Trek Himachal

Shingo La

District Lahaul & Spiti/Kargil, Himachal Pradesh/Jammu & Kashmir

Position - N32 54.525 E77 12.017

Altitude – 5056 metres above MSL

Trail Orientation – South - North

Closest Settlement(s) – Kargyak (North), Palamo/Chikka (South)

Its another of those Las. Part of the Great Himalaya, leads from Himachal to Zanskar but too well known. The moment I see a wikipedia entry for a pass, I know that just too many people know about it. No disrespect to Wikipedia but Wikipediang a natural feature is either a sure shot way of murdering the place or if its on Wikipedia, it has probably already been murdered. Thankfully, not the same goes for Shingo La, definitely not as much as you would expect it to. It partly retains the old world charm of a trade route, dotted with quaint, medieval looking villages, ancient and frugal farming lifestyles and fantastic landscapes in addition to the famed centuries old Phukthar Gompa, hanging from a cliff above the Lungnak river.

Shingo La is the trekking gateway to Zanskar. Part of the famed Trans Zanskar trek leading from Darcha in Himachal to Lamayuru in Zanskar via Padum, its also one of the highest passes on the route with some great views of The Great Himalaya. There is a small lake on the Himachal side, brimming with green coloured water with some peaks in the background and a few stream crossings, which are normally fun but can be more than that at times.

Trekking to Shingo La:

Its so well known, there is not much use talking about the route. You can google it and know enough. The trail is heavily frequented, as much by trekkers as for local trade. Most of the upper Lungnak valley gets its supplies from Darcha over the Shingo La. The absence of glacier and relatively little snow ensures the trail opens early June and is open till end October. The availability of tea tents, home stays and designated camp sites (which are normally unheard of in Himachal or most of India) ensures the popularity stays though it also means its not really an adventurous trek and sees more traffic than any other trek around. There is an ongoing effort to build a road over the Shingo La into Zanskar and this will all but ensure the trek will die out and the area will be infested by car riding tourists. That however is still a little way away. If there was a last chance to see the unspoilt (relatively) Lungnak valley, it is now, its the next 2-3 years before 'civilization' takes over.

The trail starts from Zanskar Sumdo in Himachal (used to from Darcha till the road made inroads) and from Reru in Zanskar (used to from Padum), is barely steep except at the pass. I did this without a map, without food, without plans, without information. Just heard of it while crossing Kang La from a fellow trekker and decided I will do it. Found my way asking people in the villages. So you can imagine how much information does one really need.

For seeing the Shingo La trail from Zanskar Sumdo on a map, click here. For the trail from Reru/Ichar, click here.

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