Kids at Rangdum, Kargil, India
We wondered what their lives must be like, for these kids of Rangdum. Living in such isolation, in the middle of nowhere. From what we saw, it sure seemed like a lot of fun! Read more of the kids we met at The kids of the hills…
A guest house in Rangdum en route Zanskar
Rangdum is midway between Kargil and Padum, the headquarters of Zanskar valley. Travelers often halt for the night at Rangdum on their way to Zanskar. Some houses operate homestays and guest houses for these travelers.
Typical houses in higher Himalayas
This is a typical stone houses found in the Zanskar and Ladakh regions. Built with flat stones stacked on top of each other, they are then coated with a layer which is a mixture of local mud, cattle dung and other things.
Landscapes en route Zanskar
Rangdum, Kargil, India
Technology in the middle of nowhere at Rangdum en route Zanskar
Even the remote Rangdum midway between Zanskar and Kargil is now touched by technology.
Landscapes en route Zanskar
The hamlet of Rangdum brings with it some signs of life. These are the Himalayan horses walking on the banks of the Suru river. Randum is the southernmost tip of the Suru valley, the valley that separates Kargil from Zanskar, the most remote valley in India.
Landscapes en route Zanskar
Rangdum, the southernmost tip of Suru valley is a tiny hamlet of around ten houses.
Landscapes en route Zanskar
After around 50 kms of stunning landscapes, nestled in the middle of nowhere is a tiny hamlet of Rangdum.
Landscapes en route Zanskar, India
The barren mountain faces of the Greater Himalayas in Zanskar reveal ragged patterns. Stunning landscapes like these are part of the 250 km journey from Kargil to Zanskar. It is one of the most isolated stretches of the Himalayas in India.
Landscapes en route Zanskar
After Parkachik, the last village of Suru Valley civilisation comes to a sudden halt. The river Suru, tributary of Indus gives you company most of the way into Zanskar.
Landscapes en route Zanskar
Greater Himalayan landscapes devoid of people is the characteristic landscape of the journey to Zanskar.
Parkachik glacier en route Zanskar valley
Parkachik is the last village in Suru valley. The Parkachik glacier is 1km away from the village of Parkachik. Much of the snow had melted when we saw it in the month of July, but it sill made for an interesting look especially with the mighty Himalayas surrounding it.
This picture was taken from a truck in which we travelled from Parkachik to Zanskar.
Mother daughter duo collecting firewood in the morning in the village of Parkachik in Suru valley, India
Parkachik, Kargil, India
Suru valley spread out on one side of the Parkachik la, India
Parkachik, Kargil, India
Along the Suru river in Suru valley near Kargil, India
Parkachik, Kargil, India
Summer farming in Zanskar, India
Summer is the only time the people of Zanskar have access to fresh local food. Every family in this region has a small farm where they grow vegetables like peas, carrots, potatoes and a variety of greens. The family consumes what's needed . The rest is put to dry for use in the severe winter months.
Farms and solar panels in the village of Parkachik in Suru valley, India
Parkachik, Kargil, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaIndieSuru valleyIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirparkachikphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetantourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
The peaks on Nun Kun seen from Parkachik la, India
The twin peaks of Nun (7135m) and Kun (7087m) are the biggest and the highest attraction in the Suru valley. The contrast of the perennially snow covered Nun and the barren Kun add to the mystic of the place. Suru valley stretches from Kargil right up to the Penzi la after which the Zanskar valley starts. It is the greenest valley of the Greater Himalayas. Every village in the Suru valley takes pride in the view it affords of the Nun and the Kun peaks.
Nun KunParkachikSuru valleyZanskarKargilKashmirIndialandscapeIndiaLadakh
View of Suru valley from a vantage point in Parkachik
Parkachik, Kargil, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaIndieSuru valleyIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirparkachikphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetantourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
View of Suru valley from a vantage point in Parkachik
Parkachik, Kargil, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaSuru valleyIndieIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirparkachikphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetantourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
Stone houses in Parkachik village of Suru valley, India
Parkachik, Kargil, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaIndieIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirparkachikphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetantourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
Trucks halting at the village Parkachik in Suru valley near Kargil on their way to Zanskar valley, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaIndieSuru valleyIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirparkachikphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetantourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
The most reliable transport vehicle in Suru valley near Kargil, India
Panikhar, Kargil, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaIndieSuru valleyIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirpanikharphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetantourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
View of Nun peak from Panikhar in Suru valley near Kargil, India
Panikhar is a village in Suru valley. Suru valley stretches from Kargil right up to the Penzi la after which the Zanskar valley starts. It is the greenest valley of the Greater Himalayas. Every village in the Suru valley takes pride in the view it affords of the Nun and the Kun peaks.
NunPanikharSuru valleyKargilZanskarKashmirIndialandscapeIndiaLadakh
Himalayan Agama in Panikhar in Suru valley near Kargil, India
Panikhar, Kargil, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaIndieIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirpanikharphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetantourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
House in Sankoo near Kargil in the Suru valley, India
Sankoo, Kargil, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaSuru valleyIndieIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetansankootourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
A shop in Sankoo, a village in Suru valley near Kargil, India
Sankoo, Kargil, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaSuru valleyIndieIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetansankootourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
Sankoo, Kargil, India
Maqsuma is a class 4 student from a small village called KarcheKhar near Kargil in the state of J&K in India. The remote location causes a dearth of good schools in the area. The Indian Army, which has a huge presence there tries to do its bit by running an Army School. Maqsuma studied in this school and was evidently smarter and bolder than her peers who went to local schools. Read full story on Kids of the hills
Portrait of a bus passenger from Sankoo, Kargil, India
He was a laborer who stayed at Kargil and went to work in the smaller villages around Kargil. The summer months see a boom in construction activity in these areas which are snow clad in winter. These laborers come from the poorer states in India, mostly from Jharkhand.
Every morning a bus popularly nicknamed "laborer bus" leaves Kargil early in the morning to drop these laborers to their respective workplaces.5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaIndieIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetansankootourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
Friends from the village of Kartse Khar in Suru valley near Kargil, India
Sankoo, Kargil, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaIndieIndienSuru valleyIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetansankootourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
Suru valley in Kargil, India
Around 40km after Kargil, Sankoo is a stepping stone to head deep in the Suru valley. It is surprisingly green for its altitude, of over 3000mt, thanks to the Suru river that flows through it.
A zig zag road follows this river, crossing several bridges, as seen above, to cross the Suru valley through villages like Sankoo, Panikhar, Tangole and Parkachik, where suddenly, civilisation comes to a halt!Suru valleyKargilZanskarlandscapeSankooKashmirIndiaIndiaLadakh
Tallest rock cut statue of the Maitreya Buddha in Karste Khar near Kargil in Suru valley, India
Sankoo, Kargil, India,Suru valley
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaSuru valleyIndieIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetansankootourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
Poultry in the Sankoo village of Suru valley, Kargil, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaIndieIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetansankootourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
People of Sankoo, a village in Suru valley, near Kargil, at work in the summer months
Sankoo, Kargil, India,Suru valley
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisfodderHindistanindeSuru valleyIndiaIndieIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetansankootourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
A posh house in Sankoo village of Suru valley near Kargil, India
Sankoo, Kargil, India, Suru valley
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaIndieIndienSuru valleyIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetansankootourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
Sankoo, Kargil, India
5DBaratocanonchetanchetan karkhanisHindistanindeIndiaIndieIndienIndiëIndlandIntiajammu and kashmirkargilkarkhaniskashmirphotophotographerphotographyphotossandeepasandeepa karkhanissandeepachetansankootourismtravelÍndiaІндіяИндияИндијаהודוינדיאַالهندبھارتهندوستانอินเดียẤn Độインド印度인도IndiaLadakh
Getting the crops ready for husking in Goma Kargil, a village near Kargil in India
Kargil, India
Goma KargilSrinagar Leh highwayKashmirIndiaportraitIndiaLadakh
Getting the crops ready for husking in Goma Kargil, a village near Kargil in India
Kargil, India
Goma KargilSrinagar Leh highwayKashmirIndiaportraitIndiaLadakh
Mirror play at Kargil, India
Boys will be boys! We met him in Goma Kargil, which is a small village higher up from Kargil. He was playing the mirror game, casting a reflection of the sun on the ground, and the light was what caught our attention. Mischief sure has an universal appeal! Read more of the kids we met at The kids of the hills…
Goma KargilSrinagar Leh highwayKashmirIndiaportraitIndiaLadakh
Landscape at Dras, Kargil, India
Dras was the town we chose to spend our first ever high altitude night in. It turned out to be so much more than just an “altitude acclimatisation” stopover on the way to Ladakh. Read more about Drass at Why visit Dras?
Zoji la, Kashmir, India
Zoji la, the pass that connects Srinagar to Ladakh. It starts right after Baltal and runs for around 13 km. It remains closed in the winter months, when it is covered in snow. Read more on the Himalayan Passes at Mountain passes we crossed.
View from Zoji la, Kashmir, India
This is the view from Zoji la, the first mountain pass that leads the way from the lush green valleys of Kashmir to the cold desert of Ladakh. The tiny specks of settlement seen at the bottom are the tents at the base camp of Baltal. This is specially set up only during the Amarnath yatra. Read our story on Amarnath Yatra: Trek on a Pilgrimage.
Siblings from Dras, Kargil, India
The people you meet on the road are the most impactful part of any travel. Especially the kids. Times spent with the kids are some of our fondest memories. Read more of the kids we met at The kids of the hills…
Baby Anjum at Dras near Kargil, India
Anjum and her cousins were visitors to Dras, like us. They had come from Srinagar, to escape the heat, where the summer was at its peak. Read more of the kids we met at The kids of the hills….
Mountain Landscape - Tower hill, Kashmir, India
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Butterfly at Sanasar, Kashmir, India