PANGONG TSO
Route: Leh - Shey - Karu - Shakti - Chang La - Tanksey - Lukung - Spangmik (Pangong Tso)
Distance: 170kms from Leh
The Journey: Many travelers do the Leh - Pangong Tso excursion as a day trip and come back to Leh by night fall. However this is not recommended, since the 340 km long round trip leaves little time for Pangong Tso which is a magnificent lake and doing this excursion in the span of 2 - 3 days is highly recommended.
Following is a sample itinerary for an excursion to Pangong Tso spanned over two days.
Day 1 Leh - Chang La - Pangong Tso (170 kms): Start off from Leh in the morning after breakfast and start driving/riding on the Leh - Manali highway till you reach the town of Karu. From here you need to take a left turn to go towards village Shakti, roads are mostly straight and incline is little till you cross Shakti and a couple of kilometer thereafter the accent for Chan La starts.
For most part accent is steep and roads are generally good and you will be greeted by some wonderful views of village in the plateau below. However the final few kms of the accent are in bad shape and the accent is quite steep, which will test your riding/driving skills as well as endurance of your vehicle. Of all the passes one encounters in a trip to Ladakh (barring Marsimik La) Chang La is the steepest and due to bad roads during the final accent it is also the toughest, no wonder it is called The Mighty Chang La.
At 17800ft it is also the second highest pass in ladakh that you will come across. Once you reach the summit, you will be greeted by the Indian Army troops who are stationed here to acclimatize to high altitude, before they are posted in Siachen. There is a temple on top of Chang La pass called Chang La Baba ka Mandir, as well a cabin built by the army where you can warm up yourself while chatting with the soldiers. After a few minutes rest its time to begin the decent from Chang La, road is in bad condition for a few kilometers, beyond which superbly laid tarmac coupled with beautiful scenery awaits you.
Your next big break will be at Tanksey aka Tangste, Tanksey is a big town with few shops and hotels and an internet café. It is a good idea to have your lunch here or in case you have arrived late in the evening, than spend the night here instead of continuing to Lukung or Spangmik where finding accommodation in peak season can be an issue. Else you can continue to Lukung, where the magnificent Pangong Tso starts.
After you reach the shores of Pangong Tso, you can either look for accommodation in the nearby eco huts or you can continue on to the village of Spangmik. The road however ends here and you are left with a trail filled with sand and rock for the next 7kms to Spangmik, this is also the last point up to which tourists are allowed to venture.
Day 2 Pangong Tso - Chang La - Leh (170 kms): Wake up early in the day to witness a spectacular sunrise over Pangong Tso, after which you can begin your journey back to Leh.
Accommodation: Finding a good place to spend a night near Pangong Tso can be a bit of a headache during peak season. Spangmik only has one hotel which offers rooms as well as luxury tents; however get ready to shell out any where between Rs.700 - 1200 for these. One can also find accommodation in guest houses that some inhabitants of Spangmik run from their home. However a better option is to find a place to stay in the Eco Huts at Lukung, which is just right of the shore of Pangong Tso. Be warned there is no electricity or proper toilet, just camping grade toilet and warm water courtesy solar water heater.
One can also find accommodation in Tanksey which is of better quality but away from the lake.
Amenities: Before you head off for Pangong Tso make sure your vehicle is in good condition and you have enough fuel for 400kms. There are no phones here, only an internet café at Tanksey.
Restricted Area: Pangong Tso and Chang La are restricted areas and to visit them, you need permits which are easily obtainable from the DC’s office in Leh and can be procured by either submitting the application yourself or through a travel agent. The permits are issued for a maximum period of three weeks, in case you are visiting other restricted areas like Tso Moriri and Nubra Valley you need to mention them in the permit as well.
Make at least 4 photocopies of the permit per region, since you would need to submit them at various check posts
Best Regards,
Sunil Vikram
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