|
The Virgin
Vale
About 20-km south of Rangdum
stands the Pazila watershed across which lies Zanskar, the most
isolated of all the trans Himalayan Valleys. The Panzela Top (4,401 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.
The Mountainous Panorama
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 5,000-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 Penzela.
Today, 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
Shangrila stand 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.
HISTORY
The Khampa, the
nomadic shepherds who originally roamed the grazing pastures of the
Tibetan plateau, would have been familiar with the high passes into
Zanskar many centuries before the villages of the Zanskar or Indus
valley were established.
In the 11th century, the eminent scholar Ringchen Brangpo wandered the
Zanskar valley selecting sites from the 108 monasteries that were to
be found throughout the west Himalayas. At the same time, legend has
it that the sage Naropa meditated at the site of Sani monastery.
The Advent of Foreign Travellers
The famous Hungarian explorer Coso de Koros was one of the first
European travelers to visit the region. He spent nearly a year, in
1826-27, at the monastery of Phugthal translating Buddhist texts from
Ladakhi into English. An inscription of his name can be still found in
the monastery.
Dogra Invasion
A few years later, the Dogra general Zorawar Singh led his army over
the Umasi La during the conquest of Ladakh and the Zanskar. In 1834 he
reduced the powers of the royal families in both Padum and Zangla to a
nominal status and established the fort at the village of Pipiting
just north of Padum. He is also said to have paid a small fortune to
hire a local guide to lead his army directly across the passes of the
Zanskar Range to the Indus Valley in Order to mount a surprise attack
on the king of Ladakh.
The Dogra conquest was recorded by Thomas Thomson, a member of the
East India Company's Boundary Commission crossing the Umasi La in June
1848 en route through the Zanskar and Indus Valleys to the Korakoram
Pass.
PRIME
ATTRACTIONS
Panikhar
On the route to Zanskar, Panikhar, which is commonly considered to be
on the border of the Suru Valley, is an important place. There is a
high pass between Panikhar and Sankoo, a moderately sized valley about
42-km from Kargil, Ladakh . Zorawar Singh and his forces entered
Ladakh from the Suru Pass in 1832 en route to conquer Tibet. He built
a fort whose ruins stand to this day.
Penzella Pass 
The Panzella Pass is situated at an elevation of more than 4,200 m
over the Zanskar range (Penzella mountains). It separates Zanskar from
the Suru valley and other parts of Ladakh. On either side of the pass
there are camping grounds used by migratory grazier communities and
travelers. At the top, an enchanting view of the surrounding ranges
and countryside greets the visitor.
At the top of the pass, there are two springs of greenish water
credited by legend to be the birthplace of the progenitors of the
famous Zanskar breed of ponies. Different forms of vegetation come up
around the pass soon after the snow melts in summer. These include
many species, which have medicinal value. Marmots live in burrows,
moving to lower elevations in winter. The brown bear is also found on
the slopes of the Penzela Pass.
The Penzela glacier, where the Suru River arises, is situated on one
of the flanks of this pass. On the Zanskar side, an extensive stretch
of flat land is present at the foot of the pass. It is dissected by a
number of streams and supports riverine vegetation, which becomes
thick in summer. This is an ideal camping ground for graziers and
trekkers.
The Penzela Pass remains open only from May to September, being closed
for the rest of the year due to heavy snowfall.
Karsha
Karsha is another large settlement across the river from Padam, at a
distance of about 8-km from the latter. It has a small market, school,
dispensary and post and telegraph facilities. There is also a
monastery at Karsha, which is revered by the population living in the
surrounding region.
HOW TO REACH
THERE
Road: 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. The
J&K SRTC operates a thrice-weekly bus services from Kargil.
However groups can charter A-Class or even Super-Deluxe buses to visit
Zanskar, including the interior places of interest like Stongdey,
Zangla and Karsha. Jeeps and Gypsy taxis can also be hired at Kargil.
During June and early July, prior to opening of the road, it is
recommended to walk into Zanskar from Panikhar or Parkachik onwards.
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 and when the countryside is freshly rejuvenated into life after
months of frigid dormancy.
WHERE TO STAY
The tourist
Complex at Padum provides furnished rooms. There is catering
arrangement in the complex, while camping place nearby is available
for budget tourists travelling with personal tents. Padum town has
several private hotels where rooms with basic facilities are
available. At Karsha dormitory accommodation is available in the newly
build inn where basic vegetarian food is also provided. In the distant
villages like Stongdey, Zangla, Sani, etc., accommodation can be
sought from the villagers either on payment or in exchange of a
suitable gift. Some monasteries may also take in guests, through more
as a gesture of goodwill than on purely commercial consideration. Of
course the guest is expected to compensate the monastery suitably.
WHEN TO TREK
For most people, the timing of a
trek out of Padum is determined by the opening of the motorable road
from Kargil over the Pentse La. The pass is normally cleared of snow
by the beginning of July, and generally remains open until the end of
October.
The alternative is to trek from Panikhar or Rangdum over the Pentse
La. This can be completed in May, although it is advisable not to
cross the high passes leading out of Zanskar until the end of June. By
this time the villagers begin to cross the Singge La, the Umasi La and
the Shingo La and Phitse La. These times should also be noted if one
is planning to trek into the Zanskar Valley from Lamayuru, Leh or
Darcha. The passes remain open until the middle of October, although
freak storms in September have occasionally required treks to be
re-routed.
River crossings also need to be considered when planning a trek. In
particular, the route from Padum to the Markha valley follows gorges
where the late spring snow melt makes the rivers difficult to cross
until August.
For the intrepid, there are winter trails linking the Zanskar valley
with the Indus. From late January through February, the villagers and
monks follow the route over the snow bridges that form in the depths
of the gorges. When the ice begins to thaw, they follow a route over
the Cha Cha La to the Khurna valley and then trek down to its
confluence with the Zanskar River. Here there are some places to ford
the Zanskar River to reach Niimu and Leh. This route is favoured by
the locals in the springtime, until the deep snows on the Pentse La
begin to thaw in May.
NEARBY CITIES
Karsha: 9-km
Stongdey: 20-km
Burdan: 10-km
Zongkhul: 20-km
Phukthal: 70-km (Approx.)
|
