The Pangong Lake

Pangong Tso | Tso Morari Lake | Lake Kyaghr

Pangong Tso

One of the most spectacular lakes in Ladakh is the Pangong Tso, which lies across the Changla Pass from Leh. At an altitude of almost 4,500 meters, the Pangong Tso is only 8 km wide at its broadest but is an amazing 134 km long. The Pangong is considered to be the longest Lake in Ladakh.

Pangong is a saltwater Lake and a remnant from the ice age, probably formed by the dead ice masses left behind. In the dry atmosphere, huge amounts of water quickly evaporated and the freshwater Lake turned brackish and finally salty.

This Lake sprawls over both Ladakh and Tibetan territory. The lake runs across into the territory of Tibet (China). Most of the fresh water enters the Lake from the Tibetan side.

The Pangong is a delight to the eye. The golden colored range to the north, with its rolling spurs culminating in chiseled peaks, spreads before your eyes a panorama of spectacular dimensions. With its almost 2,000 square kilometers of turquoise water and a depth of 100 meters, Pangong can baffle the eye, for in the rarefied atmosphere distant objects appear to be right next door.

Tso Morari Lake

The Tsomorari Lake is one of the largest lakes in Ladakh region and is almost like an inland sea, Situated at an elevation of about

4900m, this lake has a length of about 22 kms, width varying from5 to 7 kms and a depth of more than 30 m at the deepest point.

The lake is probably a leftover from the ice age, formed by the melt waters of the ice masses left behind by the retreating glaciers. The waters from the surrounding areas drained into the lake. The huge amounts of water present at the outset evaporated very fast in the desert-like atmosphere and what had been initially fresh water became brackish and finally salty. The water is unfit for human consumption. In winter the surface of the Tsomorari Lake freezes and it is possible for animals and human beings to walkover it. Karzok is situated near this lake.

Lake Kyaghr

This is a small lake situated about 10 km to the north of the Tsomorari Lake. It has a length of about 3 km and a width of 1.5 km, with a maximum depth of 22 m. The water is brackish and is not fit for human consumption. This lake is the halting place for trekkers moving from the Kiangdum camping ground to the Tsomorari Lake.

Kiangdum is a famous camping ground about 22 km to the south of Kyaghr Lake. It is on the route from Ladakh to Spiti in Himachal Pradesh.