| Hemis National Park | |
|---|---|
 Confluence ofZanskar andIndus Rivers | |
  Location in Ladakh, India Show map of Ladakh Hemis National Park (India) Show map of India | |
 Interactive map of Hemis National Park | |
| Location | Leh district,Ladakh,India |
| Nearest city | Leh |
| Coordinates | 33°59′N77°26′E / 33.983°N 77.433°E /33.983; 77.433 |
| Area | 4,400 km2 (1,700 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 3,000 to 6,000 m (9,800 to 19,700 ft) |
| Established | 1981 |
Hemis National Park is a high-elevationnational park inHemis in theLeh district ofLadakh,India. It is located about 50 km (31 mi) fromLeh, one of the capitals of Ladakh. Globally famous for itssnow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world.[1] It is the only national park in India that is north of theHimalayas, the largest notifiedprotected area in India (largest national park) and is the second largest contiguous protected area, after theNanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas. The park is home to a number of species of endangeredmammals, including the snow leopard. Hemis National Park is India's protected area inside thePalearctic realm, outside theChangthang Wildlife Sanctuary northeast of Hemis, and the proposedTso Lhamo Cold Desert Conservation Area in North Sikkim.
It is among one of the three largest wildlife sanctuaries in Ladakh, others beingKarakoram Wildlife Sanctuary,Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary andHemis National Park.[2]
The park was founded in 1981 by protecting the Rumbak and Markha catchments, an area of about 600 km2 (230 sq mi). It grew in 1988 to around 3,350 km2 (1,290 sq mi), by incorporating neighbouring lands,[3]before increasing in 1990 to 4,400 km2 (1,700 sq mi),[4] and is the largest national park inSouth Asia.
The park is bounded on the north by the banks of theIndus River, and includes the catchments ofMarkha andRumbak, and parts of theZanskar Range. The park lies within theKarakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppeecoregion, and contains pine forests,alpine shrublands and meadows, andalpine tundra vegetation.
Hemis National Park lies entirely within the Zanskar area of India-administered Ladakh. It's boundaries, defined by theWildlife Institute of India (WII), are:[2]
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The park is home to a viable breedingpopulation of about 200 snow leopards, especially in the Rumbak catchment area. The prey base for theapex predator in theCentral Asian Highlands is primarily supported in Hemis byArgali (Great Tibetan Sheep),Bharal (Blue Sheep),Shapu (Ladakhi Urial), and livestock. A small population of theAsiatic ibex is also present in Hemis. Hemis is the only refuge in India containing theShapu.[5]
TheTibetan wolf, theEurasian brown bear (endangered in India), and thered fox are also present in Hemis.[6] Smallmammals include theHimalayan marmot,mountain weasel and the Himalayan mouse hare.[7]
Amongbirds of prey noted here are Himalayan and Trans-Himalayanbirds of prey: thegolden eagle,lammergeier vulture, andHimalayan griffon vulture.[7] The Rumbak Valley offers opportunities for birdwatching,[7] including several Tibetan species not common in other parts of India. Birds present here includebrown accentor,robin accentor,Tickell's leaf warbler,streaked rosefinch,black-winged snowfinch,chukar,Blyth's swift,red-billed chough,Himalayan snowcock, and thefire-fronted serin.[7]
16 mammal species and 73 birdspecies have been recorded in the park so far.[7]
This region is in therain shadow of the Himalayas, and does not receive much precipitation. Hence, dry forests ofjuniper,Populus -Salix forests, subalpine drybirch -fir are present at lower elevations. Alpine and steppe trees are predominantly found here. These trees and shrubs are spread across the valley bottoms. Since the upper mountain slopes are moist, this area is characterized by alpine vegetation includingAnemone,Gentiana,Thalictrum,Lloydia,Veronica,Delphinum,Carex andKobresia. The other parts of the park support steppe vegetation which is dominated by Caragana, Artemisia, Stachys, and Ephedra, present along the lower river courses. A study conducted by CP Kala reports 15 rare and endangeredmedicinal plants growing in the park, which includeAcantholimon lycopodioides,Arnebia euchroma,Artemisia maritima,Bergenia stracheyi,Ephedra gerardiana,Ferula jaeschkeana, andHyoscyamus niger.[8][9]
Over 1,600 people live inside the park boundaries, mostlypastoralists raisingpoultry, goats, and sheep. This results in considerable animal-human conflict within the region. Snow leopards prey onlivestock, sometimes killing several animals from a single flock in one hunt. This has been attributed to theovergrazing of livestock. Crop damage caused by bharal has also been seen.
The Department of Wildlife Protection, Government of Jammu and Kashmir is the custodian of the park. Any activity in the park is prohibited unless special permission is obtained from the Chief Wildlife Warden J&K. The department has initiated many projects for biodiversity conservation and rural livelihood improvement in Ladakh, including the Hemis National Park, such as:
The park offers a number of routes for trekking from mid-June to mid-October; some of these trekking routes are among the most popular in Ladakh. This includes the Markha valley trek and the trek from Spituk to Stok over the Ganda La pass.[10] The Hemis National Park is also famous for mountaineering expeditions. TheStok Kangri peak (6,153 metres (20,187 ft)) and theKang Yatse peak (elevation 6,496 metres (21,312 ft)) are the two mountains which attract the highest number of climbers every year. The park has also become popular among tourists who want to observe thesnow leopard. The best season for spotting snow leopards is in late winter. The historic Hemis Monastery is home to the Hemis Festival (HemisTsechu) every summer. Lodging is restricted to backcountry camps and homestays initiated by theSnow Leopard Conservancy India Trust (SLC-IT) in 2000[11] and supported and managed by the local government.
There is no metalled road in Hemis National Park. However, a few rough roads enable local people to reach their villages. There is a rough road connecting Chilling bridge to Skiu village in the Markha valley and another one connecting Spituk to Zingchen and Rumbak village. On Hemis side, there is a road connecting Martselang to Shang Sumdo.
In order to protect the national park and its tourism-related activities (trekking, homestays, wildlife spotting), the in inhabitants of the region demanded in 2018 a regulation of vehicle access to the park. Since 2019, ALTOA (All Ladakh Tour Operator Association) and the Department of Wildlife Protection have set up check posts at each entrance of the Hemis National Park. These check posts are located at Skiu village, at Zingchen, and at Shang Sumdo. Beyond these check posts, only motorized vehicles used by villagers who live inside the park are allowed. Tourists are not allowed to use motorized vehicles inside the park, they shall walk. Tourists also need to pay a fee (called “wildlife fee”) when entering the park.
| Ganda La | |
|---|---|
 The top of Ganda La (winter pass); the way toSkiu | |
| Elevation | 4,980 m (16,339 ft) |
| Location | India |
| Range | Himalaya |
 Interactive map of Ganda La | |
Ganda La (also called the Kanda La,[12]34°2′29.62″N77°21′45.42″E / 34.0415611°N 77.3626167°E /34.0415611; 77.3626167) is a highmountain pass located at around 4980 metres above sea level inLadakh, 23 km (14 miles) south-west ofLeh, in theHimalayas inIndia.[12] It lies within the Hemis National Park.[13] and connects theMarkha valley villages toLeh, and is regularly used by local people. The summer pass is open from June, and the winter pass (half kilometre north-west of summer pass) is open from late April.
The Markha Valley trek crosses the pass on the section betweenRumbak andSkiu villages, which is usually done over 2 days.[12] The other pass on the trek is the Gongmaru La (Kongmaru La).[12]
The park houses numerous Tibetangompas and holychortens within its boundaries. These include the famous 400-year-oldHemis Monastery. Hemis was a destination and via point on the silk routes ofTibet. Over 1,600 people live inside the park presently, with a large number of tourists and pilgrims visiting during the Hemis Tsechu festival.
The 400-year-oldHemis Monastery has long been a place of pilgrimage forTibetan Buddhists. However, in the late 19th and early 20th century, the monastery attracted some attention due to the writings ofNicolas Notovitch, aRussian aristocrat and journalist, who claimed that Jesus had spent the missing years of his life inTibet andLadakh, specifically in Hemis. (seeLost years of Jesus)
The national park, monastery and theChangthang Wildlife Sanctuary were prominently featured in the award-winning documentaryRiding Solo to the Top of the World.