Khardung La High Mountain Pass 5359 M.a.s.l. In Ladakh Region, India Royalty-Free Stock Photo

Khardung La Khardung Pass, la means pass in Tibetan is a mountain pass in the Ladakh region of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The local pronunciation is `Khardong La` or `Khardzong La` but, as with most names in Ladakh, the romanised spelling varies. The pass on the Ladakh Range lies north of Leh and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys. The Siachen Glacier lies part way up the latter valley. Built in 1976, it was opened to public motor vehicles in 1988 and has since seen many automobile, motorbike and mountain biking expeditions. Maintained by the Border Roads Organisation, the pass is strategically important to India as it is used to carry supplies to the Siachen Glacier. The elevation of Khardung La is 5,359 m 17,582 ft. Local summit signs incorrectly claim that its elevation is in the vicinity of 5,602 m and that it is the world`s highest motorable pass. Khardong La is historically important as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Central Asia.