The Village of Palamo on the Route connecting Lahaul with Zanskar via the Shinku La

Pangi to Zanskar

Excerpts from Guide to Dalhousie Chamba and the Inner Mountains Between Shimla and Kashmir (1923)

One of the most interesting readings of the recent times for me is this little Book. It was written by J Hucthison LRCP & SE, Chamba. It was printed at the Civil and Military Gazette Press in 1923 in Lahore and it was on sale for Rs.2.

Since at those times Motorable Roads / Motors were rare they hardly existed in the Himalayas. So a lot of stuff was written about different Routes which connected one Valley to another. And in today’s context we are sometimes surprised as the Routes were described between two areas which we don't really realise are close enough to be connected directly.

One such series is the section on the Routes which connected Pangi Valley to Zanskar. Yes you heard it right. These two were actually connected and still are though I doubt anyone uses these Routes anymore. We also need to remember that Pangi Valley in its higher reaches has Villages called Bhatoris which are Villages inhabited by “Bhots” as people of Tibetan/ Ladakhi origin were referred to. Just like in the neighbouring Paddar Valley of Kishtwar these “Bhots” are believed to have originally come over from Zanskar. Also worth remembering is the fact that Zanskar was at a point of time under Chamba Rule.

The Pangi Valley near the Killar Town

As per the Book, its says that in the earlier times a certain part of Trade to Central Asia was conducted from this Route while it was conducted from the Paddar and Umasi La Route as well. The Goods came to Pangi from Pathankot and Nurpur over the Sach and the Cheni Passes to Pangi. So what exactly does it say about the connecting Routes between Pangi and Zanskar. It mentions Six Routes which can be taken from Pangi to Zanskar and all these involve crossing the Great Himalaya itself. These are taken as stated in the Book.

1. From Darwas a branch ascends the Sural Nala and crosses the Sarsank Pass (16,200 feet), into the Danlong Nallah.

2. A similar branch from Kilar runs up the Hunan Nala and crosses the Shinkil Pass (16,300 feet).

3. From Sach a branch ascends the Saichu Nala to Saichu (10 miles), and Tuan (8 miles) and crosses the Mun La (16,500 feet), and unites with the two roads from Darwas and Kilar; the combined road then crosses the Poat La (17,500 feet) to Burdan Gompa in Zanskar. The roads from .Kilar and Tuan are seldom used. That from Darwas takes five days to Burda8n Gompa,. The stages are : Kansar, 8 miles ; Atyud, 1.0 miles ; Gokhun (over Sarsank Pass) 16 miles ; Sangati (Danlong N46), 6 miles ; Punchi (over Poat La) 12 miles ; Burdan Gompa, 6 miles. Large glaciers on both passes.

On the Road from Pangi to Lahaul along the Chandrabhaga

4. In the Saichu Nala an upper road runs from Kutal near Sach to Shun and rejoins the other road at Hillu, but it is rough and in places dangerous. From Saichu a Branch runs up the Chasag Nala to Bhotaur (10 miles) and crosses the Gurdhar Pass (16,791 feet), to Miyar (20 miles) in the Miyar Nala. This pass is so called owing to its being passable for ponies, which are brought from Lahul by this route to Pangi and over the Sach Pass to Chamba. Two men are needed to render help at difficult parts of the road.

5. At Udaipur a branch runs up the Miyar Nila and is narrow and difficult for four miles. From Chimrat (12 miles) the valley is open and the road good, up to the head of the Valley where it crosses the Kang La, 17,500 feet, in the Western Himalaya to Burdan Gompa. The journey from Kanjer, the last village, occupies five days. The stages are : Gompa, 8 miles ; Kesaryuncha, 7 miles ; Dutombn, 8 miles : Chural-pachan, (over Kang La), 12 miles : Bardan Gompa, 6 miles.

The Karsha Monastery in Zanskar. Pic by Klara Avsenik

6. Beyond Kanjer a branch ascends a side nala to croes the Tharang La, 17,133 feet, to the head of the Kado Tokpo stream in British Lahul. The journey from Kanjer to Darcha takes four days ; large glacier, but road fairly good ; no village till near Darcha.

Its amazing that most of these Passes and Routes are not in use and only the most hardened Trekkers venture into these most Inner parts of the Himalayas. This is where the opportunity lies for “Explorers” in the actual sense of the word to venture into see the beauty of the Inner Himalayas. As in the “wild” country which lies between “Shimla and Kashmir” as this hand Book called them.