HISTORIC ROUTES: # 1

{from Leh in Ladakh, India to Sinkiang, China when it was a popular trade route in the 19^th C. Today it has been replaced by a Kashgar – Karachi Highway.}

LEH to YARKAND & KASHGAR by NUBRA valley, Saser, Karakorum and Kilian passes:- from an 1897 book called “ROUTES IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR” written by Maj. Genl Le Marquis de Bourbel, also former Chief Engineer of the Jammu & Kashmir State.

Abbreviations:

D.B.- Govt. Dak Bungalow with servants & board.

B- Road Bungalow, rest house or baradiri without servant or board.

F.B.- Forest Bungalow.

C.- Caravan Serai for Native Travellers.

E.- Encamping Ground.

P.O.- Post Offcie.

T.O.- Telegraph Office.

S.- Supplies or russud for an ordinary party of travelers.

G.- Grass for grazing for transport animals.

F.- Firewood or other fuel.

W.- Water for drinking.

M.P.- mountain Pass.

L.- Lake.

T.- Transport coolies, ponies, mules or yaks available for an ordinary party of travelers.

H.- Hot Spring.

Only minor editing done like changing miles into kms, feet into metres, and a few spellings into recognizable ones of today.

No. of Marches	Stages	Kms	Kms	Nature of Route	Main Valleys & mountain passes	River crossing and lakes	ASL in meters & feet	Supplies & Transport at Stages	Remarks
		Camp to camp	Total
	Leh Via Ganglas	….	0 8	Road rough & stony	Up ravine N of Leh	…..	11500’ or 3506 m	S.F.G.W. & T abundant. Take through supplies and transport to Yarkand.	Large town and fort. Capital of Ladakh. Palace of Gyalpo Raja. Residence of Wazir and British Joint Commissioner.
1	Camp	19	19	Ascent to pass by a very steep and stony zigzag	Khardong or Laochi La,		15000 or 4573 m 17,800 or 5426 m	S & T nil, F. G. W. scarce	Halting place… Yaks necessary over this pass
2	Khardong E.-		43	, descent down a steep snow field over moraine banks and down a mtn torrent to the Shyok Valley	down ravine cross Shyok valley and up Nubra valley along left bank.		13,500 or 4116 m	S. and T. nil F.G. W. available	Vlg on plateau
	Khartsar		61
3	Satti E.-	19	62	Road fair down Shyok V & then up Nubra V,		Shyok ferry	10,430 or 3180m	Ditto	Vlg in fertile and cultivated Valley
	Tirit		74	passing several populous villages, well cultivated
4	Tagar	24	86			Sumur Loongma	10,030 or 3058 m	S. & T. scarce, F.G.W. procurable	+ orchards
	Chamsing		95			Chamsing Loongma
	Popchick		98
5	Panamik E.-	21	107			Hot Springs	10,840 or 3304 m	S.F.G.W. & T. moderate	Ditto.. Complete supplies here for onward journey
	Pokachu		110			Poka chu
			120			Tutyalak chu
6	Chunglung E.-	18	125	Here leave Nubra Valley.	Up Tutyalak Ravine over	Hot Springs	10,760 or 3280 m	“ “	Last village in Ladakh
			130	Steep zigzag ascent & Descent over pass	Karawal Dawan		17,000 or 5183 m
7	Tutyalak or Pangdongsta	18	143	Road most difficult and dangerous from snow avalanches			13,000 or 3963 m	S. & T. nil, F. scarce, G.W. plentiful	Halting place under glacier
	Sartang		155	moraine slips and sudden floods			15,500 or 4726 m
			160	Cross 2 glaciers 16 kms long on watershed	Saser pass		17,500 or 5335 m		Yaks essential
8	Brangsa Saser E.-	24	167	between Nubra & Shyok Valleys	Cross Shyok Valley	Shyok ford	15,204 or 4635 m	S.F.G.T. nil W. plentiful	Huts on right bank of Shyok
			168	After crossing Shyok ford, turn eastwards up deep gully					Winter route up and down latter.
	Chungtash		179	To Chungtash and down…	Up Rout- a side Valley.				Lake.
9	Bulak-i-Murghai	16	183	..stony gully to Murghai.			15,100 or 4604 m	S.F.G.T. nil W. plentiful, springs	Halting place
	Burtse		203	Hence road narrow, difficult and risky from stone avalanches			16,000 or 4878 m	“ “
10	Kizil Langar E.-	25