VISIT LADAKH —» Geographical Background

Geographical Background

Ladakh lies in the eastern half of Jammu and Kashmir State in the far north of India. It shares its much disputed north-western border with Pakistan, while to the north lies the Chinese province of Sinkiang, and to the east, Chinese-occupied Tibet.Covering an area of about 60,000 sq km and ranging in elevation from 2600m to 7670m (8500ft to 25,165ft), it is the largest and highest district in India. A further 37,000 sq km of north-east Ladakh, an area called the Aksai Chin is currently illegally occupied by China. Ladakh is sandwiched between two vast mountain systems: the Himalaya to the south and the Karakoram to the north. It is the latter range which provides the region with its highest peak, Saser Kangri (7670mJ 25,165ft). Between the two ranges are the Ladakh and Zanskar Mountains, north and south of the Indus Valley respectively. These run north-west to south-east, almost as far as Nepal in the case of the Zanskar Mountains and have peaks mainly between 5000m and 6000m.

Geographic regions of Ladakh

Central Ladakh - Ladakh's heartland is the central Indus Valley. This runs from Khalsi in the west to Upshi in the east, bounded by the Ladakh Mountains to the north and the Zanskar Mountains to the south.

Nubra - This region of deep valleys and high mountains, to the north of the Ladakh Range, encompasses the Nubra and Shyok river valleys and the eastern end of the Karakoram Mountains. It can be reached by road from Leh over the 5602m (18,38Oft) Khardung La, reputedly the highest motorable road in the world.

Pangong - The area east of Upshi and north of the Indus River around the vast and brackish Pangong Tso.

Rupshu - This dry, high-altitude plateau (4000-55OOm) is in the south-east of Ladakh. If you're travelling up from Manali by bus, it's the first region you see. It's the western fringe of the much larger area of Chang Tang, which spreads east into Tibet for about 1500km to the province of Qinghai in China, and whose landscape is characterised by vast plains, rolling mountains and brackish lakes.

Zanskar - Between the Great Himalayan Range and the jagged mountains of the Zanskar Range is the 300km long valley of Zanskar. Access can be

Western Ladakh - The area around the town of Kargil is sometimes referred to as Lower Ladakh. It comprises a number of river valleys, principally the Sum, Drass, Wakha and the Indus, downstream of Khalsi. The altitude here is lower than the rest of Ladakh so vegetation is much more varied. Further to the west is the Zoji La, Ladakh's western gateway, which takes you over the Great Himalayan Range into Kashmir.