Passes in Ladakh

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Ladakh is known as the land of passes. There are many passes which serve as the natural gate passes to this land of jagged peaks. The famous passes associated with this beautiful land are:

Zogila Pass

Zojila is one of the highest mountain passes of the world.The strategic Srinagar-Ladakh highway passes through the 11,578- foot high Zojila Pass which lies on the lower depression of the Himalayan ranges, about 100 km from Srinagar. The pass attracts the heaviest snowfall during winter and as such it remains closed to traffic for nearly six months in a year. The accumulation of huge quantities of snow over Zojila Pass, presents the biggest hurdle to traffic on this road. The 434-km long highway is Ladakh's lifeline and after Kargil skirmishes in 1999 with Pakistan, the government has stepped up the pace of road construction because of the strategic significance of the area.

Khardungla Pass.

At 18,380 ft. the world's highest motorable road & gateway to siachen Glacier is Khardungla Pass. It is just under 40 km north of Leh by road on the way to the Nubra and connects Leh to the Nubra Valley. Although one needs a permit to visit the Nubra Valley itself (very cheap-a couple of hundred rupees or so from any travel agent in Leh), it is not necessary to have a permit just to ride to the top of the pass. The ride itself is quite good, providing good views towards Leh, and at the top one can see the Karakorum range to the north of the pass, and then by turning 180 degrees see the Himalayas back towards Leh. The descent from the checkpoint is fantastic because it is so long!