Pangong Lake

Pangong lake is an endorheic lake and a trans boundary wetland which is located in the himalayan region and is 134 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide. Most part of the lake is in the China area.

Location of the Pangong Lake
Pangong Lake  is located at an altitude of 4267 meters above sea level and only a third of the lake is located in India and the remaining par is in China. What strikes one the most is the colour of he water in the lake it is light blue in the mornings  and turns completely rich deep  blue in the evenings. The water is slightly salty but the water will be as cold as ice.

Flora and fauna of the Pangong Lake
The brackish water of the lake does not have any vegetation  and there are no fish or other aquatic life but you can see many ducks and gulls there on the surface of the lake. The lake has become the important breding ground of the migraory birds. During summer you can see Bar Headed Goose and Brahmini Ducks  and also some of the wild life species like Kiang  and the Marmo.

Ealier the Pangong Tso had an outletinto the shyok river which was a tributarty of the Indus River. Nowadays it is not there due to natural damming in the area.

How to Reach Pangong Lake
Reaching the Pangong Lake is just a 5 hour drive from Leh but most of them is through the rough and dramatic mountan road, crossing the villages of Shey nd Gia and traversing through Changla Pass. Best season to visit the Pangong lake is from May to September.

The trip can also be made in two days with a stay at Tangtse. Tourists and travellers are not allowed to pitch their tent or stay near the lake. They are allowed to go near Spangmik for the security reasons.  An inner line permit is required to  visit the lake a it is located on the Sino Indian border. Indians can get individual permits but the others must have group permits  wit a minimum of 3 persons.