Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the People's Republic of China to the north and east, the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south. Jammu and Kashmir consists of three regions: Jammu, the Kashmir valley and Ladakh. Srinagar is the summer capital, and Jammu, its winter capital. While the Kashmir valley, often known as Paradise on Earth, is famous for its beautiful mountainous landscape, Jammu's numerous shrines attracts tens of thousands of Hindu and Muslim pilgrims every year. Ladakh, also known as "Little Tibet", is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture.

Through the Suru valley and over Pensi La is Zanskar valley 235 kms from Kargil. In remarkable contrast to the valley and Leh district Zanskar's treeless expanse is the least developed part of Ladakh. With no tourist amenities beyond basic accomodation and no shopping of any kind at district headquarters Padum. Zanskar is a rich experience for the trekker who arrives with full provisions. River rafting is possible from Serchu to Nyimu via Padam.

Surrounded by extremely high mountains on all sides, it could only be accessed through dangerous and high passes with an access window of a few months only, during summer. One of the most popular routes in, is over the Shingola pass. At 17,200 feet on the crest of the actual Great Himalaya range, the Shingo like the other high passes can only be crossed in late summer. The only motor road into Zanskar is across the Pensi la from the Suru valley.

Zanskar, geologically, is a function of two river valleys which join to meet a third. The Doda stream from the Pensi la meets up with the Lugnak near Padam to form the Zanskar river. The Doda valley due to it's glacial origins is a fairly wide valley while the Lugnok for most of it's course is a tremendous gorge

The mainstay of life in Zanskar is the intense religiosity of the people and their relationship to the monastery. There are 9 major Gompas or monasteries in Zanskar and dozens of smaller village ones. Every Buddhist family is affiliated to some monastery situated near the village.

Karsha is the largest Gelugpa monastery in Zanskar, it's foundation attributed to the great translator Rinchen Zangpo. The Gelugpa are the orthodox sect of Tibetan Buddhism owing allegiance to the Dalai Lama.

In winter , the Zanskar river is Zanskar's only access route, when the ice freezes thick on the river, it becomes a highway known as the Chador road, straight to Saspul in the Indus valley.