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{India} Is Khardung La really the Highest Motorable Pass in the World?

Another stop on our visit to Leh is Khardung La. It is widely touted as the “Highest Motorable Pass in the World“. Being engineers, we were questioning how true the claim was. When was this “title” bestowed upon Khardung La and how did they measure and confirm it in the past without modern GPS systems?

[bq_left]Most of the prayer flags wrapped around gates symbolize prayers for safety of travelers. In all, their intention is for wind to blow prayers of peace and happiness out into the world.[/bq_left] The drive to Khardong La from the town of Leh was about 1.5 hours. When we got there, I put my Northface windbreaker on and Jeremy put his Marmot windbreaker on. That seemed to be enough to keep us warm but we did see other tourists wearing caps, gloves and scarves. So know yourself and bring enough clothing to keep you warm! Of all the places that we visited while in Ladakh, this was the one destination where we both felt winded and had mild headaches due to the lack of oxygen.

We looked up the “highest motorable pass in the world” claim when we got back to Leh (Tip: Free wifi at Gesmo German Bakery in Leh town) and turns out the claim isn’t accurate. A Catalan research expedition accurately measured Khardung La at 5359m or 17,582 ft (contrary to the signs at Khardung La touting a height of 18,380 ft/5,602 m). There are several other motorable passes that are higher than Khardung La. Suge La (100km west of Lhasa) is at 5,430m and Marsimik La is recorded at 5,582m. If you search online, you’ll find several other claims of even higher motorable passes, so to us, it is not clear which motorable pass is the highest in the world. The answer to the question in our title is NO, Khardung La is not the highest motorable pass in the world.

Regardless of the accuracy of its claims, one thing’s for sure… it is the highest motorable pass that WE have ever been to! The view from Khardung La is of course breathtaking (literally!).

This is the view outside our window as we drove along the winding road to Khardung La.

Claims of 18,380 ft on signs at Khardung La. Good to know that there is a medical aid post there though because we can see how some people could get sick if they’re not properly acclimatized.

 We noticed colorful flags hanging around the towns, on the sides of the mountain roads, on people’s rooftops and wrapped around gates. Our english speaking guide who accompanied us at Khardung La explained that these are prayer flags. They are hung in sequence (blue, white, red, green, yellow or in reverse) and contain prayers. Each color represented an element (blue = sky, white = wind, red = fire, green = water and yellow = earth). Our guide explained that you’ll almost always see these flags wrapped around gates or arches that we pass through on our travels around the area. Most of the ones wrapped around gates symbolize prayers for safety of travelers. In all, their intention is for wind to blow prayers of peace and happiness out into the world.

Stacked prayer flags. Each color represents an element and are arranged left to right in a specific order: blue (sky/space), white (wind/air), red (fire), green (water) and yellow (earth). Their intention is for wind to blow prayers of peace and happiness into the world.

See the little hut up in the top in the picture above? Our guide asked if we were up for a little adventure. We couldn’t pass up an adventure of course and said yes. Next thing we know, we’re trekking up the snowy hill in our not-made-for-walking-in-the-snow shoes (but is great for kayaking/water activities. I wore this pair of shoe because it had good traction, I didn’t bring my hiking boots and it dries quickly) towards the little hut and we made it without slipping!.

Colored flags were everywhere. We found out later that they are prayer flags.

We hiked up the snowy hill and made it to the hut. Shirlene wearing her water shoes and Jeremy wearing his sneakers!

The breathtaking view after the ~100ft trek!

At this point, Jeremy and I needed to stop so we can breathe! No, we were not done. After some rest, we went up to another mini ‘peak’!

After reaching the hut and some rest to catch our breath, we hiked up to the next “mini peak”! We saw many more “mini peaks” we can hike to from there but after a 150ft trek up the snowy hill in low oxygen environment, we decided our lungs have had enough for the day!

View from the “mini peak” we hiked up to. The blue jeep near the hut is our ride to Khardung La.

Catching our breaths after a short hike up the snowy hill! We were winded!

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REMEMBER:

  1. Khardung La is not the highest motorable pass in the world. Doesn’t matter though because it still is an amazing place to visit with breathtaking scenery.
  2. Bring windbreakers/jackets, extra layer of outerwear and other clothing you need to keep you warm. Depending on the time of year you visit, it could get very cold. When we visited at the end of May, it was very windy and slightly cold. A warm shirt and a windbreaker was sufficient for us.
  3. Wear shoes with good traction (hiking boots, ideally) if you want to attempt the hike up to the little hut and mini peaks. Make sure to have a trained guide with you. Don’t hike up yourself as it could get rather slippery.
  4. Stop by the cafeteria to get a cup of hot ginger/cinnamon tea (~10 rupees).
  5. Remember the journey you went through to get to this spot (flights, bus, train, hike etc…). Forget your camera for a moment, enjoy the scenery around you and just savor the moment.
  6. After appreciating the moment and the scenery, then take out your cameras and shoot away! 🙂
  7. TIP for relieving headache (this really works!): When we had our headache, we applied pressure (pinched) between our thumb and finger. Hold it for nine breathing cycles. You’ll feel your headache gradually disappear! Repeat if the headache returns and alternate hands.
  8. TIP for free wi-fi: Free wifi is available at Gesmo German Bakery in Leh town.
  9. PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Our photos above were taken using our Nikon D700 DSLR with the Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 Wide Angle lens (most scenery shots) and Nikkor 18-200mm travelers lens for the shots needing zoom.
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Have you been to a place that claims to be what it may not be? Did it impact your experience there in any way if the claim is untrue?

For us, the fact that Khardung La is not the highest motorable pass in the world did not matter to us. It was still an adventure and the scenery was well worth our journey!

 

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22 Comments

  1. Adotrip July 21, 2021 Reply

    Your pictures are giving me chills!! Such an amazing destination. I have got a camera. Yipee ! Ladakh is not a place but an experience.
    Thanks for the free wi-fi tip, it was necessary 🙂

  2. Priya January 22, 2020 Reply

    Ladakh is one of the beautiful place to visit in once a lifetime.

  3. Tushar ( September 11, 2011 Reply

    {India} Is Khardung La really the Highest Motorable Pass in the World? http://t.co/CiS3PED

  4. Appu September 11, 2011 Reply

    God – This is beautiful.
    Thanks for sharing.

  5. Laura Genutis ( September 11, 2011 Reply

    {India} Is Khardung La really the Highest Motorable Pass in the World? http://t.co/Yptv0nI

  6. Priyanka August 4, 2011 Reply

    Love the pictures! My husband and I are headed to Leh this month and planning to camp at Pangong and visit Khardungla. Your experiences will be very useful to us in planning our trip as well!! 🙂

  7. Christy @ Technosyncratic
    Twitter:
    July 26, 2011 Reply

    Breathtaking. Just….. wow. I’ve bookmarked this post for when we visit India again – this is definitely a must-see!
    Christy recently posted..San Francisco’s Golden Gate BridgeMy Profile

  8. ayngelina July 26, 2011 Reply

    That first photo is in-cred-ible! I’m amazed by your talent.
    ayngelina recently posted..Into the wildMy Profile

  9. robin
    Twitter:
    July 26, 2011 Reply

    You certainly didn’t waste your time behind the camera – those shots are superb.
    robin recently posted..A Starling In The ApartmentMy Profile

  10. Kris Koeller
    Twitter:
    July 25, 2011 Reply

    That’s incredible. Terrific photos. Its amazing your car even functions at that altitude!
    Kris Koeller recently posted..Tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s FallingwaterMy Profile

  11. Jeremy Branham
    Twitter:
    July 25, 2011 Reply

    Wow, the views are incredible! A bit of a strain on the lungs but thanks for sharing. Seems like that sign is a bit old so maybe when it was put up, it was true?
    Jeremy Branham recently posted..The hidden treasure of Plitvice Lakes National ParkMy Profile

  12. Stephanie - The Travel Chica July 25, 2011 Reply

    Incredible photos! And I love that you provided a free wi-fi tip 🙂
    Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..My New Apartment: Frisky Kitties & Cold Trips to the BathroomMy Profile

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