Khardung La Pass, perched at an altitude of 18,380 ft, is located on the route between
Leh and Shyok and Nubra valleys, in
Jammu and Kashmir. It is known as the gateway to the
Karakoram or the land of black gravel as the name itself decodes. Khardung La Pass is about 39 km from Leh.
Earlier days this was one of the most important passes in the trade route to the Central Asia. This was the last major blockage to caravans before they reached the Indus valley. Now, this road is heavily used by the Indian Army to shuttle forth supplies to its border.
In this region, cold winds blow at a tremendous velocity. A large glacier can be seen on the Nubra side of this pass. The pass offers majestic view of the rock mountains (in the south) and the beautiful peaks of the Karakoram Range (in the north). There are two checkpoints on the both sides of the pass.
Khardung La Pass has emerged to prominence in recent times, as the second highest motor-able point on the earth.
