Mountain Passes
A pass is a gap in a mountain range. In Ladakh the word La means pass.
| Pass | Height (m) | Connects | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banihal | 2,832 | Jammu and Kashmir Valley | Pir Panjal. Jawahar Tunnel (1956) and Navyug Tunnel (2021) below it |
| Pir Panjal Pass (Pir Ki Gali) | about 3,490 | Rajouri-Poonch and Kashmir | On the Mughal Road |
| Zoji La | 3,528 | Kashmir and Ladakh (Sonamarg to Dras) | Great Himalaya. Gateway of Ladakh |
| Namika La | about 3,700 | Kargil and Leh | On the Srinagar-Leh highway |
| Fotu La | about 4,100 | Kargil and Leh | Highest pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway |
| Khardung La | about 5,359 (as marked) | Leh and Nubra Valley | Ladakh Range. Among the highest motorable roads |
| Chang La | about 5,360 | Leh and Pangong Tso | Ladakh Range |
| Taglang La | about 5,328 | Leh and Lahaul (Leh-Manali highway) | Zanskar range |
| Baralacha La | about 4,890 | Lahaul and Zanskar/Leh | On the Leh-Manali highway; in HP |
| Lachulung La | about 5,065 | Leh-Manali highway | In Himachal Pradesh |
| Pensi La | about 4,400 | Suru Valley and Zanskar | Gateway to Zanskar |
| Karakoram Pass | 5,540 | Ladakh and Xinjiang | Old Silk Route; north of Siachen |
| Burzil | about 4,100 | Kashmir (Gurez) and Gilgit | Old route to Gilgit |
| Sinthan Top | about 3,780 | Anantnag and Kishtwar | Pir Panjal |
Important roads through the passes
- National Highway 44 (earlier NH 1A) goes from Srinagar to Kanyakumari through Banihal.
- National Highway 1 goes from Srinagar to Leh through Zojila, Namika La and Fotu La.
- Mughal Road (about 84 km) joins Bufliaz (Poonch) and Shopian through Pir Ki Gali.
- Leh-Manali Highway passes through Baralacha La, Lachulung La and Taglang La.
Keep practising
Notes are only half the work. Test yourself with questions and discuss doubts with other aspirants.
Prepared for exam revision from standard sources, official publications and the Census. Figures and recent developments change, so check official sources before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.