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 ofalmost 4,500 meters, the Pangong Tso is only 8 km wide at itsbroadest but is an amazing 134 km long. The Pangong isconsidered to be the longest lake in Ladakh.

Lake Pangong Tso extending for miles. Credit: Karamjeet Singh

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

This lake sprawls over both Ladakh and Tibetan territory. Thelake is bisected by the international border between India andTibet (China). Most of the fresh water enters the lake from theTibetan side.

The Pangong is a delight to the eye. The golden colored rangeto the north, with its rolling spurs culminating in chiseledpeaks, spreads before your eyes a panorama of spectaculardimensions. With its almost 2,000 square kilometers ofturquoise water and a depth of 100 meters, Pangong can bafflethe eye, for in the rarefied atmosphere distant objects appearto be right next door.