Pangong Tso, Leh – The Lake

Pangong Tso, Leh – The Lake

Pangong Tso is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of 4,225 m (13,862 ft). It is a long, narrow, brackish lake spanning the Indian / Chinese border, in a valley in the upper drainage basin of the Indus River, at the east end of the Karakoram Range. Only the westernmost one-third of the lake lies in Indian territory. The lake is viewed as being made up five sub-lakes, which are connected through narrow water channels. The name Pangong Tso only applied to the westernmost lake that is mostly in Ladakh.

The main lake on the Tibetan side is called Tso Nyak (the middle lake). It is followed by two small lakes called Rum Tso. The last lake near Rutog is called Nyak Tso. The whole lake group was and is still often referred to as Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo in Tibetan. These lakes are formed by natural damming of the valley. Five rivers fed by perennial springs and snowmelt flow into the Indian portion of the lake. The runoff from the west end of the lake flows northwest into the Shyok river, a tributary of the Indus. The whole lake group is about 134 km (83 mi) long and extends from India to Tibet.

Approximately 50% of the length of the overall lake lies within Tibet administered by China, 40% in Indian-administered Ladakh, and the remaining 10% is disputed and is the de facto buffer zone between India and China. The lake is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its broadest point. All together it covers almost 700 km2. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. It has a land-locked basin separated from the Indus River basin by a small, elevated ridge, but is believed to have been part of the latter in prehistoric times.

Formerly, Pangong Tso had an outlet to Shyok River, a tributary of Indus River, but it was closed off due to natural damming. Two streams feed the lake from the Indian side, forming marshes and wetlands at the edges. Strand lines above current lake level reveal a 5 m (16 ft) thick layer of mud and laminated sand, suggesting the lake has shrunken recently in geological scale. The eastern part of the lake is fresh, with the content of total dissolved solids at 0.68 g/L, while the western part of the lake is saline, with the salinity at 11.02 g/L.

A fossil freshwater mollusc Lymnea auricularia was discovered in ancient lacustrine clay deposits above the present level of lake, providing evidence that earlier it was a freshwater lake. The lake is surrounded by three mountain ranges namely Changchenmo Range and Pangong Range sub-ranges of Karakoram Range, and Kailash Range (Gangdise Shan range). Changchenmo Range runs along the eastern and northern bank of the Pangong Tso and contains spurs Finger-1 to Finger-8. Pangong Range, along the southern bank of the Pangong Tso, runs from Tangtse in west to Chushul near the centre of southern bank of the lake.

The Changchenmo Range and Pangong Range are sometimes considered easternmost part of the Karakoram Range. Kailash Range runs along southern bank of the Pangong Tso, from centre of Pangong Tso at Lukung to the west to Phursook Bay and Mount Kailash. Changchenmo Range has several glaciated spurs which slope down and jut into the northern bank of Pangong Tso, and these spurs are called as the fingers. From west to east, these are named as the Finger-1 to Finger-8. The Indian claim of LAC runs east till the Finger-8, and the Chinese claim of the LAC runs west till the Finger-4.

The overlapping LAC claim area between Finger-4 and Finger-8 is considered a buffer zone by India and China. Indian Military has a permanent base near the Finger-3, named as the Dhan Singh Thapa Post, and the Chinese Military has a permanent base to the east of Finger-8. Pangong Range has several important features, from northwest to southeast namely Harong peak, Merag peak, Kangju Kangri peak, and Kongta La pass. Kailash Range on the southern bank of Pangong begins from Lukung, runs eastward via Thakung Heights, Helmet Top, Phursook Bay, till India-claimed-LAC at Bangong Co. 

Other important features in this range are Helmet Top, Black Top, Gurung Hill, Spanggur Gap, Spanggur Tso, Rezang La, Rechin La, Rezang La II, etc. China-Claimed-LAC runs via Finger-4 in Changchenmo Range on north bank of Pangong Tso to Phursook Bay on south bank, then via Helmet Top, Gurung Hill, Spanggur Gap, Magar Hill, Mukhpari, Rezang La (1962 battle), Rezang Top, Rechin La, Rezang La II, Mount Sajum. India-Claimed-LAC runs further northeast of China-Claimed-LAC via Finger-8 in Changchenmo Range on north bank of Pangong Tso to Bangong Co on south bank, then via Black Top and Gurung Hill, and then along the same alignment as the China-Claimed-LAC via Spanggur Gap, Rezang La, etc.

India-Claimed-border runs further northeast of India-Claimed-LAC via Khurnak Fort on north bank of Pangong Tso to Mumkun peak on south bank, to Laban peak, Matung Nyungtsa, Spanggur Tso, Dage peak, Rechihlong and Bapi peak. The Khurnak Fort lies on the northern bank of the lake, halfway of Pangong Tso. The Chinese has controlled the Khurnak Fort area since 1952. To the south is the smaller Spanggur Tso lake. An Inner Line Permit is required to visit the lake on the Indian side, as it lies on the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control.

For security reasons, India does not permit boating. Groups are permitted, accompanied by an accredited guide. The past few years have seen a remarkable increase in Indian tourists flocking to Pangong Lake. However, this surge has presented environmental challenges due to inadequate infrastructure to accommodate and manage the growing number of visitors. In 2023, on the Indian side the tourists are allowed to visit only the eastern and southern bank, access to the north bank is not yet open for the tourists.

Flora & Fauna:

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/07/pangong-tso-leh-flora-fauna.html