Kashmir’s Death Point: Zoji La Pass
With beauty comes danger, and this is also true for Zoji La Pass Himalayas, the place known as heaven on earth due to its captivating beauty and peaceful surroundings. Boasting soothing cascades, glacial lakes, green meadows, and majestic waterfalls, all nestled among towering mountain peaks, Kashmir is one of the most sought-after holiday destinations in the world.
Coming back to dangers within the beauty, this place has many dangers that come at the cost of its beauty. One of the most dangerous roads in the world, Zoji La Pass is a part of the beauty of Kashmir Valley. This blog will go through the details about this Himalayan pass and the thrilling journey to it.
Zoji La
The word Zoji La is believed by some to mean the ‘Mountain Pass of Blizzards’, with the Zoji meaning blizzards and La meaning a pass. The local people claim that the word Zoji is the name of the goddess of Tibet’s four seasons.
The killer pass of Zoji La has claimed many lives from time to time because of the narrowness and bad condition of the road. This is mainly because of the wet and windy weather conditions that prevail here. This Himalayan pass gets notorious sometimes, which causes landslides and sudden changes of weather. The Government of India is trying to improve the condition of the road every passing day.
Geography
The Zoji La pass is the second-highest pass in this geographical area after the Fotu La, being at a height of 11,650 feet. It is located in the western Himalayas in the Kashmir region but falls politically in the Kargil district of Ladakh. It connects the Kashmir valley to Ladakh. All the supplies and commodities to Ladakh are carried through this strategic pass.
Famous History
The famous history starts with the occupation of the Zoji La pass by the Pakistani forces after the Independence. To retrieve this occupied land and the area of Ladakh, a war is started with Pakistan at Zojila, which ends with the recapturing of this area with the operation Bison. This Himalayan pass is among the most difficult places for warfare in India.
From Sonamarg to Zoji La
The journey to Zoji La goes through the famous and highly thronged place called Sonamarg. This resort is among the favorites of the travelers who visit Kashmir. Zoji La pass is around 100 km and 15 km from Srinagar city and Sonamarg, respectively. Being a captivating journey, it makes one astonished and soulful, having the famous stop of Zero Point where one can eat, relax, and capture lovely moments on the Sonamarg to Leh road trip.
Zojila Tunnel
In the year 2018, the Zojila tunnel project, started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, became a big step. This project has been completed up to about 40 percent and is assumed to be completed in a few years. This tunnel has been drafted to be 14 km long and will be Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel.
This will evade the necessity of clearing huge amounts of snow to clear the way. The tunnel will provide all-weather and all-year connectivity to Ladakh, which is only possible for five to six months at this point in time because of the impossible snow and slippery conditions in the winter. This tunnel will be a major relief for everyone.
The best time to visit
If you want to experience the Zoji La pass journey with the least risk, it is best possible in the months of June up to September. Visiting at this time is very risk-free and will make your drive an amazing journey to remember forever.
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