Zanskar

Padum sits at an altitude of 3505 m from the sea level. It is the capital of the ancient Zanskar, and is administrative headquarters of the Zanskar region. Padum has population of 1,500–1,600. Padum is a very scarcely inhabited valley in the Zanskar. Padum is one of the famous trekking destinations in Ladakh.

There is a community of about 60 Gelukpa monks who are the resident of the Stongdey. Stongdey is the second largest monastic establishment in the Zanskar region and this monastic is inhabited by the community of monks. Tourists can approach this place on foot by the road in about 4 hours. Monastery climb is rather strenuous, but it is worthwhile after seeing the breathtaking natural beauty of the valley.

Spectacular cave monasteries famous in Zanskar.

The Zanskar Trek is a winter trail located at a very high altitude and one of the best trekking destinations around the world. In Winter, Zanskar river freezes up, and get converted into an amazing adventures trek called Chadar-The Frozen River Trek. The traditional name for the Zanskar Trek is Chadar Trek as the river becomes a snow sheet during winters due to heavy snowfall. It boasts of some of the lowest temperatures making it a challenging trek for the adventurers. The most isolated and inaccessible for nearly 8 months during the year due to heavy snowfall. Zanskar has the distinction of being the least interfered with microcosms of Ladakh, and thus one of the last few surviving cultural satellites of Tibet. This geographical isolation together with the esoteric nature of Buddhism practiced here has enabled its ten thousand inhabitants to preserve and perpetuate their cultural identity.