdum – Explore The Unexplored

25th September:

Once you approach Padum, the valley widens significantly and sandwiched between Zanskar Range at North and Great Himalayan Range in South. It’s actually a trekker’s paradise as many treks towards Lamayuru, Leh, Markha Valley, Darcha, Pangi Valley, Kishtwar starts from here in various directions. The long 274 km journey from Kargil and back in same way sometimes work as deterrent to visit this heavenly place. In next few years when Hanumil to Chilling would be connected along with Zanskar river Gorge, people can travel from Zanskar to Leh in just crossing 165km which is presently 500+ km via Kargil. Also road work is in progress between Reru and Zanskar Sumdo to connect Darcha in Leh-Manali highway to connect with Padum via Singo La. There is a plan of building a tunnel in Singo La as well and with Rohtang Tunnel if this can be done, Manali – Leh would be an all weather road bypassing it’s present alignment across high passes of Barlacha la, Nakeela, Tanglang la. You should have 2 full days for Padum to do some justice to this place. Unfortunately we have only a day to spare. We started our day with Zangla Palace which in on the way to newly built unfinished road towards Leh in North. The valley view was awesome and we enjoyed an awesome Horse Shoe Bend on Zanskar River enroute, straight from geography text book. Car can’t go till top and you have to walk if you want to go up on the palace to get a dramatic view of the valley. On the way we climbed a steep Strongde Diversion to see that Monastery as well. Absolute brilliant view from top. Bardan Monastery is on the southern side via the road towards Reru and it’s completely different view with deep canyons and gorges all through. The monastery was built on a hillock and commands a majestic view. Better visit the place around noon when sun would be at top so you get better lights for photography, else this stretch is difficult for photography with deep canyons around. The Bardan experience was superb, the monk opened the door, explained us on history of monastery and the two different sect in Buddhism, Gelukpa (Monasteries like Karsha, Strongde, Rangdum fall in this category) and Drukpa (Bardan, Zongkhul, Topchilling, Gurugandhal, last two are in Keylong fall in this category). They offered tasty namkeen chay (Butter Tea) and also offered us the lunch. Their hospitality would surely touch you. We came back to Padum, take a little break and proceeded to Karsha to get the dramatic view from Karsha towards Padum Valley. Karsha is a must visit during sun set and experience the last rays of light kissing the valley floor, awesome experience indeed!! It was our last night at Padum and without the availability of cook (most of the support staffs in these hotels leave by Mid Sep and it becomes very difficult to manage acco and food specially if you are a large group during end season), the owner was kind enough to serve mutton, very tasty indeed in that height and cold.

Towards Zangla valley:

Strongde Monastery at right side top:

From the Strongde Monastery looking towards Zangla Valley:

Zangla Palace:

A Sweet Zanskari Baby, see the invaluable smile after getting the Cadbury:

It’s all about colors, really awesome during fall:

Zanskar River taken a Horse Shoe Bend, Straight from geography text book:

What a place to stay:

Bardan Monastery, a very dramatic location on a cliff:

Kid with Lama, inside Bardan Monastery:

Karsha Monastery from other side of Valley:

Zanskar Valley from Karsha Monastery:

Karsha Monastery:

26th September:

I mentioned Padum Taxi Union is another bottleneck and they would force you to take their car for sight seeing and drop to Kargil. Here Kazim again taken a brilliant move, he managed a car requisition slip from Army where it’s mentioned the car was requisitioned for army purpose form Drass and having army guests in it. Zanskar guys asked a few questions but Kazim outsmarted them with this and we had an excellent trip with him all through with no pressure of taking a Zanskar car anywhere. The return had to be in same route and honestly little scary if you think you have to travel same 274km of road again. We started early, quick look at Sani Gompa and then heading fast towards Drang Drung Glacier. We parked the car before the Pensila Ascent from Zanskar side and tried a small trek to glacier which was very much possible but even a 30 mins walk in that height with chilling wind is difficult to withstand. Also going to glacier was easy as you go down and know where you are heading, coming back to car was quite difficult as you can’t figure height from below towards the road on top. I managed to hit the road at least 2 km behind the car was parked and had to walk. We spent little more than an hour in whole but it was an amazing experience being so close to a glacier. Rangdum was a stop for quick lunch and we crossed the worst section of Rangdum and Parkachik in an hour and half. We dashed to Sankhoo as next day we were planning for Leh but Sankhoo GH of JKTDC seems to be in poorer condition than Purtikchey, though markets were closeby and getting foods were easier here. Purtikchey had geysers in the rooms, Sankhoo didn’t have which was a necessary requirement in end September.

Retracing back the Zanskar Valley:

Zanskari Girl with Yak at Skaygam Village:

Drang Drung Glacier Again:

Zanskar – The Wild West:

Once again Suru Valley at its magical best:

Approaching Rangdum:

Randum Monastery:

Previous: Ladakh – Crossing Pensi La to Zanskar Valley

Next: Ladakh – Sankoo, Kargil to Leh

24th September:

Got up early to catch magnificent glimpse of first sunrays on Nun-Kun Peak from Purtikchey. Nice serene ambience but later we understood it’s only the Nun peak that is visible from Purtikchey and Kun is towards left, out of vision, as the Suru river takes a U turn after Panikkhar towards Parkachik and Kun can be seen from Parkachik or Shafat Nalla areas. We started our long journey by 7.00 in the morning and after 13 km from Purtikchey just before entering Panikhar, we crossed the river and entered Namsuru Village to get a tarred bypass to avoid 15/20 odd km of unpaved road that goes through Panikhar. The paved road condition is nothing great but it gives you a brilliant view of Panikkhar village and Suru valley that widens here and presents a nice photo opportunity specially during morning time. From other side of the river, we could identify Tongol which is another 5 km from Panikhar on other side of river and the Nun base camp trek starts from here. JK Tourism has an alpine bungalow there too but not in a good shape. The road takes a turn along with Suru River and approaches to Parkachik which is around 10000 ft height and even had a high school apart from middle and primary school. The only college of the valley is at Sankhoo. Around Parkachik you would surely find students asking for lifts while going to school or coming back as public transport is almost non-existent in the region. Parkachik was famous for the glacier which you can approach sufficiently close if you don’t mind walking for some time at that height just after crossing the village. After Parkachik due to building up of an irrigational canal, you would find some blasting work in progress which would slow you down sufficiently and the worst stretch of road starts between this place and Rangdum which is the highest inhabited place in this route at 12500 ft and even in end Sep, Rangdum was only place in this route where water was turning ice at night, later we had this experience in Changthang but that was much higher and we were in October by that time but Rangdum is surely a place with extreme isolation in the middle of high mountains and one panoramic monastery. The whole valley turns extremely scenic between Parkachik and Rangdum and the special red/yellow/green/brown grass of September and the isolated horses roaming and Zanskari people in the picturesque valley would certainly keep a lasting memory. Rangdum Monastery can be approached by a short cut from the deluxe camps ground, one of the many deluxe camps of the Zanskar/Ladakh region that was still operational because Himalayan Car Rally participants are supposed to stay a night here here during their run. The monastery is in awesome location with an excellent valley view and a must visit for anyone crossing Rangdum. It carries the awful experience of terror strike in early 2000 when few terrorists crossed over the valley from Kishtwar side and hijacked a truck with German tourists and gunned down many monks in Rangdum monastery and finally abandoned the truck by killing the driver and abducting the Germans and fled through Shafat Nalla. You would still find an army camp beside the monastery which is quite uncommon for any monastery starting from Ladakh to Bhutan. Rangdum is the last place where you find something for your stomach before you hit Padum which was still 100+ km ahead. We got some last few eateries open and had a lunch with roti – Omlette. The ascent of Pensila starts just few km after Rangdum and you would find you start loosing Suru River beside you that started even a few km ahead of Kargil. That clearly indicates you are approaching Watershed region and that indicates the topmost point of the terrain around you is approaching. In all probability you would find a new river from other side flowing with you. The twin lakes before the pass, the pass itself around 14000 ft being highest point on Kargil-Padum road and of course the Drang Drung Glacier just when you start descent from pass would surely be the places to spend time and get few photo opportunities. The glacier is specially amazing and probably only one so close to a motorable road, it looks like as if a river is frozen there for good. After the glacier, you would enter the Zanskar Valley as Suru Valley ends before Pensila. Amidst of colorful mountains, you would find small village starts appearing in Zanskar Valley, Skyagam, Ating, Tungri are few big villages those appear before one reaches Padum. We found JKTDC GH has only one VIP room that is quite good but they didn’t want to give that room(rest don’t even have hot water), Gay Skit as recommended by Harsh was full, Kailash Chamling, recommended by Bijoy was also very busy with all stuff involved in arranging some local function in the hotel, we continued our search and finally zeroed in Marq GH, that finally turned up a brilliant hotel with big and spacious rooms and running hot water for 24 hours. The hotel which offered me 3000 in All meal plan per person per day over phone/ email was finally managed for 1000 for 2 adults and a kid with separate food, bliss of off season