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{from Leh in Ladakh, India to Sinkiang, China when it was a popular trade route in the 19^th C. Today it has been replaced by a Kashgar – Karachi Highway.}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	208	Ascend by steep & stony gorge				“ “
			218	To high plain,	Dipsang playeau			“ “
			230	Cross this barren plateau over	Cross chipchak Valley			“ “
11	Daulat Beg Oldi	32	240	spongy soil		Chipchak ford	16,880 or 5146 m	ditto	Halting place
	Chajosh jilga		253	and descend by wide and deep gully				“ “
			261	Gradual rise to pass over gravel and clay soil, then ascent sudden & steep,	Karakoram pass		18,300 or 5579 m	“ “	Practicable for laden horses
12	Balti Brangsa E.- Rock shelter	35	275	similar descent, then gradual down shingly gully	Down Yarkand valley		17,180 or 5237 m	“ “	Halting place
	Wahab Jilga		298	Road good			16,000 or 4878 m
13	Aktagh or Malik Shah E.-	45	320	Road gradually rises over arid stony plateau to foot of pass	Leave Yarkand Valley		15,590 or 4753 m	“ “, a little grass in summer	Winter route diverges by Kugiar
14	Chibra	16	336	Road ascends gradually to			16,480 or 5024 m	S.F.G.T. nil, W. scarce	Halting place
			346	the Suget pass, flat on top for 5 kms and descends steeply down ravine, over moraine banks and granite boulders	Suget Dawan, Down suget and Karakash Valleys		17,618 or 5371 m	“ “	Yaks necessary, air rarefied
15	Suget	34	370	Road follows course of Suget stream, then crosses		Cross suget stream several times	12,970 or 3954 m	S. & T. nil, F.G.W. plentiful
			376	Karakash river and along right bank of latter		Karakash ford			Junction of suget & Karakash rivers
16	Shahidulla	13	383				11,500 or 3506 m	Ditto	Old fort erected by Maharaja of Kashmir
	Aiduk		390						Kirghiz camps around
	Toghra Su		395			Toghra Su ford
17 *	*Ali Nazar Kurgan	17	400			Up Kilian or Dair Manluk Valley		“ “	Kirghiz camps & Fort
18	Bostan	16	416					S.T. nil, F.G. scanty, W. available	Halting place
19	Kara Chagian Aiaghe	29	445	Ascent & descent
			454	of pass steep, but not difficult,	Kilian Dawan		17,000 or 5183 m		Yaks necessary
20	Tsch Kun Kilian	26	470	men suffer from dam or mtn sickness through the rarefied air	Down Tazgun Valley			S.F.T. nil, G. scanty, W. available	North foot of pass
21	Basilik Aghse	19	489			Cross Tazgun current several times		“ “
22	Chiguluk Aghse	24	513					“ “	Ditto
23	Akshor	24	537	Road fair				“ “	Hamlet
	Sark Aryk		554
	Yut Kuduk		560			Tagzun ford
24	Kilian	32	569	Road through richly cultivated valley, then over sandy soil and			7000 or 2134 m	S.F.G.W. & T. moderate	Large village of 150 houses, where renew supplies
25	Bash Langar	23	592	undulating ground				S.F.T. nil, G.W. available	Village, buy food & fodder
	Doghri Kuprik		603
26	Bora, Oasis	22	614	Road gradually rises over undulating ground for 13 kms and then along				S. & T. precarious, F.G.W. available	Village in oasis well cultivated, where join route from Sanju
27	Besh Aryk	40	654	a chul flat to Kargalik					Village
28	Kargalik	10	664			Across drainage of Tarim Valley	4500 or 1372 m	S.F.G.W. & T. plentiful	Large town & bazaar, 1000 houses
	Kulchi		675	Road from Kargalik to Yarkand		Tezab ford
29	Yak Shambeh	18	682	Through cultivated and watered				S.F.G.W. & T. moderate	Village, 300 houses
			690	country		Tiznaf ford
30	Posgam C.E.-	20	702				4200 or 1280 m	“ “	Large village, 600 houses
31	She Shambeh	14	716			Yarkand or Zarafshan ferry,		S.T. nil, F.G.W. plentiful	Hamlet
	Langar Alim Akhoon		726			Zulchak river
32	Yarkand P.O.,B.,C.,E.-	13	729	Good road through gardens and cultivation			3950 or 1204 m	S.F.G.W. & T. abundant	Large and ancient city, Fortress, bazaars,
			736	well shaded by trees for 14 kms from Yarkand,		Opah bridge			Residence of Governor, center of trade
33	Kok, Robat, oasis	40	769	Traversed by arbas			3830 or 1168 m	S.& T. nil F.G.W. plentiful	Village, 400 houses
34	Ak Robat B.-	24	793	Road through chul or stony desert				“ “ W. brackish	Village, 400 houses
35	Kizil, Oasis C., E.-	24	817	Good road through oasis, then over a chul		Kizil ford	3910 or 1192 m	S. & T. nil, F. scanty, G.W. available	Large village, 300 houses, iron works
36	Topaluk	23	840					S.F.T. nil	Small village, iron works
			858			Shahnaz bridge		G.W. available
37	Yangi Hissar B., C., E.-	26	866	Good carriage road 7 metres wide traversed by arbas.			4320 or 1317 m	S.F.G.W. & T. plentiful	Large town and fort, 600 houses
	Sogholuc		890	The road is lined by trees and runs
38	Yapchan	39	905	through a well watered and cultivated country,		Crossed several branches of the Gez river	4210 or 1283 m	S.F.G.W. & T plentiful	Large village, 250 houses
	Tazgun		914	9 kms from Yangi Hissar,		Tazgun bridge
	Karasu		920	16 kms round Yapchan, and 14 kms from Kashgar.		Karasu bridge
39	Yangi Shahr	25	930			Kizil Su or Kashgar river	4060 or 1238 m	S.F.G.W. & T. abundant	New city and fortress
40	Kashgar P.,O.,B.,C.,E-	8	938				4043 or 1233 m		Capital of Chinese Turkistan.Large and ancient city, bazaars, center of trade.

*Hence are 3 routes over the Kuenlun range to Kargalik and Yarkand.

I. By Toghra su Valley, Killik pass and Tupa Diwan, path little known and closed by the Chinese authorities, grass and wood procureable at every stage, said to be the best for foot passengers.

II. By Kilian Valley, Kilian pass and kilian city, summer route as under.

III. By Karakash Valley, Sanju or Grim pass and Sanju city, also summer route as in LXXIX. The Chinese sometimes block parts of it.

NOTES: There are 3 improvements being made on the Kashmir side in this road from Leh.

A new road over the Khardong pass with an easier gradient to summit, avoids the glacier on further side and descends to Shayok Valley with a fairly easy gradient.

Blasting of a road (1.5 kms through solid rock) up the month of the Tutyalak ravine to circumvent the Karwal Dawan, to avoid this high spur and shorten the distance.

New approaches on both sides to the great glaciers on Saser pass.

From Yarkand, a road branches westward to Tashkurgan in Sarikol by Yakarik 32 kms, over Shaitan kum (desert) to Kiziltagh 38 kms, Arpalik 25 kms, crossing two low passes, Kizil Diwan and Kara Diwan to Khaizak 34 kms, on the Charling river and up this valley by Tashkerim 23 kms to Chehil Gombaz 30 kms, over Torat pass 13,400’ or 4085 m, to Past Robat 9370 ft or 2857 m 14 kms, Tarbashi 11,515’ 13 kms, Shindi 27 kms, Tashkurgan 10,270’ or 3131 m 30 kms- Total Yarkand to Taskurgan- 300 kms approx.

From Yangi Hissar another roadbranches south-west and joins the foregoing at Chehil Gombaz 10,310’ or 3143 m, by Ighizyar 30 kms, Aktala 27 kms, Sasak Taka 21 kms, Kaskau 23 kms over Kaskau pass 13,000’ or 3963 m to Chehil Gombaz 14 kms- Total Yangi Hissar to Chehil Gombaz 114 kms and to Tashkurgan 199 kms.

From Tashkurgan 10,270’ or 3131 mthese roads continue in the same direction S.W. by Khanshabur 12,980’ or 3957 m 27 kms, over Nessa Tash pass 15,000’ or 4573 m to Aktash 12,600’ or 3841 m 29 kms, Ghazkul lake on Little Pamir 13,200’ or 4024 m 74 kms, Langar 12,530’ or 3820 m 40 kms, Sarhad 11,150’ or 3399 m 38 kms, Kila Panja 88 kms- Total Tashkurgan to Kila Panja 296 kms.