Khardung La

Khardung La carries the road from Leh over the Ladakh range into the Shyok and Nubra valleys, and a sign at the top has for decades claimed it as the highest motorable pass in the world at 18,380 feet. Surveys put the actual height nearer 5,360 metres, and several other passes in Ladakh are higher, so the claim is disputed; it remains the best-known of them and the standard first crossing for motorcyclists riding to Nubra. The road is maintained by the Border Roads Organisation and climbs steeply from Leh in about forty kilometres, with snow and ice on the top for much of the year.

History

The pass lies on the old caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Central Asia, used every year by some 10,000 horses and camels, and a small population of Bactrian camels can still be seen at Hunder north of the pass. The motorable road over it was built in 1976 by the Border Roads Organisation (Wikipedia, Khardung La).

What you'll find

• The summit sign - the long-standing claim to be the highest motorable pass.
• The climb from Leh - a steep ascent of some forty kilometres.
• The Nubra descent - the drop north toward the Shyok valley.
• The motorcyclists - riders making the crossing as a rite of passage.

When to go

May to October, when the pass is reliably open; snow closes or delays it outside that and even in summer it can shut at short notice. Mornings are the standard crossing time before weather builds.

Good to know

The height claim is contested and the sign overstates it. Altitude sickness is common and lingering at the top is discouraged; the advice is to move through, not linger. An Inner Line Permit is required.

Nearby

Leh lies south; the Nubra valley is north.

Key facts