Ladakh Profile

Country: India
State: Jammu & Kashmir
Districts: Leh and Kargil
Form of goverment: Autonomous Hill Development Council
Population: Approximately 2,50,000
Major religion: BUddhism, Islam, Christainity
Altitude Range: 2,500 To 4,500m
Main Attractions: Trekking, Mountaineering, Camping, Water Rafting, And Buddhist Monasteries
Best Time To Visit : June To End September
Trans Himalayan Regions : Ladakh, Leh, Zanskar, Lahaul & Spiti

About Ladakh
The remote, high altitude area of northern India occupies 96,701 sq km (including Aksai Chin) of the eastern half of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is called Ladakh. It is bordered on the northwest with Pakistan; the north with the Chinese province of Sinkiang; and the east with Tibet. The capital city of Leh lies at an altitude of 3500 meters and it is also the largest population center, about 25,000 residents. Many books have been written about this fascinating and remote area in the Himalayas. Short descriptions of the following subjects should provide you with basic knowledge, and hopefully encourage you to visit Ladakh to learn more.

The flight into Leh, the capital of Ladakh, is an unforgettable experience - over the dramatic expanse of the Himalayas - for Ladakh straddles four main ranges - the great Himalayan, Zanskar, Ladakh and the Karakoram. This is the highest inhabited region in India and the River Indus with its tributaries, slice their way through the ranges.

Remote though it is, Ladakh has never been totally isolated. Over the centuries the trade route from India to central Asia passed through this area undeterred by its high passes and desert landscape. Caravans carrying spices, brocades, pearls, carpets and more mundane merchandise like salt and tea took just two months to cover the distance from Amritsar in the Punjab to the central Asian towns of Varkand and Khotan! Leh and Kargil on this ancient route developed then into centres of trade.

Topography Ladakh
Ladakh translates to Land of the High Passes, and it certainly merits this name with its multitude of towering mountain ranges, river valleys and high plateaus. The Karakoram Range isolates the northern border and contains the highest peak in Ladakh, Saser Kangri at 7672 meters (25,164 ft). The Himalayan Range along the southern and eastern border contains two 7000-meter peaks, Nun and Kun. Popular trekking peaks are Stok Kangri (6121 m) in the Stok Range and Kang Yatse (6401 m) in the Zanskar Range. Routes over the high passes of Ladakh were established centuries ago by the caravan traders and by the local people. Some of these routes have been developed into motorable roads. The road from Srinagar to Leh via Kargil crosses the Himalayas over the Zoji La (pass) at 3530 m, and then over the Namika La at 3719 m and the Fotu La at 4094 m before descending by the Lamayuru Monastery and down into the Indus Valley. The road from Manali must cross the Lachlung la at 5060 m and the Taglang La at 5328 m. The world’s highest motorable road from Leh to the Nubra Valley crosses the Kardung La at 5602 m (18,375 ft). The road from Kargil to Padum in the Zanskar Valley must pass over the Fentse La at 4450 m. Several major river systems flow through Ladakh. The mighty Indus River enters Ladakh in the east, from its origin near Mt. Kailas in Tibet, and flows to the western side into northern Pakistan, where it then flows south to Arabian Sea near Karachi. The Indus forms a broad valley about 10 kilometers wide between the Ladakh and Stok Ranges near Leh. In Zanskar, located between the Zanskar and Himalayan Ranges, the Stod and Tsarap Rivers join to form the Zanskar River, which eventually cuts through deep gorges in the Zanskar Range and flows into the Indus River at Nimoo. The Shyok River flows south from its origin in the disputed area of Aksai Chin (now under Chinese control) and then turns northwest, flowing between the Ladakh and Karakoram Ranges. Its tributary, the Nubra River, originates in the Saichen glacier and gives its name to the valley. The Suru River flows in western Ladakh before joining with the Drass River at Kargil and flowing into Kashmir. The high plains of eastern Ladakh contain several large brackish lakes. The largest is Pangong Tso (lake), which extends into Tibet. The Rupshu plains to the south contain the lakes of Tso Moriri and Tso Kar.

Wildlife Ladakh
Wildlife is abundant in the mountains. It is very common on our treks to see herds of blue sheep, some ibex, an occasional wolf, wild yaks, marmots, chukors, and birds of prey such as the golden eagle and the lammergier. Snow leopards also live in these mountains but are rarely seen due to their shyness. However, a group of trekkers with Namgial saw one cross in front of them on their descent from Stok Kangri in 2003. Herds of Kyang (wild horses) can sometimes be seen on the Rupshu plains in eastern Ladakh. Besides the highly visible golden eagles and lammergiers, and the noisy chukors, other birds are abundant in Ladakh. The migratory barheaded goose and rare black-necked crane are sometimes seen near the brackish lakes in eastern Ladakh.

Culture of Ladakh
The traditional culture of Ladakh evolved from Tibetan Buddhism. Evidence of this can be found in the many, centuries old, monasteries that are found in almost every village throughout Ladakh. A large population of monks provides for the religious and spiritual needs of the people, and are the most respected members of society. Most Ladakhi homes have a small chapel, even in the tents of the nomads, containing various religious objects and sacred images. Other visible signs of the Buddhist faith are prayer flags, stupas and mani walls. An infusion of more Tibetans has occurred as a result of the Chinese invasion of Tibet in the 1950’s. The people in the Dha Hanu area and around Drass descended from the Buddhist Dards, who originated in Gilgit, Pakistan. Those in the Dha Hanu area are called Brokpas and still practice their Buddhist faith. Those around Drass have converted to Islam under the influence of nearby Kashmir. In Kargil and the Suru Valley, the population is predominately Baltis. This area was part of Baltistan until 1947. They have Tibetan origins, but were converted to Islam in the 15th century and the majority of them are Shiite Muslims. With its history as a trading center on the old caravan route, Leh has a mixture of cultures living and working together. The most recent addition to this mix is the Indian Armed Forces.

When to Visit Ladakh
Although Ladakh is a remote region of the world, it is accessible by air (New Delhi to Leh, the capital of Ladakh) and thus conducive to touring almost year-round. The main trekking season in Ladakh is during the North American summer, from the beginning of June to the end of September. Although July and August bring the warmest temperatures in Ladakh as in North America, this is the period of rainfall in Ladakh. Being in the so-called 'rain shadow' of the Himalayas, Ladakh sees very little precipitation, particularly compared to the Himalayas further south, however, the rivers do rise, making many areas inaccessible, trails and bridges get swept away, and landslides tumble down. Above all, rain brings snow to the highest elevations resulting in difficulties crossing the passes. Thus many treks can be undertaken best only in the later parts of summer and early fall, from mid September to mid October. Spring and fall only start and end the short but hot summer, separating it from the long and brutally cold winter. In general, though, June to September is the best time to trek as the days are hot in low valleys, warm in higher elevations and the nights are cool. From late September to late October the days stay pleasantly warm but get shorter and nights become progressively colder; on the other hand, the rivers at this time are low and easier to ford, and the crowds of tourists are gone. By the end of October, the climate starts turning to winter, with the lowest temperatures arriving in January. Although Ladakh stays frozen until March and it’s completely cut off by overland routes from Manali and Kashmir south of the towering ranges of the Himalayas, this is the time we run our winter treks on the frozen Zanskar River and some of our Ladakh festival tours. During April and May Ladakh starts to warm up again, the ground thaws and the color returns. The villages begin slowly to turn from its winter brown to summer green, a striking contrast to the arid earth tones of the surroundings, and our summer season of Ladakh treks and jeep tours begins.