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The
Shyok River receives the waters of the Nubra and Changchenmo rivers.
It rises from the Khumdang glacier, which can be approached from Shyok.
The Shyok River takes a southerly course after it is joined by the
Nubra River. Thereafter the Shyok flows into the Indus at Keris.
The
river freezes in winter, thus forming an easy access between the
Khaplu and the Nubra valleys. In summer, as the snow melts in the
uplands, the river overflows its banks and inundates the surrounding
plain for many kilometers, at times creating a vast marsh. During this
period, the Shyok River has to be crossed on rafts of inflated skin.
The
Shyok Valley is the valley of the Shyok River -- the river of death.
This is a Yarkandi (Central Asian) name, probably given by the Central
Asian traders who ventured on this treacherous route for centuries and
perished. The entire northern area -- the region of the Karakoram --
has names related to death. It is evident that this was a part of the
ancient trade route from Yarkand (Central Asia) to Ladakh, where many
died and only the hardiest survived. The entire route towards the
Karakoram Pass is littered with the bones of these travelers
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