LADAKH

The Land of High Passes: Across the Kashmir Valley and over the famous Zoji La pass(Zozi La pass) lies Ladakh -- the Land of High Passes. It is a magical land, so completely different from the green landscape of some other parts of the Himalayas. It is nature at its extreme. A land of freezing winds and burning hot sunlight, Ladakh is a cold desert lying in the rainshadow of the Great Himalayas and other smaller ranges. Little rain and snowreaches this dry area, where the natural forces have created a fantastic landscape.

Until the advent of the aircraft, Ladakh could only be reached over dangerous, high passes. The Zoji La pass connecting Ladakh to Kashmir is at 14,000 ft and is the lowest approach from the west. The southeast approach has to cross the 18,200 ft highTanglang La. and to the north lie the Saser La and Karakorampasses, gateways to Central Asia from where trading caravans used to come for many centuries.