Khardung La

Kardong La - view of the Karakorum

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The Kardung Pass ( also Khardong pass, Khardung La) is located in the Ladakh range in the district of Ladakh in the north- west of India and is one of the highest motorable mountain passes of the earth.

From Leh ( 3500 m above sea level ), the mostly paved road winds for 39 km long Kardung Pass, which connects the Indus Valley with the Shyok through which the Nubra Valley. Because of India's border conflict with Pakistan and China ( strategically important point is the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram ), the road is almost all year cleared primarily for military vehicles and kept open. Halfway we passed a checkpoint of the Indian Army (South Pullu ), where the traveler the entry documents are demanded. (The Permit or the travel authorization for seven days is obtained for about 100 rupees on various travel agencies in Leh. )

Next, the road, which is often impassable in summer by snowfall and because of the bad tires of the vehicles, all the way up to the summit, from where you get the first view of the Karakorum Mountains.

The first section of the north ramp of the pass is cut in winter in a snow and ice face. After a short drive you can reach the North Pullu, another army checkpoint. After several kilometers, in about 4300 m above sea level, the green of the fields of barley lights around the hamlet Khardong, which the pass derives its name. Further down the valley is around half an hour's drive of the village Khalsar on wild Shyok River with another military checkpoints. From then on, the road goes along the Shyok to Koyakbrücke, where on the one hand towards Panamik ( Nubra Valley upward direction Siachengletscher ) and secondly towards Diskit forks ( main town and administrative center of the Nubra valley ) and Hundar.

The signs on the Khardung La and maps give the pass with 5602 m. Independent measurements with GPS and analog devices from different traveler indicate, however, that the true summit is about 5359 m. A similar value of 5350 m there will also by analysis of the SRTM data.