A winding road through a vast, arid mountain valley

The road to Zanskar, a remote, high-altitude semi-desert valley in Ladakh, India, known for its spectacular Himalayan scenery and deep isolation. Sitting at elevations of 3,500 to 7,000 meters, it is separated from the Indus Valley by the formidable Zanskar mountain range. Flanked by the Great Himalayas and the Zanskar Range, the valley is carved by the Doda and Kargyag rivers, which merge near Padum to form the Zanskar River. Because the surrounding peaks block the monsoon, the region experiences dry, sunny summers and brutal, 8-month-long winters.