Pensi La is a high-altitude pass located in the Zanskar region, at a distance of about 150 kilometers from Kargil. At an altitude of 4,400 meters (14,400 ft), it connects the valleys of Suru and Zanskar and is also known as the gateway to Zanskar.
Also spelled as Penzi La, it is one of the easier passes of Ladakh. The climb to the summit is gradual and the road never gets too steep. If it wasn’t for the board at the top, you wouldn’t even realize that you were standing at the top of a high-altitude pass.
What makes the journey a little difficult though is the bad condition of the road. After Sankoo in Suru Valley, it is devoid of any tar at all. It is a dirt road all the way to Padum that is full of potholes and extremely bad at some stretches.
How to Reach Pensi La Pass
The easiest way to reach Pensi La Pass is from Kargil. You can also travel from the Manali side. For that, you will first have to cross Shinku La pass to reach Padum and then drive to Pensi La.
A third route can be taken from Lamayuru but for that as well, you will first have to get to Padum which is about 80 kilometers from Pensi La. The shortest and the quickest route is from Kargil, as mentioned below.
Kargil – Sankoo – Panikhar – Rangdum – Pensi La
The road between Kargil and Sankoo, for the first 40 kilometers of the journey, is a smooth and enjoyable drive. The remaining 110 kilometers however can be a bumpy ride.
What to See
Pensi La is possibly best known for the breathtaking view of the Drang Drung glacier. It is more or less a river of ice and snow and is considered to be the largest glacier in Ladakh outside the Karakoram range, second only to Siachen Glacier.
You also get a view of the Doda peak which lies on the rear side of the glacier and is the source of the Doda (also known as Stod) river.
At the top of Pensi La are the twin lakes of Ta Tso and the Lang Tso. These are two small lakes located at a small distance from each other. If you were crossing the pass in late May or early June, chances are that you will find them both frozen.
On the way to the pass, you travel across the beautiful Suru Valley. You also get to see the Shafat glacier and Nun Kun Peaks.
