Drass

Drass is a town in the Kargil District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is often called ‘The Gateway to Ladakh. The town shot into prominence in the summer of 1999 following Pakistani-backed incursions into Jammu and Kashmir. The Kargil War saw the town being shelled by infiltrators and the war ended with the Indian Army recapturing the areas surrounding the town and the Kargil district

Places to see:

Drok-pa village, Baigdandu village, Shyok Valley, Diskit and Hundar.

How to spend time/Attractions:

Camping, Photography, Trekking and Mountaineering.

Drass is famous for the Kargil war which was fought in 1999. National Highway 1D passes through Drass connecting Srinagar and Leh. Tiger Hill and the Tololing ranges were captured by the Pakistani army and could directly block National Highway 1D. The famous three heights which were recaptured during the war were the Tololing, Tiger Hill and The Three Pimples. Throughout May and June the war was fought in these heights to eliminate the enemies from the heights which overlooked National Highway 1D.

Drass is the coldest inhabited place in India. Winters are extremely harsh with average lows around -22oC (-10oF), and as low as -45oC at the height of winter, which lasts from mid-October to mid-May.In Drass Summers start in June and go on up till early September, with average temperatures near 15oC (60oF) and little precipitation. Annual precipitation is almost entirely concentrated in the months from December to May when Drass gets about 360 mm (14 inches) of snows JK Tourism online offers various ladakh tours with a difference.