Ladakh
The Ladakh range has no major peaks; its average height is a little less than 6000 metres, and few of its passes are less than 5000 m. Within Ladakh it forms the northern boundary wall of the Indus valley, though when the river enters Ladakh at Demchok, some 250 km south-east of Leh, it is actually flowing along the foot of the northern flank of these granite mountains, which it crosses by a great gorge close to its confluence with the Hanle river. The Pang-gong range runs parallel to the Ladakh range some 100 km northwest from Chushul, along the southern shore of the Pang-gong Lake. It is divided from the main range by the Tangtse river. |
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| The Shyok River rises just below the Karakoram Pass. The region comprising the valley of Shyok and Nubra rivers is known as Nubra. The Karakoram range in Ladakh is not as mighty as in Baltistan. The massifs to the north and east of the Nubra-Siachan line include the Apsarasas group (highest point 7245 m), the Rimo group (highest point 7385 m) and the Teram Kangri group (highest point 7464 m), together with Mamostong Kangri (7526m) and Singhi Kangri (7751 m.) North of the Karakoram lie the Kun-lun mountains. Thus, between Leh and eastern Central Asia, there is a triple barrier -- Ladakh range, Karakoram range, and Kun-lun. Nevertheless, a major trade route was established between Leh and Yarkand. |
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