Introduction

When you feast your eyes on as beautiful a creation as Tso Moriri, you do not have to be a science scholar to understand what a remnant lake is, but merely be thankful that it is there for the world to behold. Tso Moriri or Lake Moriri, which has donned the mantle of Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve, owing to the noble efforts of the conscious locals and WWF-India, is a high altitude lake in the Changthang sub-division of Leh. Declared as the largest of all the high altitude lakes in the Trans-Himalayan bio-geographic region, Tso Moriri interestingly gets its fill from the snow peaks that fortify Rupsu Valley, offering a priceless spectacle for travelers.

Flowing languidly and alluringly at an altitude of 4,595 meters (15,075 feet) in Korzok village, about 240 kilometers (149.12 miles) southeast of Leh, Tso Moriri is truly serenity incarnate. Even its sheer size, given its length of 28 kilometers (17.39 miles) and width of 8 kilometers (4.97 miles) spread across an area of 120 square kilometers, makes it one of the most picturesque sights in this high altitude terrain. As a brackish lake, Tso Moriri amazingly displays a pristine blue water body and attracts an impressive assortment of fauna, including some endangered species. In fact, Tso Moriri is known to be the only breeding ground of the bar-headed goose in India and the black-necked crane outside China, besides attracting other species like the great crested grebe, brown-headed gull, lynx, the Himalayan marmot, the Tibetan sand fox, Tibetan ass and the Himalayan blue sheep. As for the existence of flora in Tso Moriri, the shallower part of the lake (unlike the vegetation-deprived deeper area) breeds Potamogeton sps, while the marshy areas have varied species of sedges and reeds, including Carex, Caragana and Astragalus sps.

The lake was, until the beginning of the sixties, a unique source of salt for the local community who extracted the unrefined mineral for trade and domestic consumption purposes as well. This however, is no more in practice as the evidently unique ecological diversity has landed it into the list of Ramsar Wetland sites and has been accepted as a wetland reserve under threat of its growing vulnerability at the hands of various destructive factors. Conservation endeavors by various organizations like the State Department of Wildlife, WWF-India, the Wildlife Institute of India, and even the locals are on in full swing today, which is quite remarkable, because the results are very much there for everyone to witness.

Tso Moriri, which is flanked by Ladakh in the north, Tibet in the east and Zanskar in the west, is accessible for visitors only during the summer season. An interesting aspect of a visit to this amazing lake is the four/five-day trek from Tso Kar, which is the toast of most adventure-streaked travelers today.

Special Attributes

A high altitude brackish lake with a unique ecological diversity that has conservation activists on the vigil lately.

Nuisance

The site is very peaceful and free of irritants.

Dressing restrictions

None. Wrap up in warm clothes as temperature can go down drastically during evenings.

Connectivity

Hired Taxis/Jeeps, Public Transport Buses

Enjoyed by

Singles, Backpackers, Nature Lovers

Exposure

You will be outdoors completely. Wrap up in warm clothes to be comfortable in the extreme high-terrain cold. Wear shades and a hat to shun the sporadic bursts of sunlight.

Avoidable Season

November, December, January, February, March, April

Facilities

Basic. Plan accordingly

Things Not Allowed

No such restrictions

Tip

Tread softly on this delicate ground and take care not to inflict any sort of damage by disturbing the lake's natural surroundings. Don't step close to the animals and birds breeding nearby.

Type of site

High Altitude Lake