Over Chang La to Tangtse and the lake

We leave Leh by 8 am and follow the Indus south past Thiksey to Karu, where the Pangong road turns east. If time allows, we stop at Chemrey, a monastery on a cone-shaped hill, or at Takthok, built around a cave where Padmasambhava is said to have meditated. Both make good pauses before the climb. Both are quiet in the morning. Chemrey's tiers are best seen from the road below.

From Sakti the road climbs steeply to Chang La at 5,360 m. The top is often snowy, with prayer flags and a tea stall run by the army. We stop for 15 minutes at most. The descent leads into the wide, grassy Tangtse valley, where wild horses, yaks and Himalayan marmots are often seen beside the road in summer. Keep a warm layer for the pass. Please do not feed them.

Lunch is in Tangtse or Durbuk, then it is about an hour to Lukung and the first view of the lake. We drive on to Spangmik and settle into the camp in time for tea and the late afternoon colours. The whole drive is about 160 km and takes five hours plus stops. Drink plenty of water on the way. Arrive by mid-afternoon to rest before sunset on the shore.