imported>Rdp060707 at 07:27, 19 August 2021

2021-08-19T07:27:24Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2020}}

{{refimprove|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Umingla La
| other_name = खार्दूंग ला
| photo = Khardung La, Ladakh.jpg
| photo_caption = Khardung La
| map = India Ladakh#India
| map_caption = Location of Khardung La
| elevation_ref =
| location = [[Ladakh]], [[India]]
| range = [[Himalaya]], [[Ladakh Range]]
| coordinates = {{coord|34|16|42|N|77|36|15|E|type:landmark_region:NL_source:nlwiki|display=inline,title}}
| topo =
}}
[[File:Peak above Khardung La.jpg|thumb|250px|Peak above Khardung La]]
'''Khardung La''' ('''Khardung Pass''', ''la'' means ''pass'' in [[Standard Tibetan|Tibetan]]) is a [[mountain pass]] in the [[Leh district]] of the [[States and territories of India|Indian union territory]] of [[Ladakh]]. 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]] is north of [[Leh]] and is the gateway to the [[Shyok]] and [[Nubra Valley|Nubra]] valleys. The [[Siachen Glacier]] lies part way up the latter valley. Built in 1976, it was opened to public motor vehicles in 1988. 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 {{convert|5359|m|abbr=on}}.<ref>[http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/ICCSemoKhardung.pdf DGPS Document supplied by the Cartographic Institute of Catalonia]</ref> Local summit signs and dozens of stores selling shirts in Leh incorrectly claim that its elevation is in the vicinity of {{convert|5602|m|abbr=on}}} and that it is the world's highest motorable pass. But in 2013-2014, Chisumle-Demchok Road via [[Demchok,_Ladakh#Umling la|Umling La]] (19,300 ft), which is one of the [[India-China Border Roads]] built as a part of [[Project himank|Project Himank]] by [[Border Roads Organisation|BRO]], surpassed Khardung La in elevation to become the world's highest motorable pass.<ref name=highmot1>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/119967/khardunga-la-highest-road-successor |title= Khardunga La No longer the World's Highest Road. Meet its Successor at 19300 Ft! |date= 3 November 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
Khardong La is historically important as it lies on the major [[Caravan (travellers)|caravan]] route from Leh to [[Kashgar]] in [[Central Asia]]. About 10,000 horses and camels used to take the route annually, and a small population of [[Bactrian camel]]s can still be seen at Hunder, in the area north of the pass. In the early 1950s, [[William O. Douglas]] described "the trail, after crossing the Indus, divides, one fork going south along the river's edge to Spitok, Khalatse and Khargil, the other turning north to Leh, the Khardong Pass (...), and Yarkand, an ancient trading center of Sinkiang."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Douglas, William O. (William Orville), 1898-1980.|title=Beyond the High Himalayas. [An account of a journey to Afghanistan and Ladakh.].|date=1953|publisher=London|oclc=559521308|quote= "the trail, after crossing the Indus, divides, one fork going south along the river's edge to Spitok, Khalatse and Khargil, the other turning north to Leh, the Khardong Pass (18, 380 feet), and Yarkand, an ancient trading center of Sinkiang."}}</ref> He continues, "Leh is on a historic caravan route that leads not only to Yarkand in Sinkiang but to Lhasa in Tibet. (...) the stream of trade. Wool, silver, felts, tea, candy, skins, velvets, silk, gold, carpets, musk, [[Precious coral|coral]], [[borax]], jade cups, salt came down from the north. Cotton goods, shawls, brocades, opium, indigo, plumes, shoes, pearls, ginger, cloves, pepper, honey, tobacco, sugar cane, barley rice, wheat, corn came up from the south."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Douglas, William O. (William Orville), 1898-1980.|title=Beyond the High Himalayas. [An account of a journey to Afghanistan and Ladakh.].|date=1953|publisher=London|oclc=559521308|quote= Leh is on a historic caravan route that leads not only to Yarkand in Sinkiang but to Lhasa in Tibet. (...) the stream of trade. Wool, silver, felts, tea, candy, skins, velvets, silk, gold, carpets, musk, coral, borax, jade cups, salt came down from the north. Cotton goods, shawls, brocades, opium, indigo, plumes, shoes, pearls, ginger, cloves, pepper, honey, tobacco, suger cane, barley rice, wheat, corn came up from the south.}}</ref> During [[World War II]] there was an attempt to transfer war material to [[China]] through this route.{{Citation needed|reason=source needed to support name claim|date=March 2020}}.

==Location==
[[File:Khardung La Memorial.jpg|thumb|left|A memorial at Khardung La]]
[[File:Khardung La office and shop 01.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Khardung La office and shop]]
[[File:Police Check Post, South Pullu Pass, Ladakh.jpg|thumb|300px|Police Check Post, South Pullu Pass, Ladakh]]
[[File:Khardung La - Highest Souvenir Shop in the World sign.jpg|thumb|left|Khardung La - Highest Souvenir Shop in the World sign.]]
Khardung La is 39 km by road from Leh. Earlier, the first 24 km, as far as the South Pullu check point, were paved. From there to the North Pullu checkpoint about 15 km beyond the pass the roadway was primarily loose rock, dirt, and occasional rivulets of snow melt. Now, all the way is properly paved. The road approaching the Nubra Valley is very well maintained (except in a few places where washouts or falling rock occur). Hired vehicles (two and four-wheel-drive), heavy [[truck]]s, and [[motorcycle]]s regularly travel into the Nubra Valley, though special permits are required to be arranged for travellers.
[[File:North Pullu sign.jpg|thumb|300px|North Pullu sign]]
The {{convert|5359|m|abbr=on}} elevation measure from hundreds of [[GPS]] surveys matches [[SRTM]] data, [[Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer#ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model|ASTER GDEM]] data, and [[SK-42 Reference System|Russian topographic]] mapping. It is broadly consistent with numerous [[GPS]] reports.

The nearest sizable town is [[Leh]]. Leh is connected by road from Manali and Srinagar, and daily flights are operated from Delhi. From Leh, a daily bus service to [[Nubra Valley]] passes over Khardung La which may also be reached by a hired car with an experienced driver or by [[motorcycle]]. The two bases on either side of Khardung La are North Pullu and South Pullu.

An Inner Line Permit (ILP), which can be acquired at the District Commissioner’s office in Leh, is required for tourists (not needed for Ladakh citizens). People are required to check in en route and must provide photocopies of the permits to be deposited at each checkpoint.

Altitude sickness is a serious health concern for people not acclimatised to high altitudes. Prophylactic altitude-sickness medication such as [[acetazolamide]] may be necessary for some as there are no emergency medical facilities to treat altitude sickness along the route.

The road is closed from approximately October to May due to snow and is often subject to long delays due to traffic congestion on narrow one-lane sections, washouts, landslides and road accidents.

==Climate==
Khardung La has an arctic tundra climate (''ET'') with short, cool summers and long, very cold winters.
{{Weather box 
|collapsed =
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| location = Khardung La
| Jan high C = -19
| Feb high C = -18
| Mar high C = -14
| Apr high C = -11
| May high C = -5
| Jun high C = 1
| Jul high C = 7
| Aug high C = 7
| Sep high C = 1
| Oct high C = -8
| Nov high C = -14
| Dec high C = -18
| year high C =
| Jan low C = -36
| Feb low C = -34
| Mar low C = -31
| Apr low C = -25
| May low C = -15
| Jun low C = -9
| Jul low C = -6
| Aug low C = -6
| Sep low C = -10
| Oct low C = -18
| Nov low C = -25
| Dec low C = -31
| year low C =
| Jan precipitation mm = 29
| Feb precipitation mm = 41
| Mar precipitation mm = 53
| Apr precipitation mm = 38
| May precipitation mm = 28
| Jun precipitation mm = 9
| Jul precipitation mm = 9
| Aug precipitation mm = 8
| Sep precipitation mm = 8
| Oct precipitation mm = 8
| Nov precipitation mm = 13
| Dec precipitation mm = 22
| year precipitation mm =
|source 1 =<ref>https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/forecast/modelclimate/khardūng-la_india_1266938</ref>
}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Khardung La ladakh 001.jpg|Khardung La in winter
Kla_road1.jpg|Khardung village (right), the namesake of the pass
Khardunglasign18380.jpg|The claimed {{convert|5602|m|ft}}; the actual elevation is {{convert|5359|m|ft}}.
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Silk Road]]
*[[Extreme points of Earth]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Ladakh}}
{{Mountain passes of India}}

[[Category:Mountain passes of Ladakh]]
[[Category:Mountain passes of the Himalayas]]
[[Category:Tourism in Ladakh]]

Khardung La - Revision history

imported>Rdp060707 at 07:27, 19 August 2021