Khardungla pass or KhardonglaPass is some 38km north of Leh city and is reachable after tricky road having high gradient and many hairpin bends.
Khardungla pass is at an altitude of 18,380 ft from mean sea level. Leh-Khardungla pass –Nubra road is known to be amongst a few of the highest roads in the world and the highest road of India. Thousands of tourists visit Khardungla pass for its specialty of being so high and mighty.
A large number of motorbike riders from across the world come to Khardungla pass to set their personal records for riding above 18,000 feet. Indian Army has a post on the Khardung-la top and view from Khardungla is amazing as one can have a wider view of the mountain ranges.
Khardungla pass separates Leh valley from Nubra sub-division of Leh district. Depending on conditions, Leh to Khardungla pass is 60 to 90 minutes drive.
One needs to have Inner Line Permit/Restricted Area Permit to visit Khardungla pass. The permit will be checked on either side of the pass at North Pullu and South Pullu. Khardungla pass is also a gateway to Nubra valley and Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield in the world.
Khardung village, after which the pass has been named, lies in the north of the pass in the base.
Khardongla pass gained its popularity after claiming to be the highest motorable road of the world. However, now Ladakh has even higher motorable passes like Umling La Pass (19,300ft) in the Eastern Ladakh. Being strategically sensitive, Umling-la pass is currently a restricted area where tourists are not being allowed.
Khardung-la pass can be reached anytime in the year. Tourists can get to see snow at Khardungla almost round the year. Being too cold, especially during night (and evening and morning), driving through the pass is considered dangerous as a layer of frost covers the road, making it extremely slippery for vehicles.
Tourism Department Plans Revamp of Khardungla: Enhancing Safety & Tourist Experience and Preserving Natural Beauty
May 17, 2023: Non-functional structures like public toilets, souvenir shop, ATM and other amenities from Khardungla pass will be removed and shifted to lower places to make Khardungla safe for tourists and protect the natural beauty of the area.
The Administrative Secretary, Tourism Department, UT Ladakh, Kacho Mehboob Ali Khan chaired a meeting at the Civil Secretariat, Leh. The primary objective of the meeting was to address the issue of managing visitor/tourist flow at Khardungla and creation of adequate parking space. Additionally, the meeting discussed the removal of old & non-functional amenities such as, souvenir shop, public toilets, ATM, and cafeteria aiming to transform Khardungla into a safe tourist spot.
The meeting was attended by officers from various departments including District Deputy Commissioner, Tourism, Public Works, Vijayak (BRO) and Leh Development Authority (LDA). The officers discussed various issues in detail considering the need for sustainable & safe tourist management while preserving the ecological balance and cultural heritage of the region.
The Secretary emphasized on the significance of striking a balance between tourism promotion and safeguarding the ecosystem surrounding Khardungla. He highlighted the need to streamline the flow of visitors/tourists so as to ensure their safety and convenience and as well to mitigate the environmental impact of unregulated movement of vehicles/bikes on the pristine landscape. He stressed upon making the Khardongla Pass a stop-over spot for visitors/tourists considering its altitude and safety and health of the visitors/tourists. He emphasised that all the redundant/obsolete structures, which are an eye-sore and impediment, are required to be removed for creation of space & parking lots for four wheelers & two wheelers separately. It was emphasised that visitors/tourists visiting Khardungla can avail public amenities and other facilities at North and South pullu.
In the meeting, it was decided to remove all redundant/obsolete structures. DC/CEO, LAHDC, Leh; Viyayak, BRO; 14 Corps Hqr.; and AD(Tourism), Leh were asked to take immediate action and report compliance by 25th May 2023. Vijayak, BRO was given directions to start widening work to create enough space for parking at the pass and demarcating parking space through laying of inter-locking blocks etc. Further, BRO was asked to submit a master-plan by 25th May 2023.
It was decided that the LDA will complete the ongoing work on the viewpoints at the earliest. Also, R&B Division, Leh & LDA were asked to complete the work on the wayside amenities at South Pullu and North Pullu immediately and handover the same to AD Tourism, Leh.
AD Tourism, Leh was asked to start working on outsourcing these two amenities soon after taking over them from R&B Division, Leh and LDA.
The meeting was attended by Director (Tourism), Kunzes Angmo; Superintending Engineer, PW (R&B) Circle, Leh, Nissar Ahmad; Addl. Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Sonam Chosjor; Representative of Chief Engineer, Project Vijayak, BRO; Assistant Director, Tourism Department, Leh, Tsering Spalzes and OSD to Administrative Secretary, Mohd Ali Tak.
