Zanskar Range

About Zanskar Range

• The Zanskar Range is an important Trans-Himalayan mountain range in Ladakh.
• Location: The range is located mainly in the Kargil and Leh regions of Ladakh, with extension towards Himachal Pradesh.
• Boundary: It lies south of the Ladakh Range and north of the Great Himalayan Range.
• Extension: It extends from the Suru Valley in the northwest to the Tso Kar basin in the southeast.
• Separation: It forms a natural divide between the Indus Valley in the north and the Zanskar Valley in the south.
• Formation:
  • Geological division: It belongs to the Tethys Himalaya and mainly contains folded and thrust sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
  • Plate convergence: It formed due to the convergence of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate, which uplifted the Himalayan mountain system.
  • Ancient sea: Marine fossils show that the region was once part of the ancient Tethys Sea.
• Key Features:
  • Climate: It has a cold desert climate, with long, extremely cold winters, short summers and very low rainfall.
  • Physiography: The range has barren slopes, deep valleys, steep gorges, glaciers and high-altitude peaks,
    • It’s elevations generally ranging from 3,500 m to over 7,000 m.
  • Key Peak: Kamet (7,756 m) in Uttarakhand is the highest peak of the broader Zaskar Range.
  • Major Passes: 
    • Pensi La Pass: It connects the Suru Valley of Kargil with the Zanskar Valley and is known as the gateway to Zanskar.
    • Shingo La Pass: It connects the Zanskar Valley with the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh.
    • Other important passes include Fotu La, Wakha La, Kanji La, Charchar La, Ruberang La and Taglang La.
  • Major Rivers: The Zanskar River is formed by the Doda and Lungnak rivers near Padum and joins the Indus near Nimmu.
    • Other significant rivers draining the range include the Khurana River and Suru River.
  • Glaciers: The Drang-Drung Glacier, located near Pensi La, is one of the largest glaciers in Ladakh and provides meltwater to the Zanskar river system.
  • Vegetation: Vegetation is sparse and includes alpine grasses, shrubs, mosses and steppe vegetation adapted to high altitude and aridity.