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.

What you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

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.