It is not very often that one gets to be literally on top of the world, by getting to zoom around on a road at an altitude of 18,380 feet. That is where Khardung La Pass, meaning the ‘Pass of Lower Castle,’ is located on the way from Leh to the Nubra Valley in Ladakh. The Border Roads Organization proudly proclaim Khardung La Pass to he be highest motorable road in the world. Khardung La is the gateway to Siachen Glacier and also connects Leh to Nubra Valley. Siachen is around 40km north of Leh by road on the way to the Nubra.
About Khardung La Pass :
Khardung La (Khardung Pass, la means pass in Tibetan) at 5,359 m (17,582 ft) elevation is a high mountain pass located in Ladakh region of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The local pronunciation is “Khardong La” or “Khardzong La,” but, as with most names in Ladakh, the romanised spelling varies.
The pass on the Ladakh Range lies north of Leh and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys. The Siachen Glacier lies partway up the latter valley. Built in 1976, it was opened to motor vehicles in 1988 and has since seen many automobile, motorbike and mountain biking expeditions. Maintained by the Border Roads Organisation, the pass is strategically important to India as it is used to carry supplies to the Siachen Glacier.
Khardong La is historically important as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Chinese Central Asia. About 10,000 horses and camels used to take the route annually, and a small population of Bactrian camels can still be seen at Hundar, in the area north of the pass. During World War II there was an attempt to transfer war material to China through this route.
History :
After the 1971 war with Pakistan, there was an exchange of territory in the mountainous country north of the Himalayas, and India acquired an area of some 400 square miles, the Turtok sector astride the Shyok River housing about 200 families. These had previously been maintained by Pakistan from the west; now they had to be supplied along the valley from the east. This was no easy task. For 16 of the 35 kilometers between Thoise and Chalunka there was virtually no track, and for several kilometers the Shyok River ran through a steep and narrow rocky gorge previously considered almost impassable.
The main supply base for this area was at Leh at 11,500 feet. On the north side of this range was a Forward Supply Depot (FSD) which supported the deployment up the Nubra Valley to the Siachen sector and to the Turtok sector. Up to this time supply to the FSD from Leh had been both by pack transport over the Ladakh range and by airlift to Thoise, where there was a gravel airstrip. But during winters, the Khardung La pass was often impassable for pack transport and the Air Force was unhappy using the Thoise airstrip. The low mounted engines of the Avro aircraft tended to suck in dust and grit.
To solve this problem of supplies to the region, and also to enable the building of the road connecting Thoise and Chalunka, it was decided to make a motorable road over the Khardung La. The 201 Engineer Regiment, Madras Sappers of the Indian Army commenced work on it on August 17, 1972 and the road was opened to traffic on August 27, 1973.
Location :
Khardung La is situated 39 km by road from Leh. The first 24 km, as far as the South Pullu check point, are paved. From there to the North Pullu check point about 15 km beyond the pass the roadway is primarily loose rock, dirt, and occasional rivulets of snow melt. However, this pass is in better repair than many of the surrounding passes (Tanglang La, for example). From North Pullu into the Nubra Valley, the road is very well maintained (except in a very few places where washouts or falling rock occur). Hired vehicles (2 and 4-wheel-drive), heavy trucks, and motorcycles regularly travel into the Nubra Valley, though special permits may need to be arranged for travellers to make the journey.
Weather conditions on the pass:
The pass experiences up to 10 feet of snow in winters, with temperatures dropping to 40 degrees Celsius below zero. Though the temperatures in summers average 20 degrees Celsius, the weather can turn for the worse suddenly making it bitterly cold.
The beauty of Khardung La Pass:
The views from this pass are breathtaking. The Ladakh range spreads to the south and Karakoram to the north. And snow capped peaks at almost touching distance all around. There isn’t much to do while here – except walk around a bit and feel the cool windy air against the face and admire the views. Just the thrill of riding down the highest ever pass in the world is worth being here. Take care not to expose yourself to the elements for long at these altitudes.
Getting to Khardung La Pass :
The nearest town is Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Leh is connected by road from Manali and Srinagar, and daily flights are operated from Delhi. From Leh, a daily bus service to Nubra Valley passes over Khardungla. The ideal method to get to Khardung-la is by taxi or bike. Taking an experienced driver with you is advisable. The two bases on either side of Khardong-la are North Pullu and South Pullu. Inner Line Permit (ILP) is not needed to reach Khardung La peak, however Inner Line Permit is needed to cross North Pullu to reach Nubra Valley. Inner line permit can be procured at the DC’s office in Leh. Travelers are required to check in and must provide photocopies of the permits, to be deposited at each checkpoint. Altitude sickness is a serious health concern for travellers not previously acclimatized to high altitudes. Prophylactic altitude-sickness medication like acetazolamide may be necessary for some travellers as there are no emergency medical facilities to treat altitude sickness along the route. The road is closed annually from approximately October to May due to snow and one should anticipate potential long travel delays due to traffic congestion on narrow one-lane sections, washouts, landslides and road accidents. As of 2007 a shared-taxi 4×2 jeep ride for the entire 22 hour, 462km journey may be booked at the public taxi stands in either Leh or Manali for 2550 INR (approximately US$60). Several Tibetan operated road rest stops along the way are well stocked with food and water and offer inexpensive basic accommodations as well.