Padum to Lamayuru in Ford Endeavour in September - October 2021 by Ruzbeh Billimoria

Description of Padum - Lamayuru route. 

Vehicle: Ford Endeavour 4x4. 

Currently first 40 odd kilometres and last 30 odd kilometres is tarred, rest is off-road. This route is currently one of the unmapped routes of India. This is not like any other mountain road and definitely not for the faint hearted. There are very few crossings, so one has to keep a close watch for upcoming vehicles as passing can become a problem and reversing may become mandatory. With the occasional BRO truck coming from the opposite direction, you may have to stop well in advance for easy passing.

This route crosses and bypasses many some high altitude passes. Details of most of these passes can be obtained from old trekking and survey maps. Near some of the passes, the road route goes from the side or below, and you can see the prayer flags and chortens slightly higher. Probably because of this, no signboard is placed at these passes. Names and altitude of all passes is slightly different on different maps. I have tried to include them here.

The route from Padum, continues on the right bank of the Zanskar river to Zangla and Honia. The road till here was built more than a decade back. On the right you pass by Stongde monastery, which we visited yesterday. Till Zangla, it is a good road with freshly laid tarmac and a beautiful drive. At Zangla, there is a local police checkpost where details of persons and vehicle are recorded. After Honia, it opens into a plateau like area and then runs into the deep gorges of the Zanskar river. The road goes into total wilderness, with barren mountains, deep gorges and vertical cliffs along the Zanskar river, totally desolate. The Zanskar river flowing below, is quite rapid and flows north. The route here is so narrow, that one miss step and you will be in the Zanskar river.

It is quite amazing how the track was cut through along the vertical edges of the Zanskar river. Samsher Singh, one of the BRO workers lost his life here in 2012, which gives us an indication that this road was in construction from many years. The route then crosses the Zanskar river over Samsher Singh bridge completed in 2020, and then winds itself on the opposite bank, from right bank to left bank of the river. The road route bypasses Hanumil, Purfi La, Snerste and Hanuma La which comes along the Padum-Lamayuru trek route. The trek route runs on the left bank, while the road runs along the right bank. Both converge before Lingshed village. See map below for better understanding.

Along the left bank, after a few kilometres you arrive at a junction. The road route leaves the Zanskar bank and turns left, along a tributary of the Zanskar called 'Lunung chu', which is a new alignment and not part of the NPD road. From the junction, the rough route ahead goes to Nerak village, which is still under construction and part of the actual NPD road. Nerak – Chilling is the missing patch on the NPD route. Bare rock along the Zanskar river needs to be cut through for this alignment.

A few kilometres along the Lunung chu, the route crosses the tributary (a small water crossing), and the steep climb uphill starts. This climb is very steep and 1st gear is required at most patches. This is the steepest climb on the route from the Padum side. You have to stress your engine to climb, lack of oxygen also adding to the woes. I saw locals in small cars struggling to climb here. As per some survey maps, the Lunung Chu is 3440 metres above m.s.l., while the top is 4360 metres above m.s.l., which means a climb of approximately 900 metres in less than 7 kms. As you reach the top, there is a junction, the left route goes downhill to Lingshed village and right route towards the actual route to Lamayuru.

From the junction, along the route, immediately next is Neitukse La and then Kuppa La / Kyukpa la. Between the two passes, you can see Stayangs and Stumpatta villages, down in the valley. There is no signboard to these passes, but you can see chortens slightly above the route. The route then descends to the junction of Yalchung village / Youlchung village, which is 5 kms. away from the junction. This bifurfation route goes upto Nerak village, which is near the original NPD road alignment.

Ahead from the Youlchung junction, the climb to Singe La starts. Singe La literally translates to "Lion's pass" probably because it is the highest pass on the route. The route winds to the top with numerous hairpin bends. After descent from the pass, you cross the river at Manechan, where a new bridge is coming up. From here you cross a small pass called Bumitse La (no signboard), which is nothing but a rise in the saddle, until you descend into the valley near Photoksar village. Here you cross the Photong nala. Photoksar is slightly off the main route. Immediately from here the climb to Sisir la starts. Photoksar to NH1D is about 60 kms. After the descend from Sisir La, you reach Hanupatta village. Hanupatta comes and vanishes even before you realise it. Hanupatta is a small village with a few terraced houses and narrow alleys blocked here and there with large rocks. There is also a small monastery here. From here on, the next village is Phonjila, then Wanla and onto the NH1D. Although 'la' is mentioned in the names, these are just villages and not passes. At Wanla, we visited the Wanla monastery. Wanla to NH1D has freshly laid tarmac.

August and September is the best time to do this route, with dry weather and few river crossings.

Content courtesy: Ruzbeh Billimoria, Mumbai who drove on the route in end September - early October 2021 in his Ford Endeavour 4x4 and described his experience in the first person in another friendly forum. 
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* Ladakh Trails 
* Roadtrip To Ladakh