Shyok River, Nubra Valley, Jammu & Kashmir India

The Shyok River runs through the Shyok valley and finally meets the Nubra River forming the Nubra Valley of Jammu and Kashmir. Nubra Valley is located at a distance of 150 km from Leh-Ladakh.

The Shyok River is a tributary of the Indus River that originates in the Rimo Glacier, which is a part of the Siachen Glacier. The way the Shyok River flows is a little unusual, as it flows toward southeast and joins the Pangong Range and then it turns northwest and flows parallel to its original course. The river flows in a wide valley, narrows down into a gorge after Chalunka, continues through Turtuk and Tyakshi and then joins the Indus River, and finally enters Pakistan.

Both the Nubra and the Shyok River have a similar unusual flow, first flowing southeast and then taking a sudden turn northwest. The Nubra River originating in the Siachen Glacier meets the Shyok River a little before Tirit, forming the Nubra Valley, a large valley separating Ladakh and the Karakoram Ranges. The main village of the Nubra Valley, Diskit lies on the Shyok River and is home to the Diskit Monastery.

Two tributaries of the Shyok River, Chang Chen Mo River, which originates in Pamzal in Changchinmo plains of Ladakh, and Galwan River in Aksai Chin, originating in Samzungling, flow westward before joining Shyok River. The Saltoro River, another tributary of the Shyok River, originates in Saltroo Kangri peak ridge and flows southwest before joining it in Khaplu in Pakistan.

The best time to visit the Shyok River in the Nubra Valley would be during the summers, when the temperature is as high as 30 degrees Celsius. Winter should be avoided as the area is nearly frozen with temperatures as low as -10 degree Celsius.