Situated 3657 m above the sea level, Rangdum Valley
is situated at the remotest and most isolated region the Suru valley. At
one of its sides are the colorful hills while on the other side are
rocky mountains and glaciers. Midway between Kargil and Padum (Zanskar),
it is a popular night stay for the trekkers to Padum. Panoramic
surroundings make it a convenient and foremost choice for camping in the
forests of Himalayas and yet being near a road as a precautionary
measure. As the sun sets, the ethereal beauty of the valley turns itself
to the extreme with flame-colored hills wearing shimmering red snow tops
as their crowns. An important trekking base, Rangdum offers 5-day trek
Henaskut across the Kanji valley gorge, which is very popular along with
shorter treks such as hike up the Penzila Ridge opposite the magnificent
Drang-Drung glacier.
The 18th century Buddhist monastery of the Gelukpa order in the valley
is a highlight of the region. It has about 40 monks living there. The
monastery is situated atop a central hillock and is surrounded by a wild
mountain stream. It stands as a guard to the valley and looks more like
an ancient fort. The central prayer hall of this monastery houses a rich
collection of statues and art objects. On the either side of the
monastery are two small hamlets known as Yuldo and Tashi-Tongze
surrounded by rows of chortens. Most of the people who live here work
till the hired agricultural fields of the monastery, which is the
perpetual and unalienable owner of the entire valley including the
pastures, hills and even the streams.
