KAKSANG LA PASS
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Kaksang La Pass
Kaksang La is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5.436m (17,834ft) above the sea level located in Leh District, Jammu and Kashmir in India. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.
Set high in the northern part of the country, near the Line of Actual Control with China, the road to the summit, also known as Kakasang La, is pretty defiant. Locals claim the road as ‘hell’. It’s probably the highest mountain pass foreign drivers can reach in the country. You can access with just the regular Protected Area Pass/ILP. No other permits are required. The drive is very scenic, with picturesque views of beautiful lakes, mountains and valleys.
The road is 67.2 km (41.75 miles) long, running north-south from Chushul to Mahe. Another road links both villages. The other route is via Chushul, Tsaga, Loma, and Nyoma. It starts paved on good conditions but then becomes a mule track near its highest elevation, at 5.436m (17,834ft) above the sea level. The climb is very steep and you really need a 4×4 vehicle for it. The weather can be extreme and the cold wind hits like a knife. Expect tiny landslides, with rocks lying here and there. This completely isolated road is rarely used and hacked into the mountain ranges.
How To Reach
By Plane
The nearest airport is Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport, Leh
By Road
One can reach there by road via Srinagar-Kargil-Leh or Manali-Leh road.