Ladakh (The Land of Wildness)
Ladakh is the third region of Jammu and Kashmir State. Each of the regions, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh have distinct ethnic types, geographical terrains, religious and life style. Ladakh, in the Himalayan watershed, is a high-altitude desert, its lowest point at 9000 feet above sea level, unsurprising for a land that lies locked between the Himalayas, Ladakh and Zanskar ranges.
Ladakh is a land like no other. Apart from Great Himalaya it is bounded by one more mighty mountain ranges of world i. e. KARAKORAM. Formed only a few years ago by the buckling and folding of the earth’s crust as the Indian sub-continent pushed with irresistible force against the immovable mass of Asia.Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from 2750 m (9000 ft) at Kargil in the west to over 7600 m (25000 ft) in the Karakoram range.
Leh
Leh is the main town of the region. Centuries ago this was an important stop on the old caravan silk route from China. Today it’s merely a military base and tourist centre, but wandering the winding back streets of the town is still fascinating. It’s about 10 km north east of the Indus river in a fertile side valley.