National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Route No. 196.

From Skárdo (Báltí) to Yárkand (Turkistán).

A secondary route, only partially passable for horses.

The route generally taken is from Skárdo to Leh, and then across the Karakorúm pass.

Skárdo, 35° 20'·2; 75° 44'·0E, on the left bank of the Indus river (level of the river 7,255 ft.). Camp.

Shígar (7,537 ft.), on the left bank of the Shígar river—At Halpápa cross the Shígar river on inflated skins to Gnáli—Continue along the right bank of the Shígar river—Búndo—Vazírpur—Chorít.

Yúskil—Gálstot—Gónstot—Gáijo—Chúnik—Hariskit (road up to Chutrón now very bad).

Chutrón (8,060 ft.)—Cross the Shígar river on inflated skins—Tórgu, on the left bank of the Shígar river—Ascend the Braháldo valley.

Dassomít—Tíston—Gámbo Dásso—Kóngma Dásso.

Gnit—Hómboro—Cross the Gómsi river—Chóngo—Tóngal—Surúngo.

Áskoli (9,710 ft.), on the right bank of the Braháldo river—Pass the foot of the Bépho glacier (9,876 ft.)—△ Gorophón.

△ Göre Bránsa, on the Mustágh river—△ Chiágma—△ Tsog—Ascend the Mustágh glacier—△ Dómo, on the right side of the Mustágh glacier—△ Dumúrtar (12,512 ft.), near the confluence of the Tshi and Mustágh glaciers.

△ Shúshing (12,542 ft.)—Cross the Mustágh glacier.

△ Shingchákli Biánga (13,553 ft.), on the left side of the Mustágh glacier—Cross the Mustágh glacier—Tso Ka, a small glacier lake on the right side of the Mustágh glacier (15,724 ft.).

△ Chíring, 16,821 ft. (from here as far as △ Tso Ka, on the northern Mustágh glacier, fuel is

III. 15

extremely scarce)—Cross the Mustágh pass (19,019 ft.).

△ Shaktók, on the right side of the northern Mustágh glacier.

△ Tso Ka, on the Mustágh glacier.

△ Párong, at the foot of the northern Mustágh glacier.

△ Chángal (here there is plenty of fuel).

Cross the Skam La pass and encamp at its foot (no snow or glacier).

△ Shiágs Gambo Chu—Cross the Agir pass (no snow or glacier).

Camp.

△ Surukovét (two long marches from △ Shiágs Gámbo Chu).

△ Dóva—Cross the Dóva pass (easy; no snow or glacier).

△ Máliksha.

△ Úrdalik, in a large valley.

△ Cheróksa (road from △ Úrdalik leaves the valley and passes a high plateau)—Cross a small pass called Kuíklo.

Khalastán, a village on the left bank of the Tesnáb river, near its confluence with the Pákhpu river (one day's journey W. of Khalastán is situated on this river the village Pákhpu. This village is called on Klaproth's map Takboni).

Akh Masjíd.

Pussár. Here the merchandize of the caravans is examined and toll levied thereon—Pass an Úrtang, i. e. a Chinese post with Chinese soldiers and officials (Izzet Úllah says Aurtang). Úrtangs are also occasionally called Lángar.

Kókiar, a large village of about 1,000 houses (Izzet Úllah's Koksar)—Pass an Úrtang.

Béshtarak—Takági.

Kárgalik, on the right bank of the Tesnáb river.

Poskám—Eksháimbe bazár—Cross the Yárkand river.