“Our Land is so barren and the passes so high, that only the best friends or the fiercest enemies come to visit us”
The above saying can be found everywhere on the internet about Ladakh the Land of high Passes; also known as the roof of the world but never knew the deep meaning behind it. In July 2017, while doing a 13-day long road trip to Leh Ladakh from Delhi; we saw the same quote at various places posted by BRO (Border Road Organisation) and now after visiting quite the part of Ladakh; crossing one valley to another we have understood the real meaning of each word.
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<p>It is true that the whole land in Ladakh is barren; a cold desert lying at an altitude between 10,000 – 25000 feet, where temperature even dips to -50 degree Celsius in winters. The army is on its foot front guarding Indian border from Pakistan and China, and the passes are not only India’s but worlds highest. Some of these <strong>passes or La</strong>, as known in Ladakh are the highest motor able and treacherous roads. So, in this post, we will be talking about why Leh Ladakh is known as Land of high passes.The word Ladakh itself is composed of two words <strong>La</strong> and <strong>Dakh</strong>, where La stands for “passes” and Dakh stands for “many” which together comes to Land of High Passes. It’s not 5 or 6 passes but overall there are more than 20 passes. And if you are following our itinerary then will be crossing around 15 passes. So, let’s see the passes covered by AllGudThings.</p>
<p><strong>Route:</strong> Delhi – Ludhiana – Jammu – Srinagar – Sonamarg – Kargil – Leh – Hunder- Pangong Tso – Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Keylong – Manali – Chandigarh – Delhi</p>
<h3><strong>Ladakh – The Land of High Passes</strong></h3>
<h4><strong>1. Zoji La </strong></h4>
<p><strong><em>Altitude:</em> </strong>11,649 feet</p>
<p><strong>Road</strong>: From Sonmarg to Zoji La, roads are serpentine and single Lane</p>
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There is lot of optimism with every turn on the #road; with each changing #landscape; with changing #scenery and in seeing what is down the #roads. These magical #mountains are crazy and we too. At highest motorable road near khardungLa in #ladakh #india #roadtrip #roadtrippin #couplegoals #lifeisgood #landscapephotography #himalayas #travelling #traveling #traveller #traveler #photography #photogram #photo #picoftheday #likeforlike #followforfollow #travelblog #travelblogger #allgudthings #instagood #igers #wanderlust #exploremore
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5. Chang La (Pass towards South)
Altitude: Lies at 17,590 feet
Roads: Steep climb, well-constructed road but almost 15 km before and after the Chang La pass, the road is of loose dirt and slush. Small streams too appear across the road.
The Chang La lies on the way to Pangong Lake via Leh and is covered with snow throughout the year. It is the main gateway to the Changthang plateau located in the Himalayas. The views from the pass are mesmerizing, scenic and adventurous along with breathlessness and extreme chill. If one is lucky enough, can get to witness snow fall happening.
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<p>Both Indians, as well as International tourists, require inner line permit and protected area permit respectively for visiting Chang La and Pangong Tso. Read the guidelines for the same here.</p>
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We were already taken away by serene blue chandartal lake and now it is Suraj tal. The 8km long #lake near baralachapass in lahaulspiti valley is third highest lake in #india and 21st highest in the #world. #travel #travels #travelphotography #travelpic #travelporn #travelersnotebook #travelblog #travelwriter #travelblogger #allgudthings #travelingram #traveling #travelling #traveller #roadtrip #roadtrippin #wanderlust #explore #incredibleindia #photogram #photography #photooftheday #photo #likeforlike #follow4follow #igers #instafollow
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The BaraLacha La closes down in winters due to heavy snowfall and one doesn’t need any permit to cross it while coming back to Manali from Leh.
Note:
- There are multiple streams passing on the road. Cross only if it’s not extreme, as it can be dangerous.
- Be careful with the falling rocks and landslides.
- April to October is the best time to travel across this pass.
14. Rohtang La / Rohtam Pass (Pass of Corpuses)
Altitude: 13,054 feet
Road: The road is really rough and in dreadful condition. There are patches of gravel and then completely muddy and slushy roads. There are a lot of potholes and one mostly faces traffic jams while ascending and descending the pass.
The Rohtang La is on the Manali – Leh highway in Himachal. It lies 53 km from Manali; connects Kullu Valley with Lahaul -Spiti and is a gateway to Keylong from Manali. It is considered to be one of the most dangerous passes. Every year the pass faces many landslides, gets completely embedded in snow and the road cleaners use GPS services to dig it back. There are always chances of getting stuck in between while crossing the Rohtang pass. Sometimes the jam gets cleared only after 10 -12 hrs.
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<p>The pass is highly scenic, offers views of glaciers, peaks, lush green valleys and Chandra River. Indeed it is one of our favorite passes too. While we crossed it, the whole pass was under and in between the clouds. There was hardly any visibility; the cold breeze was caressing our face but the fear of 13 days Leh Ladakh trip getting over had started biting us.</p>
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Just because our #path and #passion are different from others; it doesn’t mean we are lost. We love to reach a new peak and come back as a better person- a thought from the ❤️. #travel #traveling #travelling #traveller #travelgram #mytravelgram #travelingram #travelislife #couplegoals #landscapephotography #landscape #green #mountains #himalayas #himachal #india #clouds #stream #travelblog #travelblogger #allgudthings #igers #likeforlike #followforfollow #instagood #picoftheday #photography #photogram
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Just 6 Km ahead from the pass submit lays a Rani Nallah, which is huge and ferocious and can be dangerous too.
Note:
- The Rohtang Pass opens only for a short window between May end or June till November. If the snowfall happens earlier than November then it also closes early.
- One needs a Rohtang pass Permit; for visiting it from Manali.
- Drive really slowly and be very cautious while crossing the pass.
- Every Tuesday, pass remains closed because of the repair work carried out by BRO.
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<p>Apart from this, there is one unknown pass around Chushul, and people have named it as <strong>Chushul Pass</strong> or <strong>Chushul La.</strong></p>
<p>We encountered all colors of nature while being on this path. Crossing 15 passes in 13 days has actually made us believe that name Ladakh is perfect. It stands true to its words and is actually the mesmerizing Land of high passes. In case, you think we had missed out listing any one here, do let us know. We will try to include it, as will cover the missed out La’s in our next post of Ladakh – The Land of high passes.</p>
<p>Other related articles form Leh Ladakh series:</p>
<p>6 must visit Leh Ladakh Palaces before they disappear</p>
<p>A walk with Indian soldier at Kargil War Memorial</p>
<p>All you need to know about Inner line Permit</p>
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