Pensi-la
Encyclopedia
Pensi-la is a mountain pass in the Ladakh
region of Jammu and Kashmir
, which is known as the Gateway to Zanskar
. Pensi La is 4,400 m (14,436 ft) above sea level and connects the Suru Valley
region to the Zanskar Valley region. The summit at this end of the Suru Valley, the only peak which can be seen, is 7,012 m (23,005 ft) high, while the mountain to the north is 6,873 m (22,549 ft). The pass is about 25 km from Rangdum Monastery
.
To the west of Pensi La watershed flows the Suru River, an important tributary of the Indus which meets at Kargil. The Drang Drung Glacier to the eastern flank of Pensi La is the source of Stod or Doda River
which flows into the Padum Valley, and joins with Tsarap Chu to form the mighty Zanskar River.
, the headquarters of Zanskar
sub-division of Kargil district. A 240 km metalled road connecting Kargil
town to Padum, through the Pensi La remains open for a brief 5 months, between May and October.
Before the modern road was built, the pass, apparently, used to be open only three months of the year because of heavy snows.
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
region of Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
, which is known as the Gateway to Zanskar
Zanskar
Zanskar is a subdistrict or tehsil of the Kargil district, which lies in the eastern half of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The administrative centre is Padum...
. Pensi La is 4,400 m (14,436 ft) above sea level and connects the Suru Valley
Suru valley
The Suru valley is a valley in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, which is drained by the Suru River , a powerful tributary of the Indus river. The valley's most significant town is Kargil.-People of the Suru Valley:...
region to the Zanskar Valley region. The summit at this end of the Suru Valley, the only peak which can be seen, is 7,012 m (23,005 ft) high, while the mountain to the north is 6,873 m (22,549 ft). The pass is about 25 km from Rangdum Monastery
Rangdum Monastery
Rangdum Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery belonging to the Gelugpa sect, situated on top of a small but steep sugarloaf hill at an altitude of 3,657 m at the head of the Suru Valley, in Ladakh...
.
To the west of Pensi La watershed flows the Suru River, an important tributary of the Indus which meets at Kargil. The Drang Drung Glacier to the eastern flank of Pensi La is the source of Stod or Doda River
Doda River
The Doda or Stod is a river of Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. It flows through the state of Ladakh. The source of the river is the Drang Drung glacier of the Pensi La....
which flows into the Padum Valley, and joins with Tsarap Chu to form the mighty Zanskar River.
. Pensi-La is also the gateway to the Padum"The descent from the Pensi La into the Stod Valley [in Zanskar] is steeper than the climb up from Rangdum Gompa, but not too difficult. The road winds about with many hairpin turns, which can be cut across on foot, to the river below. Wild rhubarb can be seen growing on the slopes. The generally used trekking route follows the road on the left bank of the Stod (or Doda). . . . The grass at the foot of the Pensi La furnishes a good pasturage and this is a fine camping spot."
Padum
Padum is the largest town and administrative centre of Zanskar tehsil of Kargil district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is 240 km away from Kargil.-Description:...
, the headquarters of Zanskar
Zanskar
Zanskar is a subdistrict or tehsil of the Kargil district, which lies in the eastern half of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The administrative centre is Padum...
sub-division of Kargil district. A 240 km metalled road connecting Kargil
Kargil town
Kargil is a town, which serves as the headquarters of Kargil District of Ladakh in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is the second largest town in Ladakh after Leh...
town to Padum, through the Pensi La remains open for a brief 5 months, between May and October.
Before the modern road was built, the pass, apparently, used to be open only three months of the year because of heavy snows.