SURU VALLEY

The Suru Valley one of the prettiest areas of Ladakh, which rises from the Panzella glacier. On its way to the confluence with the Indus River at Nurla it is joined by numerous tributaries, including the Dras River which flows into the Suru River at Kharul.

The average elevation of the Suru valley is 3,000 m. Winters are very severe and heavy and frequent snowfalls occur, though the Suru Valley does not become as inhospitable as the Dras Valley. The cold season begins around mid-November and usually continues till May. During this period, most of the valley discovered with a thick layer of snow.

Quaint villages of adobe houses straggling dry hillocks surrounded by large tracts of lush crops downward the patches of alpine pastures uphill. The beauty of this region is further enhanced by the sheer contrast provided by the towering peaks of Kun (7035 m) and Nun (7135 m) which loom over the skyline in their crystalline majesty.

The main crops raised by the people of Suru Valley are wheat, barley and millets. Improved varieties of wheat have recently been introduced. This has helped to increase the production of cereals. Some of the vegetables grown here are turnip, radish, peas and black peas. Grapes, apricots and melons are produced in fairly large quantities at Darchik and Garkoon along the lower course of the Indus through Ladakh. These find a ready market in Kargil. Liquor is made from grapes.