Ladakh: Pangong Lake

The highlight of my trip to Ladakh was a visit to Pangong Lake. Situated 4,350 meters above sea level and measuring 134 km long, the lake crosses a much-disputed section of the Indo-Chinese border. To get to the lake requires a special border permit and a harrowing six-hour drive from Leh. The first half of the week, the road to the lake was closed because heavy rains had caused landslides. Even once the road was open it was a terrifying drive, mostly because there was no guard rail to keep cars from sliding off the unpaved, narrow, and windy road. As someone who gets carsick easily and absolutely hates driving alongside cliffs, it wasn't the best six hours of my life.

The gorgeous lake made the drive worth it though. The crystal clear water mirrored the amazing hues in the sky, and combined with the enormous barren mountains rising out of the shore it made for a pretty spectacular place for photography. At night, the clear skies turned into a starscape, with the clearest view of the Milky Way I’ve ever seen. Since we were in a shared van we could only stay one night, but I could easily spend a month photographing the lake and hiking around the area. If you're in Ladakh, Pangong Lake is a must-see.

The Milky Way over the mountains surrounding Pangong Lake, Ladakh. At an elevation of over 4,300 meters high, there isn't much atmosphere to block out the stars!

A sky full of stars above Pangong Lake, Ladakh. (This also makes a pretty nice phone wallpaper.)

Prayer flags on the shores of Pangong lake at twilight.

Tsering Dondup, our homestay host in Pangong Lake, poses in his home. In 1959, Dondup fled to India on foot after Chinese Communist troops invaded Tibet. You can read more about Dondup here: katiechlin.com/in-sight-of-tibet

My room at a small Tibetan homestay on Pangong Lake, Ladakh.

Marmots survey their surroundings. We came across these guys on the side of the road to the lake. 

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