Lakeside beauty : Tso Kar, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
On 14th October, around 8.00 am in the morning, I went out of my cottage, alone. As I went closer to the lake, the landscape changed dramatically. Small patches of land interspersed by tiny pools of saline water, were seen surrounded by golden yellow grasses. Icicles formed on the grass tips looked like thousand stars. I carefully jumped from one tiny island to another. It was a dangerous affair because I didn’t know the depth of water in the pools which were looking pretty small. But still I managed to reach near the lake and its amazing beauty enchanted me! It was my lifetime photographic experience which I share with you happily.
The smallest of the three high altitude lakes in Ladakh , Tso Kar is known for its scenic beauty and the wide variety of wildlife it supports. It is a fluctuating salt lake of Oligotropic type, situated in the Rupshu Plateau and valley in the southern part of Ladakh . It has one primary inflow (Pholokongka Chu) and no primary outflow. It is named Tso Kar or the ‘White Lake’ due to the immense amount of salts and borax that get deposited on the banks of the lake. It is the highest brackish water lake in India. Surrounded with mountains, the lake is a sight to watch and wonder. Very few people come to visit this lake unlike Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri.
The Tso Kar is connected by an inlet stream at its south-west end to a small lake, Startsapuk Tso, and together they form the 9 km2 More plains pool, which is dominated by the peaks of two mountains, Thugje (6050 m) and Gursan (6370 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. 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 km in the north. There is a tented camp on the west bank of the lake which provides accommodation for tourists. Due to the high altitude, the climate is extreme in the winter; temperatures below -40 °C are not uncommon.
It is about 250 km southeast of Leh and around 50 km from Tso Moriri.
Max length- 7.5 km
max width- 2.3 km
Surface elevation- 14,860ft.
The marshlands surrounding the lake supports an amazing array of bird lives. The common birds that are seen are Brahminy ducks, bar headed geese, great crested grebe, brown-headed gulls, and some strip geese, rust geese, Tibetan grouse and terns.
The main attraction, however, is the black necked crane. The black necked cranes, known for their fidelity, come to Tso Kar for laying eggs. The sight of the bird, with a wingspan of almost 8 ft, taking off is an amazing sight to witness against the backdrop of green or golden meadows and the mountains.
Tso Kar also sustains other wildlife too. The most common mammals here are the Kiangs (the largest of the wild asses). It’s not an exaggeration to say that Tso Kar is the best place to see Kiangs.
The nomads that inhabit the nearby regions make a living from collecting the salt from the banks of the lake and selling it to surrounding regions.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN TSO KAR LAKE
Tso Kar has the option of night camping although the number of tents isn’t large. But it would be better to make a booking in Leh just to be safe. The tents are on the west end of the lake near the Manali-Leh road about three km from the lake.
Accommodation options are easily available at Leh. There are a number of hotels to suit almost every pocket or preference.
BEST PLACES TO EAT IN TSO KAR LAKE
Food is available in the tents that are set about three km from the lake. The food there is very basic and there are no other shops so to be safe carry some packed food with you.
BEST TIME TO VISIT TSO KAR.
The best time to visit Tso Kar Lake is from May to June. During Jun -July the meadows remain green. From mid-September to end of October they turn golden.
Lakeside beauty : Tso Kar, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
On 14th October, around 8.00 am in the morning, I went out of my cottage, alone. As I went closer to the lake, the landscape changed dramatically. Small patches of land interspersed by tiny pools of saline water, were seen surrounded by golden yellow grasses. Icicles formed on the grass tips looked like thousand stars. I carefully jumped from one tiny island to another. It was a dangerous affair because I didn’t know the depth of water in the pools which were looking pretty small. But still I managed to reach near the lake and its amazing beauty enchanted me! It was my lifetime photographic experience which I share with you happily.
The smallest of the three high altitude lakes in Ladakh , Tso Kar is known for its scenic beauty and the wide variety of wildlife it supports. It is a fluctuating salt lake of Oligotropic type, situated in the Rupshu Plateau and valley in the southern part of Ladakh . It has one primary inflow (Pholokongka Chu) and no primary outflow. It is named Tso Kar or the ‘White Lake’ due to the immense amount of salts and borax that get deposited on the banks of the lake. It is the highest brackish water lake in India. Surrounded with mountains, the lake is a sight to watch and wonder. Very few people come to visit this lake unlike Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri.
The Tso Kar is connected by an inlet stream at its south-west end to a small lake, Startsapuk Tso, and together they form the 9 km2 More plains pool, which is dominated by the peaks of two mountains, Thugje (6050 m) and Gursan (6370 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. 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 km in the north. There is a tented camp on the west bank of the lake which provides accommodation for tourists. Due to the high altitude, the climate is extreme in the winter; temperatures below -40 °C are not uncommon.
It is about 250 km southeast of Leh and around 50 km from Tso Moriri.
Max length- 7.5 km
max width- 2.3 km
Surface elevation- 14,860ft.
The marshlands surrounding the lake supports an amazing array of bird lives. The common birds that are seen are Brahminy ducks, bar headed geese, great crested grebe, brown-headed gulls, and some strip geese, rust geese, Tibetan grouse and terns.
The main attraction, however, is the black necked crane. The black necked cranes, known for their fidelity, come to Tso Kar for laying eggs. The sight of the bird, with a wingspan of almost 8 ft, taking off is an amazing sight to witness against the backdrop of green or golden meadows and the mountains.
Tso Kar also sustains other wildlife too. The most common mammals here are the Kiangs (the largest of the wild asses). It’s not an exaggeration to say that Tso Kar is the best place to see Kiangs.
The nomads that inhabit the nearby regions make a living from collecting the salt from the banks of the lake and selling it to surrounding regions.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN TSO KAR LAKE
Tso Kar has the option of night camping although the number of tents isn’t large. But it would be better to make a booking in Leh just to be safe. The tents are on the west end of the lake near the Manali-Leh road about three km from the lake.
Accommodation options are easily available at Leh. There are a number of hotels to suit almost every pocket or preference.
BEST PLACES TO EAT IN TSO KAR LAKE
Food is available in the tents that are set about three km from the lake. The food there is very basic and there are no other shops so to be safe carry some packed food with you.
BEST TIME TO VISIT TSO KAR.
The best time to visit Tso Kar Lake is from May to June. During Jun -July the meadows remain green. From mid-September to end of October they turn golden.