Umling La, Mountain pass in Ladakh, India.
Umling La is a mountain pass in the Changthang area of Ladakh, India, near Demchok, on the ridgeline dividing the Koyul Lungpa and the Indus River at 19,024 feet (5,799 m). The Chisumle–Umling La–Demchok road, built by the Border Roads Organisation, crosses it; the pass lies 25 km east of Chisumle. A yellow signboard at the pass reads "HIMANK", "BRO WELCOMES YOU TO", "HIGHEST MOTORABLE PASS IN THE WORLD" and "UMLING LA", with "7531M 19024 FT" and "9380CC" below.
The road over the pass was constructed and completed by India's Border Roads Organisation in 2017. This paved route became the world's highest motorable road, connecting communities that were previously isolated in this remote area.
The pass lies in the Changthang area near Demchok, on the ridgeline between the Koyul Lungpa and the Indus, and gives rise to the Umlung stream that feeds the Indus. The yellow signboard at the top, lettered "HIMANK" and "BRO WELCOMES YOU TO", credits the Border Roads Organisation's project Himank with the road. On 16 September 2022 two teams, Canadian and Swiss, drove auto rickshaws to the 5,799 m summit during the Rickshaw Run, setting an altitude record for the vehicle.
The road is closed to foreign tourists because it leads into the Aksai Chin region near the Line of Actual Control. The onward route from Hanle to Demchok is usually shut by the military, which also blocks domestic visitors. The final stretch from Hanle via Ukdungle is mostly unpaved; the alternative approach crosses Photi La at 5,524 m.
Temperatures can plunge to minus 40 degrees Celsius, making it one of the coldest accessible places on earth. Oxygen levels in the air are only half of what is available at sea level, making any activity physically demanding.
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