Zanskar appears to have missed the bulk of the snowfall that has ground parts of Kashmir to a halt. Zanskaris are still moving between villages and many ignored weather warnings and travelled to Phugtal for Gustor. The weather has however delayed helicopter travel between Padum and Kargil and a number of Zanskaris are planning to set out on the chaddar should flights fail to resume before Tuesday the 12th.

Both the BBC's South Asia site and the Daily Excelsior are reporting bumper amounts of snow in the region. Although neither report specifically mentions Zanskar it is pretty safe to assume that the region as a whole has received a fairly generous snowfall. This may well spell disaster (probably the army helicopter) for many chaddar trekkers as the avalanche danger will increase at certain points along the Zanskar river. Moreover, snow on the chaddar generally equates to lots of water...

Looking on the bright side, farmers across the region will welcome the snowfall, especially those in water short settlements such as Kumi and Pishu. Lets hope the locusts stay away and don't take advantage of the inevitable flush of greenery next summer.