Nubra valley

Tracing the origins of the ancient Silk Route nestled between the Shyok and the Siachen rivers and wedged in a sensitive geopolitical terrain between India, Pakistan and China at 10,000 ft

By Trotternama

February 5^th, 2019

Nubra is a tri-armed valley located to the north east of Ladakh valley. About 150 clicks north of Leh (the capital of Ladakh) this is the valley where the Shyok and Siachen rivers meet, before making their way to join the mighty Indus in Pakistan. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. This is also the starting point for those who want to make a trek to the now famous Siachen glacier (the highest battlefield in the world.

Like the rest of the Tibetan plateau, Nubra is a high altitude cold desert, with rare precipitation and scant vegetation except along river beds. The villages are irrigated and fertile, producing wheat, barley, peas, mustard and a variety of fruits and nuts, including blood apples, walnuts, apricots and even a few almond trees. Most of the Nubra Valley is inhabited by Nubra dialect or Nubra Skat speakers. The majority are Buddhists.

Locals here speak Balti just as their neighbours do in the adjoining Pakistani region known as Baltistan. Several villages stand high above the main road and Turtok is among the largest and prettiest. Famed for its apricots, you might easily spend a few hours strolling through the village and across its fields to a tiny and still-maintained little gompa perched on a low ridge. There are a handful of simple guesthouses catering to its embryonic tourism; it’s a friendly but conservative place so visitors really should tread sensitively.

The camels that you find here are incredibly rare. They are Bactrian camels and unlike the common single-humped Dromedary camels, Bactrian camels are not found in the hot deserts. They are special not just because of their double humps, but also because of their habitat. They are found in the cold desert areas of Nubra Valley in India, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.They can oscillate between -40° C during winter and 40° C during summer.

How do you get there?

Permits: First and foremost, all foreign nationals require a Protected Area Permit (PAP); apply either in person at the District Commissioner’s Office in Leh or via an authorised travel agent (plenty in Leh). The PAP, which costs 600 Indian rupees (INR), specifies where you can visit and overnight. Officially you’ll probably be listed as part of a ‘group’ (minimum two people) but in practise solo travellers have no problems. Visitors should carry multiple copies of their PAP for Nubra’s various checkpoints.

Transport: Fly into Leh airport. There is a direct flight from New Delhi IGI Airport. The airport is a sight to see in itself. Buses to/from Leh connect Diskit and Sumur but it’s far more efficient catching shared taxis to/from Leh and even between various Nubra destinations. The best way would be to make Leh(or nearby areas) your base and then do a overnight trip from Leh (crossing the wonderful KhardungLa pass at about 18,000 feet). Nubra generally has these tourist camps settled in the middle of the valley (canvas tents - it's really quite exciting if you are acclimatised to the low oxygen)