After finishing our work, we left Rangdum and continued our journey to Padum in the eastern Zanskar region.
Only 25 km east of Rangdum, the road took us across the Pensi La (4400 m) and into the Zanskar Valley. The scenery of the wide mountain valley opening before us was truly spectacular. We passed the Drang Drung Glacier surrounded by high mountains of more than 6000 m altitude. We reached Padum in the late afternoon and spent the following days working in the countryside north of the town. We were also able to visit beautiful and remote Zangla Palace, the site where Hungarian scholar Sándor Csoma de Kőrös compiled the first Tibetan-English dictionary in 1823. Furthermore, we took a walk through Karsha Gompa with fantastic views across the Zanskar Valley.
leaving Rangdum
mountain scenery
mountain scenery
mountain scenery
mountain scenery
mountain scenery
mountain scenery
mountain scenery
entering the Zanskar Valley
stupa along the way
Pensi La (4400 m)
Pensi La (4400 m)
Pensi La (4400 m)
prayer flags in the mountains
scenery at the Pensi La
lake at Pensi La
Drang Drung Glacier
trucks on the road
Drang Drung Glacier
Drang Drung Glacier
Drang Drung Glacier
Drang Drung Glacier
view into the Zanskar Valley
road in the mountains
icicles
village scene
some pretty plants
Zanskar Valley
stupa along the way
mani stone
on the way to Padum
snack shop
funny sign
village scene
village scene
village scene
village scene
Zanskar River
trucks
Zanskar Valley
reaching Padum
reaching Padum
reaching Padum
Padum
Padum
Karsha Gompa in the distance
stupas near Padum
folded rocks on the way to Zangla
Zanskar Valley
Zanskar Valley
Zanskar Valley
Zanskar Valley
Zanskar Valley
gorge opening to the Zanskar Valley
Zanskar Valley
gorge opening to the Zanskar Valley
mountain scenery
mountain scenery
mountain scenery
Padum
Padum
new friend in Padum
folded rocks
Zangla
scenery in Zangla
scenery in Zangla
view towards Zangla Palace
stupas at Zangla Palace
Zangla
Zangla
Zangla Palace
Zangla Palace
Zangla Palace
Zangla Palace
room inside the palace
room inside the palace
room of Sándor Csoma de Kőrös
room inside the palace
view from Zangla Palace
Karsha Gompa near Padum
Karsha Gompa near Padum
view from Karsha Gompa
view from Karsha Gompa
view from Karsha Gompa
view across Karsha Gompa
Karsha Gompa
Karsha Gompa
Karsha Gompa
Karsha Gompa
Karsha Gompa
Karsha Gompa
Karsha Gompa
Yellow-billed Chough
Karsha Gompa
Just as on previous legs of our journey, I took a video of the drive from Rangdum to Padum.
Once we completed our work around Padum, we had to drive all the way back to Leh via Rangdum and Kargil.
4 responses to “Entering Zanskar from Rangdum to Padum, India (09/2018)”
I love this area, it’s too bad it’s so remote, but that’s probably what keeps it special. We didn’t go to Zanla Palace, but Karsha was a favourite of ours. Great pictures!
Thank you! 🙂 I think part of the charm is the remoteness of the region – but they built new roads from Padum north to Leh and south towards Keylong. Therefore, the entire area will soon be easy to reach and the long drive from Kargil via Rangdum will not be necessary anymore…
That road has been under construction for so many years now. Beautifully graded but still many km between the upstream work from Nimmu and the downstream work from Padum. I spoke with a road engineer when I was in padum who said progress was going to accelerate because new european drilling equipment was delivered this year, said it lets them progress at 4-5 meters per day. Said they now expected a single lane to be completed by 2020. I’m skeptical because none of their past promises were kept, but they are definitely making progress. When that road does go through Padum will be an easy half-day drive from Leh. I’m afraid the most charming nearby valleys will be quickly developed to become like Manali and the local culture will be destroyed.
Yes, I agree… progress and development has good and bad sides – and while I love traveling and discovering new places, I strongly dislike mass tourism with all its consequences… that’s also quite contradictory by itself! In any case, let’s hope for the best!!! 😊🍀
Matt Travels 
I love this area, it’s too bad it’s so remote, but that’s probably what keeps it special. We didn’t go to Zanla Palace, but Karsha was a favourite of ours. Great pictures!
Thank you! 🙂 I think part of the charm is the remoteness of the region – but they built new roads from Padum north to Leh and south towards Keylong. Therefore, the entire area will soon be easy to reach and the long drive from Kargil via Rangdum will not be necessary anymore…
That road has been under construction for so many years now. Beautifully graded but still many km between the upstream work from Nimmu and the downstream work from Padum. I spoke with a road engineer when I was in padum who said progress was going to accelerate because new european drilling equipment was delivered this year, said it lets them progress at 4-5 meters per day. Said they now expected a single lane to be completed by 2020. I’m skeptical because none of their past promises were kept, but they are definitely making progress. When that road does go through Padum will be an easy half-day drive from Leh. I’m afraid the most charming nearby valleys will be quickly developed to become like Manali and the local culture will be destroyed.
Yes, I agree… progress and development has good and bad sides – and while I love traveling and discovering new places, I strongly dislike mass tourism with all its consequences… that’s also quite contradictory by itself! In any case, let’s hope for the best!!! 😊🍀