A Journey To Heaven: Khardung La Pass

If you hear the vroom and buzz of thumpers and dirt bikes, do not get surprised, you’re at the Mecca of Indian Bikers! Welcome to the world’s highest motorable road. Standing tall at 5,602 m, the Khardung La pass is the gate way to extreme and a completely different biking experience. Every year many bikers make their way to achieve glory and bring along the pride and honor.

Maintained by the Border Roads Organization, the Khardung La Pass is a high mountain pass located in the Leh region of Jammu and Kashmir. It’s extremely strategic location makes it a complete must for India as it is used to carry essential supplies to the Siachen. Whitewashed with snow during the winters, the mighty Khardung La pass thumps to life as the silence is broken by countless tourists making their way to one of the highest accessible elevations in the world.

If you are one of those looking for some time to relax under the lap of sweeping vistas, this is definitely the place for you. Do not expect lush mountains, swift rivers, bright sun and the regular hilly stuff enroute Leh. Instead, buckle up for a tough time ahead. Barren landscapes, bright sunny, yet chilly days, no sign of vegetation are only a part of the entire experience! After all, this is what makes it so popular amongst biking enthusiasts in India.

Leh is an ideal point for your journey through the extremes. However, each passing minute on the Khardung La comes as a reward for every hardship face. The Scenic beauty of Hunder and Nubra Valley, the calm Pangong Tso Lake and a great feeling of an accomplishment takes you in a completely different world. As already mentioned, reaching Khardung La is a no child’s play.

While many bikers come and go via Manali, a popular hill station, some of them opt to ride via Kashmir making it a whooping 3500+km ride! So if you’re not one of the faint hearted and are not afraid of slushy roads, unexpected road blocks, undesirable technical breakdowns and tough days ahead, you have just the right personality to ride to the highest road in the world.

So crank you bike and vroooooooom, a great time awaits you ahead!