Dras

Dras is a town in a valley along the road connecting Srinagar and Leh at an elevation of 10,761 feet (3,280 meters) above sea level. Steep slopes surround the settlement and narrow paths run between stone houses with flat roofs.

The settlement served for a long time as a stopover for caravans traveling between Kashmir and Ladakh. In 1999 parts of the surrounding hills became the scene of armed fighting during the Kargil conflict.

The name likely comes from a local word for a small basin between mountains. Residents grow vegetables on terraces during summer and bake bread in traditional ovens made of stone and clay.

The place is accessible between May and September when Zoji La Pass is open and simple lodgings become available here. Warm clothing is necessary even in summer because nights turn cold and the weather changes quickly.

Winter temperatures here drop to minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 60 degrees Celsius) making the town one of the coldest permanently inhabited places on Earth. Despite this extreme cold some families remain here year-round and heat their homes with dried cow dung and wood.