Khardung La – a pass too high

“Been there done that” would be an appropriate phrase to describe the journey up the Highest, well maintained, windy, steep, occasionally snow clad, motorable road in the world.  Located at an altitude of 5,359 meters and around 40km from Leh, the words Khardung La mean “Pass of Lower Castle”. The 3 hours drive up its winding roads take you through some of the most scenic views in Ladakh and this would be the most suitable place to catch a stones throw view of snow clad mountains.

We chose the more comfortable “Sumo” as our vehicle for the journey, but for the more adventurous tourists, Mountain Bikes are available in Leh. But then it becomes a tough test of stamina and endurance for a Bicycle rider when he starts negotiating the steep slopes, occasional avalanches and slippery snowy paths. So we saw a group of 3 ladies who had commenced their bicycle journey along with us from Leh and had managed to reach only half the uphill climb when we were returning back after half an hour stay on top.

 

 

Our uphill journey was uneventful except a small avalanche which had caused a traffic jam and held us up for 10minutes. The Army maintains this road throughout the year and avalanches are cleared off in a matter of minutes. The road is narrow and a Military convoy coming from the other direction can test the negotiation skills of even a seasoned driver. Some of the Military vehicles had their Tyres wrapped in iron chains to prevent slippage on Snow bound roads  

The pass is an important gateway to the Nubra and Shyok Valley and the Siachen Glacier. The pass has gained strategic importance due to its closeness with the China border. Enroute you can take a short tea break at Pullu and watch enthused cyclists pushing their way to the top.  

The   Indian Army maintains a small post at the Summit with a small Hindu shrine; like in all similar Military outposts you need divine blessings to face the enemy. Due to the popularity of the location, a small Café called “Rinchen” had opened up claiming to be the highest café in the world. Other than the Café you could spend a few minutes buying Souvenirs from the Military shop. Caps, TShirts and Coffee Mugs are available at reasonable prices to take back home.