Tso Moriri, Leh – The Lake

Tso Moriri, Leh – The Lake

Tso Moriri is situated at an altitude of about 4,522 m (14,836 ft) in the Changthang Plateau in Rupshu Valley. It is the largest of the high-altitude lakes entirely within India and entirely within Ladakh in this Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region. It is about 16 miles (26 km) north to south in length and two to three miles (3 to 5 km) wide. The lake has no outlet at present and the water is brackish though not very perceptible to taste. The lake is fed by springs and snowmelt from the adjacent mountains. Most water enters the lake in two major stream systems, one entering the lake from the north, the other from the southwest. Both stream systems include extensive marshes where they enter the lake.

It formerly had an outlet to the south, but this has become blocked, and the lake has become an endorheic lake. The lake is oligotrophic in nature, and its waters are alkaline. The lake, with water spread area of 120 km2 (46 sq.mi) is enclosed by peaks exceeding 6,000 meters on both the east and west sides including Mentok Kangri and Lungser Kangri. The lake has a maximum depth of 40 m (130 ft). On the south, a nearly flat valley connects with but does not drain into or out of the Pare Chu river which is part of Sutlej river basin. Lingdi Nadi, major tributary of Tso Moriri, drains western catchment area of the lake and joins the lake on its south side. 

This valley contains the Nuro Sumdo wetlands (with a catchment area of 20 km2 or 7.7 sq mi), a boggy area that mostly drains into the Pare Chu. Geologically the lake is in Ordovician rock. The lake and surrounding area are protected as the Tso Moriri Wetland Conservation Reserve. There is a small lake called Lake of Joy situated to the north east of Tso Moriri. Changpa, the nomadic migratory shepherds (pastoral community) of yak, sheep, goat, and horses of Tibetan origin and who are engaged in trade and work on caravans in Ladakh region, are the main inhabitants of the area.

Changpa (Champa) herders use the land of this valley as grazing ground and for cultivation. The accessibility to the lake is largely limited to summer season, though Korzok on the northwest shore and the military facilities on the eastern shores have year-round habitation. The Korzok Monastery, on the western bank of the lake is 400 years old and attracts tourists and Buddhist pilgrims. The barley fields at Korzok have been described as the highest cultivated land in the world. Tourism during May – September attracts large number of foreign and local tourists even though tented accommodation is the facility available, apart from a small PWD guest house close to the lake. 

Flora & Fauna:

For brief details, please refer below link;

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

Tso Moriri, Leh – Flora & Fauna

Tso Moriri, Leh – Flora & Fauna

Flora:

The deeper parts of the lake have no vegetation, but the shallow areas have pondweeds (Potamogeton spp). Marshes have several species of sedges and reeds, particularly Carex, Caragana and Astragalus spp., which are all representative of the surrounding arid steppe vegetation. Other vegetation found here are Primula, Pedicularis, Juncus thomsonii, and Leontopodium spp. Phytoplankton species of Oocystis with density was 900 cells/L to a depth of 25 m (82 ft). Specimens of the diatom Cyclotella also recorded.

Fauna:

The lake and the surrounding region is home to more than 14 species of water birds. Some of the prominent birds found here are black necked crane, bar headed goose, brown headed gull, great crested grebe, brahminy duck, ferruginous pochard, and black necked grebe. The site is said to represent the only breeding ground outside of China for one of the most endangered cranes, the Black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis), and the only breeding ground for Bar-headed geese in India. The lake plays a fundamental role as breeding grounds and key staging posts on migration routes for several water birds belonging to six families.

The mammals found around the surrounding region of the lake are snow leopard, Tibetan wolf, Tibetan gazelle, Eurasian lynx, great Tibetan sheep, Bharal (Himalayan blue sheep), Tibetan Ass (Kiang), woolly hare, large eared pika, plateau pika, Tibetan sand fox, Royle's mountain vole and Himalayan marmot. An endemic reptile species called Ladak ground skink can also be seen in this region.

Tso Moriri, Leh, Ladakh

Tso Moriri, Leh, Ladakh

Tso Moriri is a high-altitude lake located in the Changthang Plateau (northern plains) in the Rupshu Valley in Leh District of the Union Territory of Ladakh, India. The name Tso Moriri means Mountain Lake. It is one of the three important high-altitude lakes in the Ladakh region. It is the largest of the high-altitude lakes entirely within India and entirely within Ladakh in this Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region. The site is said to represent the only breeding ground outside of China for one of the most endangered cranes, the Black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis), and the only breeding ground for Bar-headed geese in India. The lake was notified in November 2002 under the List of Ramsar Wetland sites under the Ramsar Convention.

The Lake

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/07/tso-moriri-leh-lake.html

Connectivity

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/07/tso-moriri-leh-connectivity.html

Location

Tso Kar, Leh – Connectivity

Tso Kar, Leh – Connectivity

The lake is located at about 22 Kms from Pang-Debering Intersection Point, 88 Kms from Tso Moriri, 153 Kms from Leh, 155 Kms from Leh Airport, 311 Kms from Pangong Tso, 317 Kms from Manali. The lake is situated at about 22 Kms to the south east of Pang-Debering Intersection Point on the Leh to Manali route. Leh is the nearest town situated close to this lake. Leh is located at about 215 Kms from Kargil, 419 Kms from Kashmir, 426 Kms from Manali and 661 Kms from Jammu. Leh Airport has flights to and from Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar, and Chandigarh. Air India, SpiceJet, IndiGo & Vistara operate Delhi to Leh daily with multiple flights at peak times. There are no railway stations at Leh currently.

Leh is connected to the rest of India by two high-altitude roads, both of which are subject to landslides and impassable in winter due to snows. The National Highway 1 from Srinagar via Kargil is generally open longer. National Highway 1 typically remains open for traffic from April / May to October / November. The most dramatic part of this journey is the ascent up the 3,505-metre-high (11,499 ft) Zoji-la, a tortuous pass in the Great Himalayan Wall. The Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) operates regular deluxe and ordinary bus services between Srinagar and Leh on this route, with an overnight halt at Kargil.

Taxis (cars and jeeps) are also available at Srinagar for the journey. The Leh-Manali Highway (National Highway 3) can be troublesome due to very high passes and plateaus. This highway has served as the second land approach to Ladakh. It is open from June to late October, this high road traverses the upland desert plateaux of Rupsho, whose altitude ranges from 3,660 m (12,010 ft) to 4,570 m (14,990 ft). There are a number of high passes en route among which the highest one, known as Tanglang La, is sometimes incorrectly claimed to be the world's second-highest motorable pass at an altitude of 5,325 metres (17,470 ft).

Tso Kar, Leh, Ladakh

Tso Kar, Leh, Ladakh

Tso Kar Park is a fluctuating Salt Lake situated in the Rupshu Plateau and valley in Leh District in the southern part of the Union Territory of Ladakh, India. It is called as white or salty lake as numbers of salt dunes are deposited all over the shore of the lake. It is one of the three important high-altitude lakes in the Ladakh region and is the smallest of all three lakes. This lake is also recognised as India's 42nd Ramsar site.

The Lake

Tso Kar is a fluctuating salt lake known for its size and depth situated in the Rupshu Plateau and valley. It is located at an altitude of about 4,660 meters (15,280 feet) in the Changthang region of Ladakh. The name Tso Kar means white lake, because of the white salt efflorescence found on the margins due to the evaporation of highly saline water. It lies between the Zanskar range in the southwest and the Ladakh range in the northeast, south of the Indus river. Tso Kar Basin is the basin of a former large freshwater lake. The water spread has contracted into two principal waterbodies, Startsapuk Tso, a freshwater lake of about 300 ha to the south, and Tso Kar itself, a hypersaline lake of 2,200 ha to the north. The Tso Kar is connected by an inlet stream at its south-west end to Startsapuk Tso. Startsapuk-Tso is fed by perennial springs and snow and attains a maximum depth of 3 m in July and August, when it overflows northwards into Tso Kar.

Both the lakes together form the 9 km2 More plains pool, which is dominated by the peaks of two mountains, Thugje (6,050 m) and Gursan (6,370 m). From the geology of the More Plains, it can be concluded that the Tso Kar in historical times ranged up to this high valley. The local climate is arid, and glacial meltwater is the primary water source for the lakes. The lakes are frozen over from November to April. Until a few years ago the lake was an important source of salt, which the Changpa nomads used to export to Tibet. The nomadic settlement of Thugje is located 3 kms in the north. There is a tented camp on the west bank of the lake which provides accommodation for tourists. Groups of nomads can be seen all over the region and a considerable number of livestock including sheep, horse and yak are also seen grazing around the lake.

Flora & Fauna:

The inlets of the Tso Kar are a source of non-saline water. Pondweeds and basic nettles grow at the inlets, forming floating islands of vegetation in the spring and dying off in the winter. Sedge and large numbers of buttercups grow on the shores of Startsapuk Tso and of the tributaries of the Tso Kar, while some parts of the high basin are marked by steppe vegetation interspersed with tragacanth and pea bushes. The shore of Tso Kar is partly covered with a salt crust, which keeps vegetation away from the inflows.

Due to the salinity of the Tso Kar, most of the resident fauna is found in its tributaries and in Startsapuk Tso. The lake acts as an important stopover ground for migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway and is one of the most important breeding areas in India for the black-necked crane. The prominent birds found in and around the lake are saker falcon, crested grebe, brown-headed gull, bar-headed goose, black necked crane, common tern, Tibetan grouse, ruddy shelduck and tern.

The basin of the Tso Kar and the adjoining More Plains constitute one of the most important habitats of the snow leopard, Asiatic wild dog, Tibetan wild ass (kiang), Tibetan argali, Tibetan gazelle, Tibetan wolf, red fox, Himalayan marmot. Yaks and horses are kept by nomads. Currently the lake basin has no special protection, but there are plans to include it within a national park which may be established in the highlands of south-eastern Ladakh.

Connectivity

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/07/tso-kar-leh-connectivity.html

Location

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

Pangong Tso, Leh – History

Pangong Tso, Leh – History

There are different interpretations of the meanings of both Pangong Tso and Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo. As per Indian definition, Pangong Tso means high grassland lake in Tibetan. However, Pangong also means hollow. Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo means long, narrow, enchanted lake in Tibetan by Chinese, female narrow very long lake by early European explorers and long-necked swan lake by other modern sources. Pangong Tso is disputed territory between India and China.

The Line of Actual Control (LAC) passes through the lake. A section of the lake approximately 20 km east from the LAC is controlled by China but claimed by India. To the south is the smaller Spanggur Tso lake. The eastern end of the lake is in Tibet. After the mid-19th century, Pangong Tso was at the southern end of Johnson Line, an early attempt at demarcation between India and China in the Aksai Chin region.

Khurnak Fort lies on the northern bank of the lake, about halfway up Pangong Tso. The dispute over the fort was discussed in a 1924 conference, which remained inconclusive. After the conference, the British government decided that Tibetans had a better case and not only Khurnak Fort but also Dokpo Karpo and Nyagzu were part of Tibet. In 1929, following the protests of Kashmir Durbar, they decided to drop the British claims made on behalf of Kashmir state.

The Chinese established their military presence in the Khurnak Fort by 1958. On 20 October 1962, Pangong Tso saw military action during the Sino-Indian War, successful for the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). The area remains a sensitive border point along the LAC. Incursions from the Chinese side are common. In August 2017, Indian and Chinese forces near Pangong Tso engaged in a melee involving kicking, punching, rock throwing, and use of makeshift weapons such as sticks and rods. 

On 11 September 2019, PLA troops confronted Indian troops on the northern bank. On 5–6 May 2020, a face-off between about 250 Indian and Chinese troops near the lake resulted in casualties on both sides. On 29–30 August 2020, Indian troops occupied many heights on the south bank of Pangong Tso. The heights included Rezang La, Reqin La, Black Top, Hanan, Helmet, Gurung Hill, Gorkha Hill and Magar Hill. Some of these heights are in the grey zone of the LAC and overlook Chinese camps.

India chose to pull back from these positions as leverage for larger disengagement. Both the Chinese and Indian militaries have vessels stationed on the lake. Since 2022, China built a bridge across the lake near the Khurnak Fort. The construction of the 400-meter bridge was completed in July 2024. The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under the convention.