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Namshang La is situated in Eastern part of Northern Indian Ladakh and connects Indus-Valley in the North with the high plateau of Tsomoriri, a huge lake at an altitude of 4,500m close to the border to Tibet. Actual altitude of the pass is unknown. Map data alternate from 4,800m to more than 5,000m. On pass summit one can find hundreds of Buddhistic prayer flags but no reference to the actual altitude. A barometric altimeter confirms a height of some 4,800m. Northern ramp starts at river Indus at a police station in the village Mahe at approx. 4,250m of altitude. Specified tour actually started at the spot of Sumda, led afterwards via the pass, subsequently along the salt lake Thatsang Karu to Tsomoriri Lake. Scenically this pass even beats close-by even higheer passes Khardung La and Taglang La.
Start: Sumda 4,450m
Diversified profile becomes spectacular after the pass summit
Plainly paved passroad
Next to the road only high mountain desert
Pass summit
Downhill towards the salt lake
Roadway becomes an unpaved dirt road
Thatsang Karu, a salt lake...
...is located at a height of some 4,650m
Free traffic at the end of the world close to the border to Tibet
Nomadic people at the roadside with their Paschmina-goats...
...and scraggy yaks
Tents of nomadic people at the roadside on the way to Tsomoriri Lake
Tsomoriri Lake...
...can only be reached on an unpaved dirt road...
...but provides at sunset...
...a fantastic scenery.