Lamayuru looks like another planet, and the people who named the surrounding hills Moonland were not exaggerating. Wind and water have carved the pale clay slopes into a maze of ridges and spires, and on top of the largest of them sits the monastery, whitewashed and tangled, with the valley dropping away behind it. A local legend says the valley was once a lake, drained by a saint who made his way through the rock, and the geology lends some support to the idea.
Lamayuru, also called Yuru Kabgyat, is among the oldest and most important monasteries in Ladakh, founded around the tenth or eleventh century and associated with the translator Rinchen Zangpo. It belongs to the Drikung Kagyu school, and monks still follow a full round of prayers. Visitors are welcome in the prayer hall, though you should take off your boots, speak quietly and ask before photographing inside. The annual masked dance festival draws people from across the region, and the village below has a few simple guesthouses and cafes.
The Srinagar to Leh highway reaches Lamayuru after the long climb over the Zoji La and the descent through Dras and Kargil, and the road beyond runs on toward Leh. Between Lamayuru and Khaltse the highway crosses the Fotu La, about 4,100 metres, with a good surface and views of the barren hills, and the road then drops along the Indus valley. The tarmac here is generally decent, but landslides, military convoys and roadworks can add delays, and the weather shifts quickly. The highway is typically open from late spring to autumn.
Fuel is the thing to plan. There are pumps at Kargil and Leh, and the distances between them are long enough that a spare can is sensible, so ask locally about the nearest working pump rather than assuming. At about 3,500 metres, the air is thin, and it is wise to rest for a night before pushing higher. Evenings are cold even in summer, and the sky at night is full of stars.