Zanskar Valley — Kargil to Padum via PensiLa.
Distance
240 km
Duration
2 days
Climb
3,500 m
Zanskar Valley — Kargil to Padum via Pensi La.
A classic two-day traverse from Kargil up the green Suru Valley and over Pensi La (4,400m) into the remote Buddhist region of Zanskar. Snow peaks, the Drang-Drung glacier and centuries-old monasteries line the NH301 to Padum. The road is part paved, part rough, and open only in summer.
Quick facts
SurfaceMixed
Distance240 km
Days2
Total climb3,500 m
DifficultyChallenging
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2 days, 2 moods.
A suggested split across 2 days with 8 waypoints to discover along the way.
KargilStart · Start in Kargil — last full services and fuel. Head south up the Suru Valley on NH301.
SankooScenic Point · Green oasis town ringed by poplar groves on the Suru River. Good chai, and apricots in season.
PanikharPhoto Spot · First clear views of the twin Nun-Kun massif (7,135m), one of the valley's finest photo stops.
RangdumOvernight · Overnight at Rangdum (3,657m), a lonely settlement below its hilltop monastery — the last habitation before Pensi La. Basic guesthouses.
Rangdum MonasteryScenic Point · Fortress-like Gelugpa monastery on a sugarloaf hill at 4,031m, with resident lamas and sweeping valley views.
Pensi La (4,400m)Mountain Pass · Pensi La, the gateway pass into Zanskar. Two small tarns, Sta-Tso and Lang-Tso, sit at the top.
Drang-Drung GlacierPhoto Spot · One of Ladakh's largest glaciers — a vast river of ice unfurling just below the pass. Unforgettable.
PadumEnd · End in Padum (3,657m), Zanskar's headquarters and the only real town for 200km. Fuel and food here.
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