Dras is a place of extremes, and the first thing to know is that it is cold. Sitting at about 3,200 metres in the high valley below Zoji La, it is often called the second coldest inhabited place in the world, and winter temperatures can plunge to somewhere around minus forty degrees. The snow falls heavily and stays for months, and the road from Kashmir is usually closed by the pass through the winter and early spring. In summer, though, the valley turns green, with barley fields and willows beside the river and the bare brown ranges rising on either side.
The ride into Dras from the west is a mighty one. You climb from the green meadows of Sonamarg to the narrow, crumbling track over Zoji La, where the road clings to the hillside above a huge drop and trucks and army convoys crawl in both directions. Much of the surface is broken, with mud, gravel and streams crossing the road, and the weather can change in an hour. After the pass, you descend into a barren, windy landscape that feels like a different planet, and Dras appears as a scattering of low houses in a wide valley.
Dras is also a sombre place. In 1999 the area was the scene of heavy fighting during the Kargil conflict, when Indian forces fought to retake peaks overlooking the highway, including Tololing and Tiger Hill, which are visible from the valley. A memorial to the soldiers who died stands beside the road, and its museum and lines of names are well worth a stop. The army is a constant presence, and you will pass many convoys and checkpoints.
Practical advice is essential. Fuel is scarce, so fill the tank at Sonamarg or take spare fuel and plan to reach Kargil, about sixty kilometres to the east. Simple tea stalls and dhabas serve hot food and sweet tea, which is welcome in the wind. The altitude can cause headaches, so drink water and go slowly. The best time to come is from June to September, when the road is open and the weather mild, but even then mornings are cold, and a warm jacket and gloves are essential, with rain gear in the panniers.