Pangong Tso or Pangong lake, Ladakh

At 14,270 ft., the world’s highest saline water lake is worth a visit in winter, when it is frozen so solid that you can drive your car on it! I am obviously joking, as you are not allowed to step into the lake in your vehicle. And don’t even try, because you will not know when you cross the Line of Control into the arms of the Chinese army!

Covering an area of ~600 sq kms, 60% of the lake lies in Tibet. The Line of Control actually passes through the lake, at the point where the lake bends to the east.

Hindi movie ‘3 Idiots’ made this locale touristy

Scenes from quite a few movies have been shot here but none created as much excitement as ‘3 Idiots’. Tourism took off after this movie was released. During summer, yellow coloured scooters are available for photo opportunities and short rides.

There are no ‘activities’ at the lake in winter.

5 hours drive from Leh

The drive from Leh to Pangong Tso has beautiful scenery all the way through.

the bare tree lined roads in Shey,
the frozen Indus river,
the precariously perched monasteries at Shey, Thiksay, Hemis(distant view) and Chimrey,
views of snow covered mountains,
drive over snow/ice covered roads between Zingral and Durbuk, passing over Chang La pass at 17,700 ft.,
frozen rivulets and small lakes,
mountain sides and valleys full of boulders and what not.

So much variety that it kept me engrossed all the way through. Even in the afternoon, on the way back, I did not even once close my eyes!

Starting from Leh at 11,500 ft., the drive took me to Shey, Thiksey, Kharu, and Chimrey before climbing to Chang La pass at 17,700 ft. This drive took about 2 hours plus a bit of waiting time while the road was being cleared of snow. From Chang La pass, I descended to Tangtse(12,800 ft., about 4 hours with a break plus waiting time for snow clearance) before climbing to Lukung at 14,300 ft. This is the first halt at Pangong lake.

I could continue to drive by the side of the lake all the way to Spangmik and then onto Chushul but there was no need.

Snow clearance crew works very efficiently

At two places, one before and one after Chang La pass, the road was being cleared of snow and I had to wait. I literally prayed because this was my “second attempt” to drive to Pangong Tso, having turned back the previous day from Chang La pass due to heavy snowfall and avalanche. I had no more buffer days left.

Thankfully, the road clearance crew worked very efficiently and I was on my way, with a delay of 90 minutes in total. This meant I had to cut down the time to be spent at the Lake.

View of the mountains near Chimrey, Ladakh

The road to Pangong Tso, after Tangtse, Ladakh — View of the mountains near Chimrey, Ladakh

Imagine having the entire lake to yourself

There was only a group of 7-8 tourists at the lake and they left soon after my arrival. I had the whole lake to myself! The atmosphere was so serene that I felt compelled to simply sit at one place silently and soak in the beauty. Luckily, there was no wind.

The frozen Pangong lake, Ladakh — First view of the Pangong lake, Ladakh

Driving distance and time

The total distance one way from Leh to Pangong Tso(Lukung and Spangmik) is about 160 kms and the actual driving time is 4 to 4.5 hours. Including a break of 30 minutes, a minimum of 5 hours is required one way, assuming no delays due to road blockage.

Inner Line Permit/Protected Area Permit

Required. I have written about this in a separate post. Follow this link to read more.

Be aware of high altitude sickness

The journey passes through high altitudes. So be aware if you feel any discomfort. Plenty of camps en-route so help will not be very far away. Read more on high altitude sickness.

Facilties

There are several points enroute where small restaurants and toilets are available . But all were closed during winter. Only couple of restaurant were open at Durbuk, just before Tangtse. Seemed quite decent and I had a good meal of rice, vegetables and Dal, followed by salt tea. On the way back, I stopped at Kharu for a cup of tea. Honestly, the dhabas here did not look very hygienic and upon enquiry, I was told none of restaurants have a toilet.

At Pangong, I did notice one public toilet that seemed to be open. There were a few restaurants on the slope of a hill facing the lake, but all closed during winter. I was told many camps come up during the tourist season and I could imagine how ugly that would look. I actually feel sad that such camps have been allowed in the immediate vicinity of the lake though couple of restaurants and cafes are probably ok.

For those who are prone to frequent hunger pangs, pack few snack items from Leh. But do remember the stomach should be more empty than full given the mountainous roads.