The Shyok River
receives the waters of the Nubra and Changchenmo rivers. It rises
from the Khumdang glacier, which can be approached from Shyok. The
Shyok River takes a southerly course after it is joined by the Nubra
River. Thereafter the Shyok flows into the Indus at Keris.
The river
freezes in winter, thus forming an easy access between the Khaplu
and the Nubra valleys. In summer, as the snow melts in the uplands,
the river overflows its banks and inundates the surrounding plain
for many kilometers, at times creating a vast marsh. During this
period, the Shyok River has to be crossed on rafts of inflated skin.
The Shyok Valley
is the valley of the Shyok River -- the river of death. This is a
Yarkandi (Central Asian) name, probably given by the Central Asian
traders who ventured on this treacherous route for centuries and
perished. The entire northern area -- the region of the Karakoram --
has names related to death. It is evident that this was a part of
the ancient trade route from Yarkand (Central Asia) to Ladakh, where
many died and only the hardiest survived. The entire route towards
the Karakoram Pass is littered with the bones of these travelers
