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A  picturesque
expanse surrounded by colorful rocky mountains, Sankoo is an upcoming
township with a small bazaar (42 kms south of Kargil) and numerous
villages around. Dense plantations of poplars, willows, myricarea and
wild roses fill the bowl shaped valley, giving it the ambience of a
man-made forest tucked within the mountain ramparts. Two side valleys
drained by large tributary streams of the Suru river, the Kartse
flowing from the east and the Nakpochu descending from the west, open
up on either side of the expanse. The Karste Valley runs deep into the
eastern mountains mass with a large number of isolated villages tucked
within its course. The 4-day trek between Sankoo and Mulbek follows
this valley; the route passes through some very beautiful alpine areas
on the way the 4950 m high Rusi-la . The high altitude settlement of
Safi and its mixed Buddhist-Muslim population is struck between the
Rusi-la and the Shafi-la over which the final leg of the trek passes
before entering the Mulbek valley. A southward diversion from the foot
of the Rusi-la leads to Rangdum across the glaciated Rangdum pass
where the Karste River rises. The 3-day trek to Drass across the Umba-la
(3350 m) follows the western valley. Sankoo is a very popular among
local picnic lovers who throng the area from Kargil town and other
places. Locally it is also popular as a place of pilgrimage to the
ancient shrines of Muslin scholar-saint, Sayed Mir Hashim, who was
specially invited from Kashmir for imparting religious teachings to
the region's Buddhist ruler, Thi-Namgyal of the Suru principality,
following his conversion to Islam during the 16th century. The shrine
is situated in the village of Karpo-Khar on the outskirts of Sankoo
where the chief had his summer palace.
How to reach ?
Sankoo, Panikhar and Parachik are connected with Kargil with regular
bus services, in summer even twice a day. A bus ride from Kargil takes
2 hours to Sankoo, 3 hours to Panikhar and about 4 hours to Parkachik.
Rangdum is serviced by the BI-week bus service to Padum, which
increases according to demand. Some trucks plying between Kargil and
Padum also offers a lift in the cabin for the price of a bus seat.
Cars and jeeps taxis can be hired from Kargil for visiting different
places in the Suru Valley, including Rangdum and Penzila
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