Image Source: Pradeep Parihar
About Umasi La
Umasi La Trek is one of the most geographically diverse corridors in the Indian Himalayas. The trek, more than a high-altitude adventure, connects the paddar valley in Kishtwar (Jammu) to the Zanskar region of Ladakh. An ancient trail was once used as a route by General Zorawar Singh in the Tibet Campaign. From dense coniferous forests to stark alpine deserts, the route encompasses dramatic altitude shifts, changing climates, glacial landscapes, and sacred river systems, all within a span of 8 to 10 days.
From Forested Valleys to Alpine Meadows
Gulabgarh is the first settlement located in the Paddar valley through which the trek begins. The village lies in the outer reaches of the Sub-Himalyan region. Bhut Nala is a major river that carved through the valley and slopes around are covered with dense temperate forests of deodar, pine, and oak—classic. It’s a perfect example of mixed coniferous vegetation found in the mid-Himalayan belt. High rainfall due to the southwest monsoon in the valley is quite common and that creates a stunning contrast from the Zanskar valley where clouds are rarely able to penetrate.
As the trail ascended to Kaban and Chishoti, the thick forest canopy started to thin. You enter into the Subalpine zone where vegetation makes a transition into alpine meadows that are locally called Bugyals.
The high-altitude grasslands bloom in summer and are vital grazing ground for Brokpa shepherds. The region’s soil becomes thinner and more prone to erosion, shaped by frost action and mass wasting, indicating the beginning of a harsher alpine environment.
Entering the Glacial Realm
As one enters into Mamarnag, the glacial geomorphology takes over the landscape. U-shaped valleys, glacial lakes, and ancient moraines—accumulations of rock debris left behind by retreating glaciers. Now the trek moves into the high Himalayan crest that leads to Umasi La Base Camp. It’s one of the most challenging parts of the trek, where rock shows show clear evidence of permafrost activity, while the constant freeze-thaw cycles create scree slopes and unstable ridgelines.
After crossing the base camp comes the Umasi La pass that stands at an elevation of 5,300 meters. It’s a glacial saddle with a narrow, snow-filled depression between peaks. Crossing this part requires traversing snowfields and icy scree, remnants of both active and relict glaciers. Here, the Himalayas feel primeval—carved by ice, shaped by tectonics, and far removed from human habitation.
Transitioning into the Cold Desert
After crossing the Umasi La, the trekker enters into the Zanskar region. The terrain here changes dramatically as it lies as a part of the Trans-Himalayan cold desert. In the rain-shadow region, it recives less than 200 mm of annual rainfall. The landscape is arid, dusty, and treeless—marked by eroded sedimentary rocks and wind-carved cliffs.
Descending into the valley, the first sign of settlement appears near Sumdo. Buddhist chortens, prayer flags and mani walls hint at the Buddhist civilization. Agriculture is very hard in the region and only limited to hardy crops like barley and buckwheat. The soil is gravel and the air is thinner. You will experience a shift in climate, ecology and culture as you move from the lush, forest-fed Paddar into the Tibetan Buddhist highlands of Zanskar.
Hydrology and Watershed Divide
Umasi acts as a watershed divide between two major river systems. In the south all the water melts into the Bhut Nala that eventually joins the Chenab river. On the northern side, a glacial stream fell into the Tsarap River. It’s a major tributary of the Zanskar river that merges with the Indus.
Cultural Geography and Human Adaptation
Finally the trail ends in Padum, which is the administrative capital of Zanskar. Monasteries like Karsha and Stongdey on the relatively flatter terrain allow Buddhism to spread. Despite the harsh conditions, Zanskari people have remarkably adapted to the cold and dry conditions. They use solar heating, high-altitude farming, and yak-based transport. In contrast, the Bakarwals and Gujjars of the Paddar Valley depend on mobile pastoralism and forest resources, shaped by a wetter, more forested ecology. The contrast between these two human ecologies—one forest-dependent, the other desert-adapted—emphasizes how geography sculpts culture and livelihood in the Himalayas.