Hidden Gems of the Himalayas: High Passes in Ladakh Overshadowed by Giants

LADAKH : THE LAND OF HIGH PASSES

Hidden Gems of the Himalayas: High Passes of Ladakh Overshadowed by Giants

Ladakh, known as the Land of High Passes, has always fascinated travelers for its breathtaking landscapes, crystal clear sky, High Mountain passes which takes you to exotic destinations like beautiful lakes, snow capped mountain tops, majestic river beds and confluences, Buddhist Monasteries and the beautiful hinterland of the Great Himalayan Mountain Range. In Ladakhi language, ‘La’ means the high passes and hence the name Ladakh is justified as it is home to some of the most breathtaking and challenging roads and mountain passes on the world.  Being a travel enthusiast, I had a deep desire for travelling to Ladakh….and finally it materialized recently when I got the opportunity to spend 24 days in the region covering some of the dream destinations.

While talking about Ladakh, the first things comes to mind as usual are the High Mountain passes and the most breathtaking and challenging roads, each offering stunning views and a unique driving experience. The well known and famous passes like Umling La (world’s highest motorable road at 19,024 ft), snow covered passes like Zoji La (at 11,575 ft), Khardung La (world’s second highest motorable road at 17,982 ft), Chang La (at 17,585 ft), etc have always impressed the travelers for their grandeur, scenic beauty and the adventurous journey. During our tour we passed through two of these famous passes, namely Khardung La and Umling La.

 UMLING LA

KHARDUNG LA

However, during our journey across the Land of High Passes, we passed through some other passes which are no way lesser than their more popular counterparts in grandeur, scenic beauty and the adventurous roads, rather some are more rugged, tougher and challenging….. but somehow these passes are often overshadowed by their more famous cousins. Through this write up, I am trying to focus on some of such lesser-known high passes of Ladakh region we travelled during our journey those are just as deserving of attention as the more popular ones.

While planning our tour from Leh to Kargil-Dras Region, we decided to explore the hinterland of Sham Valley and Aryan Valley. Accordingly, we planned to travel covering few traditional ladakhi villages like Hemis Shukpachan, Darchiks, Hannu and Batalik instead of taking the normal rout of NH 1. However, on our return journey we took NH 1 travelling through Namki La (12,200 ft) and Fotu La (13,750 ft). Foti La is the highest pass on Srinagar-Leh Highway. The journey into the hinterland of Sham Valley and Aryan Valley was definitely a tough journey, but that gave us the opportunity of travelling through two of the less-travelled but exciting passes i.e. Tsermanchan La and Hambuting La.

NAMKI LA

FOTU LA

• Tsermanchan la (12,736 ft): Diverting from NH-1 (Srinagar-Leh Highway) after Basgo to the small scenic village of Hemis Shukpachan (also known as Hemishok Pachan) in picturesque Sham Valley, we travelled one of the rugged, rough and challenging roads and crossed over the Tsermanchan La. The road is not very steep but is challenging and frequently landslide prone but the rewards are well worth it. The view from the Tsermanchan La and throughout the road is spectacular as it passes through small villages and plenty of Apricot orchards.   

 TSERMANCHAN LA

On our way out from Hemis Shukpachan to NH-1 for our journey towards Kargil, we took an extremely roughed road which touches NH-1 near Khaltse. This road is not only a very rough and isolated but also prone to frequent landslides and more importantly shooting stones. Probably due to its extreme nature and passing through isolated areas, this road is not even reflected in Google Map.

• Hambuting la (13,380 ft): One of the most beautiful and picturesque pass in Kargil Sector, the Hambuting La, offers stunning views of the surrounding snow capped mountain tops. It falls on the way from Batalik to Kargil. There is a beautiful selfie point dedicated to Indian Army at the top of the Pass. The road to the pass is winding and narrow, but it is reasonably well-maintained.

HAMBUTING LA

While planning our journey from Pangong Tso to Hanle, we had two options, one is the regular route through Chusul, Rezang La and Thangra and the alternate route which diverts from the main route at Nama, Chusul and passing through Mahe and Nyoma meets the main route again at Loma Bridge. This route through Mahe is much longer one but we preferred to take this route as it took us not only through three less-travelled high altitude passes but also took us near to some extremely pristine, calm and beautiful high altitude lakes with crystal clear water. The stretch between Nama to Mahe is absolutely isolated as very sparse traffic movements are there but the drive is very scenic with beautiful lakes, picturesque mountains and valleys.

• Thato la (16,007 ft): Travelling from Chusul we climbed the rough and sharp winding narrow roads to reach the top of the Thato La pass. It’s really exciting that this high mountain pass offers stunning views of the Pangong Tso from its summit through the mountain tops on one side and the beautiful Mirpal Tso on the other side. On way to the pass you may get the opportunity to see exciting flight of Himalayan Golden Eagle hovering high over your head.

THATO LA

• Kaksang La (17,851 ft): After passing the Mirpal Tso we climbed very steep and tough rise to reach the top of 8th highest pass at 17,851 ft. The road to the summit is truly difficult and due to it’s brutality it is locally known as the “Hell road”. Located in Chumathang Region of Ladakh, Kaksang la is a high mountain pass that offers stunning views.

 KAKSANG LA

• Yaya / Hor La (16,974 ft): Located towards the Mahe end of the stretch comes another high altitude pass, the Yaya / Hor la, that offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the heart shaped small but beautiful Yaya Tso.

 YAYA/HOR LA

From Hanle our next destination was the mighty Umling La, world’s highest motorable road. There are two alternate routes from Hanle to Umling La…….. one crossing the Photi La and other through Nurbu La, both routs meeting at Chisumle Bridge, the gateway to Umling La.

 CHISUMLE BRIDGE

• Photi la (18,124 ft): Driving through many sharp turns and steep uphill rise we reached world’s 6th highest motorable pass, the Photi La pass. The road to the pass is very steep but it is paved and passable by most vehicles. The summit is extremely windy but picturesque.

 PHOTI LA

While enjoying the scenic beauty at the top of the pass, we suddenly noticed a herd of around 8-10 antelope like animals grazing in the slop. But unfortunately we could take clear pictures, they immediately fled away. They merge into the grayish-brown landscape of the barren mountain and were barely noticeable. Whatever picture we could capture, we checked with locals after going down the pass. To our good fortune, they identified these animals as the elusive rare Tibetan gazelles. The Tibetan gazelles an endangered antelope species confined to the Tibetan platue. As per latest assessment, Tibetan gazelles population in India is fewer than 100 and are confined only to the higher ridges of Hanle. However, some other locals are of the view that those were Himalayan Blue Ships, commonly known as Bharals. Like gazelles, the Bharals are also elusive and rarely sighted animals at high altitudes. Although it has not yet been catagorised under endangered spices, their population in Ladakh is coming down gradually. Whether those were Tibetan Gazelles or Himalayan Blue Sheeps, we were lucky to spot these beautiful creatures grazing at 18000+ ft altitude. Further climbing down the pass to the other side, we travelled beside the glacial stream and came across the scenic meadows with yaks grazing there in hundreds.

• Nurbu la (15,397 ft): While returning from Umling La back to Hanle, we took the risk of travelling through Nurbu La. Why I said “took the risk” because it was one of the toughest journeys during our tour. Nurbu La is a high mountain pass that offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The road to the pass and beyond to Hanle is extremely challenging…. sharp rocky edges and full of dust and rubbles… and in major part of the route there is no marked road for miles. To add to the challenge, there was not a single vehicle or a village or a human being in sight for miles. At times due to strong dusty wind, whatever road was there was also not visible. Definitely it gave us the best off-roading experience of our life, but I will not recommend this route to anyone unless he is a die-hard off-road enthusiast and are travelling with a 4WD vehicle.

 NURBU LA

From Hanle, our next destination was the Tso Moriri, one of the highest altitude and most scenic lakes of India and to reach there we passed through one of the highest but not acknowledged passes of Ladakh.

• Kyagar la (16,273 ft): Located in the Changthang plateau on the Mahe-Karzok road comes the high mountain pass the Kyagar La, also known as Namshang La, that offers stunning views of the plateau and beautiful Kyagar Tso, another high altitude lake with breath taking views with ice capped mountains on the background. The temporary tents of Changpa nomadic herders and their sheep shelters near the lake make the environment more exciting.

 KYAGAR LA

 Conclusion:

These are just a few of the many lesser-known high passes of the Himalayas. lt is unfortunate to notice that except for few famous passes, other passes do not have any name signs, which probably because these passes do not connect to major tourist destinations and do not fall under the already famous tourist circuit of Ladakh, i.e. Leh-Nubra-Pangong tourist circuit. However, each of these passes offers a unique driving experience and stunning views. So, if you are looking for an adventure off the beaten path, consider adding these passes to your itinerary.

Important safety tips for driving on high mountain passes:

• Make sure your vehicle is in good working condition before setting out.

• Be aware of the weather conditions and road closures.

• Drive slowly and carefully.

• Allow extra time for your trip.

• Be prepared for altitude sickness.

• Think twice before venturing to places like Nurbu La and Hemis Shukpachan-Khaltse road.

By following these tips, you can ensure a safe and enjoyable driving experience on the high mountain passes of the Himalayas. For more on our Ladakh tour, please check Youtube posts at PlacesDishes hosted by my co-traveler.

 High Passes of Ladakh