Tso Moriri

About

Tso Moriri or Lake Moriri (Tibetan: ལྷ་མོའི་བླ་མཚོ, Wylie: lha mo bla mtsho, 'Mountain Lake'), 4,522 m (14,836 ft), is a high-altitude lake and a Ramsar wetland site in the remote Changthang Plateau (literally: northern plains) in the Changthang district of the union territory of Ladakh in India. As the largest high-altitude lake entirely within India and Ladakh's Trans-Himalayan region, it spans 26 km north-south and 4-8 km wide. The lake is fed by three primary glacial streams - Karzok Phu (west), Gyama Phu (north), and Phirse Phu (southwest) - which form extensive marshes at their deltas. Though now an endorheic lake due to its blocked southern outlet, Tso Moriri maintains slightly brackish yet palatable waters. Its oligotrophic (nutrient-poor), alkaline ecosystem supports unique biodiversity. The area gained protection as the Tso Moriri Wetland Conservation Reserve, though accessibility remains limited mostly to summer months. Year-round settlements exist only at Karzok village (northwest shore) and military outposts along the eastern banks, enduring the extreme high-altitude climate.

The nearest airport is 219 km northwest at Leh City, capital of Ladakh, the nearest rail access will be at Miroo station on the under-construction Bhanupli-Leh line. Road access to Tso Moriri is available from multiple directions: from the north via Sumdo along the (Miroo-Puga-Sumdo-Mahe Road connecting to Sumdo-Karzok Road; from the south through the under-construction Kiato-Karzok Road (125 km) via the high-altitude Takling La Tunnel (5575 m) from Spiti Valley; and from the northeast/east via the Hanle-Ryul-Tegazhung-Chumur Road network.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.