Traversing Nostalgia – historic routes:
Another nostalgic route that was popular till the early 1950s. Rudok, in Western Tibet, was considered more a part of Ladakh than Tibet till 1850. Its trading status gone China has converted it into an important military base. It is linked by a good road to Lhasa and to Kashgar on the Chinese side. Within India there's a motorable road till Miarsmik La. Those who have been to Pangong Tso will find a part of this route familiar and the history interesting.
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.
|
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
|
…. |
0
|
Road good and passable for laden animals |
Up Indus valley |
….. |
11350' or 3460 m |
S.F.G.W. & T abundant. |
Large town and fort. Capital of Ladakh. Palace of Gyalpo Raja. Residence of Wazir and British Joint Commissioner. |
|
1 |
Tikse |
21 |
21
38 |
|
Up Sarkti valley |
|
|
" " |
Village and monastery |
|
2 |
Chimre |
26 |
46 |
|
|
|
|
S.F.G. W. & T. moderate |
" " |
|
|
Sarkti |
|
56 |
Very steep ascent from Sarkti to Zingral |
|
|
|
|
Large village, well cultivated |
|
3 |
Zingral |
19 |
62 |
|
|
|
|
S & T nil, F, G, W available |
Halting Place |
|
|
|
|
70 |
Ascent to, & descent from, pass easy |
Chang la. Down Chang la's ravine, up Durbug ravine |
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
Durbug |
24 |
88 |
Road on both banks of Durgul (Durbug) river |
|
|
|
S & T nil, F, G, W procurable |
Small village, well cultivated |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
Tankse |
11 |
99 |
From Tankse, road up valley, which narrows |
|
Cross Durgul river several times |
|
S.F.G.W. & T. plentiful |
Small village, central store depot for caravans to Yarkand and Tibet |
|
|
Muglib |
|
110 |
to a gorge and then opens out by Muglib, crosses grassy swamp & ascends 3 kms among rocky boulders……. |
Up Pazar valley |
|
|
|
Hamlet |
|
|
{From here |
|
|
two roads to |
Rudok. One N |
& one S of |
|
Pangong |
Tso} |
|
6 |
Chakar Talao |
22 |
122 |
…..From here road continues up valley to the plain |
|
|
|
S& T nil, F, G, & W scanty |
Shallow pond, DRY [not NOW] in summer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
Lukung |
11 |
133 |
at end of Pangong Tso |
Up Loonkur valley |
|
14,130' or 4308 m |
" " " " |
3 kms, NW end of Pamngong Tso. W salt |
|
8 |
Chagra |
13 |
146 |
Road good all the way to the foot of MS pass |
|
|
15090' or 4601 m |
S.T. nil, F scanty, G.W. plentiful |
Pasture ground |
|
9 |
Charkhang |
13 |
159 |
Gradual ascent to summit, |
|
|
|
|
Southern foot of the pass |
|
|
|
|
160 |
whence road turns E over |
Miarsmik La |
|
18420' or 5616 m |
S.T. nil, F.G.W. procurable |
|
|
|
|
|
166 |
elevated ground called Kieu La into the |
Down Kieu valley |
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
Pangur Gongma |
18 |
177 |
Head of the Kieu valley, which drains |
Kim stream is difficult to |