Kargil’s Drass- Second coldest place in India
Drass is an absolute beauty, as it takes you to the passageway to Ladakh. It’s at a higher altitude, so imagine the view and beauty of this place. Its the coldest place in India with inhabitants. It gives great and stunning views of the Himalayan ranges. It has lush green and snow-capped mountains. Drass is part of Ladakh in the Kargil district.
During the 1999 Kargil War, the Drass area was part of it. Drass is also involved to safeguard Srinagar-Leh highway. So you will get to salute, meet, and greet a lot of Army personnel. During the war, our soldiers worked very hard to shoo away the intruders, and many even sacrificed their lives. They are honored at the Kargil War Memorial. It’s also known as the Drass War memorial. Its a tribute built by the Indian Army featuring the names of our brave soldiers. Many trekkers and tourists come to pay their respects at the memorial. Its also a vital stop at NH-1. Drass also offers natural beauty, high-altitude adventure, and war-related sites like the Tiger Hill and Tololing. So if you guys are looking for some rugged Himalayan terrains and secrecy, you must drive up here.
With the contrasting beauty of cold, harsh landscapes, it also has beautiful, higher altitude, stunning views that will leave you awestruck. At several spots, you shall come across glaciers too. Wake up early to watch a Sunrise and get a sundowner with beautiful sunsets.
Tiger Hill gives you a great view during the winter. It is also the second coldest place on Earth. Whereas the Mushkoh Valley in Ladakh’s Kargil District is an absolute goddess of Wild tulips. Imagine a valley of tulips. As summer hits, it offers rich wildlife too, like snow leopards and bears, if you’re lucky enough to capture them in your reels. Summer blooms make the valley lush green and colourful.
Srinagar- Leh highway, which is NH1, connects Kashmir to Ladakh. You will also come across Zoji La and Fotu La, which are other challenging high-altitude passes. Drass is also known as the “Gateway of Ladakh” and a vital stop and break for many travellers, especially after crossing the cold desert climate of Zoji La pass. Drass is a raw, resilient charmer. Minamarg Glacier is a sensational spot. It is also a part of the difficult trek to the Amarnath Yatra. You can get a view of the Machoi Glacier, which is a tourist attraction. Along with the Kargil war memorial, you can visit the Birgade War Gallery. It’s a significant place where the Indian army soldiers have been honoured. It also portrays the artefacts, equipment, war pictures and personal stories. It shall leave you with an understanding of how the conflicts, bravery and history occurred in 1999. Its key destination is under the powers and resilience of India’s military system in the high-altitude regions of India.
Suru Valley is another verdant green Himalayan valley. It gives you a great view of Nun-Kunpeaks and the Suru River. You will also come across some apricots and orchards. Also, you should visit Rangdum, a village in Suru Valley. The beauty you will see here is that one side of this village is colourful, and the other side has rocky mountains and glaciers. ( Drang-Drung). It’s about 100 kms from Kargil.
Rangdum monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Gelugpa sect. It’s on the top of a small hill at 4.031m at the head of Suru Valley.
Its a hub for mountaineers and trekkers. It also gives a great opportunity for rafting. You can also visit Ningoor Masjid, Draupadi Kund( a palace where Queen Draupadi took her final bath) and Stagsboo ( White ancient rock carving). Bike tours, jeep safaris, and summiting altitudes and peaks are popular in these areas.
Live local , Eat local , Shop Local at Drass
You can enjoy some Tibetan influenced ladakhi meals. It might be different for your regular taste buds, but it’s worth a try. Thukpa Noodle coup, Dough ball stew known as Skyu, Momos, and Khambir (local bread) with apricot jam. Local drinks like Butter tea (gur-gur chai), Chang (barley beer), help keep you warm and have some authentic flavours. Visit local cafes where you will come across these staple, delicious, and culturally rich meals.
Shop till you drop for some great winter wear just right for all your altitude treks and tours. From Local handicrafts to Buddhist flags, pick some local snacks too. You can get some basic supplies, though there are no malls here. Locals of Drass include the ever-resilient communities like Sheena, Balti, and Kashmiris. (Sunni Muslims). They can easily sustain the extreme cold weather. You can experience great culture and traditions. So get your winter gear out to drive upto -40 degree celsius Drass region.
Drive up to -40 degrees - Drass , Kargil
Reach Srinagar airport, well, Drass is about 103 kilometres from Jammu & Kashmir. You can take taxis or local buses too. By train, you can reach Jammu Tawi Railway station and head to Dras,s though it’s 442kms, well it shall be a beautiful ride, trust me with all the greens and snowy peaks. Well, Drass is accessible only by road. NH1 is easily connected with Kargil, Leh, Srinagar, Delhi and from some cities of Himachal Pradesh.
