A PASS INTO ZANSKAR 147 



from Kailang, and get over as great a distance as possible 

 after the enforced halt of several days ; but I was hampered 

 by the non-arrival of my coolies and supplies, and had to 

 go slowly to let them come up. Next day I made Dtircha, 

 eight miles. The village is on the opposite side of the 

 river. The streams that flow in on either side of the 

 Bhaga were considerable in volume, showing that the 

 snows now felt the power of the sun. A path into 

 Zanskar (Jaskar, according to local usage) leads up it by 

 the Shiugo-la (wood-pass), at its head. The pass 

 derives its name from the fact that wood for fuel can be 

 obtained along that route : such a rare occurrence in this 

 woodless country is fuel ! A sportsman went up this way 

 a month ago because the Baralacha was not then passable ; 

 so the Shingo-la must be a lower pass. It is a four days' 

 journey from this point to the first village in Zanskar 

 beyond the pass. If the traveller cannot cross back by 

 the Morang-la, he has no alternative but to march down 

 the Zanskar river until he strikes the high road from 

 Kashmir to Leh. The Zanskar mountains, when you are 

 once in the valley of its main stream, present such a 

 formidable barrier all around that there is no exit at all 

 on the right towards Ladakh ; and only a couple of very 

 difficult passes on the left towards Chamba and Kashmir. 

 The early traveller is therefore liable to be led into a trap 

 if he tries to double round the passes on the regular route : 

 it all depends upon the snowfall of the previous winter. 

 The gentleman who took this route I met subsequently at 

 Eokchen ; he found no insuperable difficulties, and had a 

 good time among the Zanskar ibex. Perhaps the man 

 who attempts the same journey next year may have an 

 experience just the reverse. 



The stream which joins the Bhaga on its left bank 

 •drains the knot of Lahoul mountains on that side. All 



