Destinations
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Overview Its inhabitants are mainly of the Darad stock, an Aryan race
believed to have originally migrated to the high valleys of the
Western Himalayas from the Central Asian steppes. They speak Shina,
which, unlike the Tibetan-originated Ladakhi dialects spoken
elsewhere in Ladakh region, belongs to the Indo-European linguistic
family. Their ancestral sport, `horse-polo' which the Darads play
with particular zeal, resembles our modern polo.
The Drass valley starts from the base of the Zoji La pass, the
Himalayan gateway to Ladakh. For centuries its inhabitants are known
to have negotiated this formidable pass, to transport trader's
merchandise across and to help stranded travellers to traverse it,
even during the most risky period in the late autumn or early
spring, when the whole sector remains snow-bound and is subject to
frequent snow storms. By virtue of their mastery over the pass they
had established a monopoly on transportation for trading, during the
heydays of the Pan-Asian trade. A hardy people, with the fortitude
to tolerate the harshness of the valley's winter, the inhabitants of
Drass can well be described as the guardians of Ladakh's gateway.
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More on Kashmir Overview History People Economy Festivals Wildlife Adventure Tourist Information Climate Places to Visit: Dachigam Gulmarg Jammu Pahalgam Sonamarg Srinagar Ladakh More on Ladakh Pilgrim Places Amarnath Yatra Vaishno Devi Travelogues Kashmir Journey to Ladakh
Adventure |
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Drass is a convenient base for a 3-day long trek to the Suru valley
across the sub-range separating the two valleys. This trek passes
through some of the most beautiful upland villages with flower
sprinkled meadows on both sides of the 4,500 metres high Umbala pass
which falls en route. The trek to the holy cave of Amarnath in
neighbouring Kashmir, which starts from Minamarg below Zoji La,
takes 3 days and involves crossing a 5,200 metres high pass. Drass
also offers numerous shorter treks and hikes to the upland villages.
How to Get There Tourist Information Compiled by Puneet Sachdeva
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Editor: Romola Butalia   (c) India Travelogue. All rights reserved. |