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FIELD CARDNo. 08 / 32

DESTINATION: Puga Valley
REGION: Ladakh · Changthang plateau
ALTITUDE: ~4,400m
FROM LEH: ≈ 185 km (reported)
CLUSTER: Uncharted Ladakh
ACCESS: Leh → Upshi → Mahe → Nyoma → Puga. Approximately 220km from Leh, 5–6 hours by road. Road condition depends on season — check before going.
SEASON: June to September. Spring and autumn for the chance of seeing Chang Pa camps.
PERMITS: Inner Line Permit required for Changthang. Arrange in Leh through a registered agent before departure. Takes 1 day.

FILED · CLUSTER B · UNCHARTED LADAKHVERIFIED

About

uga Valley sits in the Changthang plateau of eastern Ladakh, where the ground does not behave the way ground is supposed to. Hot water breaks through the surface in springs that smell of sulphur. The earth vents steam. The rocks around the springs are stained yellow and orange from the minerals. India's first proposed geothermal power project is located here.

The valley is at 4,400 metres. The Chang Pa nomads bring their animals through in spring and autumn. The rest of the time, it is mostly empty.

What Nobody Tells You

The ground is hot because of what is underneath it.

Puga sits on one of the most active geothermal fields in India. The springs have high sulphur content — the smell hits you before you see them. The water temperature in some springs exceeds 85°C. The crust around the springs is thin in places. This is not a place to wade in without understanding where you are standing.

India's first geothermal power project is supposed to be here.

The agreement was signed in February 2021 between ONGC and the Ladakh administration. As of mid-2026, the project has been approved and planned but full commercial operation has not yet begun. The valley is both a proposed energy site and one of the least-visited places in eastern Ladakh. Those two things coexist strangely.

The Chang Pa nomads use this valley as a transit route.

The same geothermal valley that could power Ladakh's grid is a seasonal corridor for nomadic herders moving their pashmina goats between summer and winter grounds. In late summer and early autumn, you may find a camp of yak-hair tents beside springs that are hot enough to cook in.

The silence at 4,400 metres is a specific kind of silence.

There are no trees. The plateau stretches in every direction. The sky is a colour of blue that does not exist at lower altitudes. When the wind drops, the only sound is the hissing of the vents.

THE MOMENT

You crouch beside a spring and hold your hand near the water without touching it.

The heat is immediate and real. The smell of sulphur is specific — not unpleasant, just unmistakable. Steam rises in a thin column and disappears into the dry air.

You are at 4,400 metres. The horizon is horizontal in every direction. There is no shade and no shelter. The mountains in the distance are brown and red and grey.

Below you, the earth is producing heat. The same heat that the planet has been producing for four billion years is rising through the crust of Changthang and breaking through at this exact spot where you are crouching.

You stay there longer than you intended to. Not because it is beautiful. Because it is strange in a way that is difficult to leave.

The Uncharted India letter

Most of Ladakh's famous places are famous for what you can see.

Pangong is famous for its colour. Nubra is famous for its dunes and the camels. The monasteries are famous for their age and their views.

Puga is famous for what you can feel.

The ground under your feet is producing heat. You can hold your hand near a crack in the earth and feel it. The smell of sulphur tells you something is happening below you that has nothing to do with tourism or itineraries or Instagram coordinates. The planet is doing what it does, at 4,400 metres, in a valley that almost nobody visits.

India signed an agreement to build a geothermal power plant here in 2021. It is still being built. In the meantime, the Chang Pa bring their goats through. The springs steam. The crust is thin.

Come here after Pangong if you want to understand what Ladakh is under the surface — not metaphorically. Literally.

It was here before you arrived. It will be here after you leave.

— Almanac Field Notes
Uncharted Ladakh

Before You Go

BEST FOR: Travellers who have already done Pangong and Nubra and want eastern Ladakh as it actually is — not as it appears on itineraries.
AVOID IF: You are altitude-sensitive. 4,400 metres with no shelter and active geothermal vents requires acclimatisation. Minimum 2 days in Leh before attempting.
PERMITS: Inner Line Permit required for Changthang. Arrange in Leh through a registered agent before departure. Takes 1 day.
HOW TO GET THERE: Leh → Upshi → Mahe → Nyoma → Puga. Approximately 220km from Leh, 5–6 hours by road. Road condition depends on season — check before going.
BEST MONTHS: June to September. Spring and autumn for the chance of seeing Chang Pa camps.
BUDGET: ₹3,000–5,000/day including permits, vehicle, and accommodation in Nyoma. No facilities at the springs — carry food and water.
CAMPING: Permitted near the springs. Bring cold-weather gear; nights at 4,400m drop sharply even in summer.

Where This Leads

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Changthang plateau: Puga is the entry point to the wider plateau. Tso Moriri (50km) is the most accessible next stop.
Merak village: one of the eastern Pangong Tso villages near the Line of Actual Control. Combine with Puga on a multi-day eastern Ladakh loop.
Nyoma: closest town with basic accommodation. The administrative centre of this part of Changthang.

ALMANAC · INNER CIRCLE

Puga Valley is one of 32.
The rest are waiting.

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ALMANAC · INNER CIRCLE

Puga Valley is one of 32.
The rest are waiting.

almanacindia.com

FIELD ALMANAC · No. 08

Puga Valley

Ladakh

A L M A N A C

UNCHARTED LADAKH · CLUSTER B