Tso-Moriri to Tso-Pangong via Chumathang

mihirp

Is it possible to go from Tso-Moriri to Tso-Pangong via Chumathang or it would be wise to use the route:

Day 1 - Tso-Moriri - Leh
Day 2 - Leh - Tso-Pangong

I believe the route would be Tso Morriri - Chumathang - Karu over Chang La - Tangste - Tso Pangong

Don't confuse with the dates as I have an itinerary in place but I was thinking on the lines of not doing a Tso-Moriri - Leh and then come back again from Leh - Pangong. Would it be better to complete the Tso-Moriri to Tso-Pangong via Chumathang circuit and then move onto Leh which will save additional driving.

How many kms and hours would it take?

Please provide me your inputs.

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-- Mihir

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AvidTrekker

There is very little difference between your two routes coz reaching Karu means you are barely 35 to 40 km from Leh so whether you go to Leh or not is entirely your option. [you would save only 70 km]

There is however, another road, mostly kachchaa... i have not been there... Yogesh Sarkar and his bikers may have gone there last year...

As per my Outlook Traveller Map, the road does exist like this...
[all distances are approximations]

Tso Moriri... North to Tso Kiagar [50 km] Come to a T junction

The left will reach Tso Kar and Thukse in 70 km AVOID LEFT

Take a right to another T junction [20 km]

The left will go to Mahe & onwards to Chumathang... AVOID LEFT

Take right to another T after 70 km

NOW TAKE LEFT reach Gandpa Gompa after 35 km

Cross over Tsoka La to reach Dachung Yogma [12 km]

After 5 to 6 km is Chushul. Just 2 km before Chushul a right at a T junction will take you to the mid shores of Pangong Tso ... then on the road is on the shores of Pangong Tso for 35 km upto Lukung. [Spangmik comes at 25 km]

I don't have a scanner, else i'd have scanned the map.

Vistet has a map of the area, you could try requesting him for this particular portion only ...

CAUTION : Tsoka La is just two kms off the int'l border, so if you don't have your permits beforehand, you could be in real trouble.

Please post your trip report here, esp for this portion of kachchaa road journey...

Take care and happy driving!

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Yogesh Sarkar

You can certainly club Pangong Tso with Tso Moriri; in fact we were discussing the same issue on BCMTouring a few days back. What you can do if you carry enough petrol is to do some thing of this sort:

Leh – Karu – Chang La – Pangong Tso

Pangong Tso – Chang La – Karu – Upshi – Chumathang

Chumathang – Mahe Bridge – Sumdo – Tso Moriri – Korzok

Korzok – Sumdo – Mahe Bridge – Tso Kar – Leh or if you are interested in going back to Manali then, Pang or Sarchu and then next day to Leh.

As for the Chushul route, it was done by couple of my groups members last year. For starters if you are thinking of this route to save a day or two then I got news for you, you need at least another day, preferably two to reach Spangmik from Korzok.

Getting the permits for the area might be tricky as it is right along the international border and if there is a foreigner in your group, forget it altogether, since foreigners aren’t allowed on this route.

From what I have heard and seen from photos, apart from being a personal achievement (that too for a biker, not for a person sitting in a taxi) there is no actual reason to go there.

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mihirp

Hi AT and Yogesh. Thank you very much. This has been very very helpful. I will let you know what I finally plan to do. BCMTouring is excellent. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.