Tag: is kela pass open for tourists

Kela pass is a high mountain pass in the Changthang region of Leh district in Union Territory of Ladakh which has become the highest motorable pass of the country connecting Leh with Pangong Lake. The altitude of Kela pass is 18,600 ft from mean sea level. Kela pass is the gateway to Kela tso (Kela lake) or Lchagri Gyamtso Lake and further to Tharuk, Sarkunchar and Tangste village, and Pangong Lake. Kela pass was used by shepherds and trekkers until recently when Indian Army connected the pass by a motorable road. The Kela pass or Keyla pass is approachable from both Tangste and Zingral (below Changla pass). Surpassing 18,380 ft high Khardungla pass, the Kela pass has become the highest motorable road of the country that will be open for general traffic movement. However, 19,300 ft high Umling-la pass of Ladakh is the highest motorable pass/road in the country but the pass is not open for the general public. The Leh-Kela pass-Pangong lake road will be open to general traffic movement in a few days. The road via Kela pass will reduce the distance between Leh and Pangong lake by 41 KM after bypassing 17,586ft high Chang-la pass. This new road will not only reduce distance and travel time from Leh to Pangong lake but will also become a new tourist destination with its all-new landscapes. Tourists will get to see Kela lake (Kela tso), unexplored villages, nomads, snow and glaciers. This road will also be strategically important for the Indian Army as it will allow fast and safe movement of the military convoys to Pangong Lake. The new road that connects Zingral (Leh side) to Tharuk (Pangong side) has provided an alternative road to Durbuk sub-division. The local residents of the area were also demanding an alternative and shorter