Asia

Name: 'Khardung La'
Location: Ladakh Range, Northern India
Height: 5359 metres

"The land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendour and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle… the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the world combined"
- Mark Twain

India is indeed a land of striking contrast. It's a place that has the capacity to both delight and disturb in equal measures. For every tale of heartache, a tale of triumph over adversity. Pollution, poverty and overcrowding are balanced with spiritual wealth, community, social freedoms, democracy, exceptionally high literacy rates and a burgeoning student population. India is going places - and it's going there fast.

Heading north from the low arid plains of the Rajahstani desert, the land rises slowly at first, before skyrocketing upwards into Himachal Pradesh and then into Jammu and Kashmir. This is, quite literally, some of the most breath-taking scenery in the world. At 5359 metres, or 17, 582 feet, above sea-level, 'Khardung La' is widely regarded as the highest motorable road in the world*

(*Considerable debate arises with regard to Khardung La's claim to be the highest. 'Marsimik La' is a (relatively) nearby pass that is 223 metres higher than Khardung. However, it is not, in the true sense, suitable for motor transport. If I can establish that access for cyclists is not restricted, I may consider 'Marsimik' over 'Khardung' - but for now, Khardung remains the more feasible option. Finally, the sign at the top of Khardung La claims a height of 18,380 feet. This has been proven to be inaccurate. Whether it is as a result of deliberate manipulation to become 'world's highest', or is as a result of wonky surveying equipment has not been established!)

An amusing article listing the world's most dangerous roads, cheerily comments that ways to die on the ascent of 'Khardung La' include being: "squashed, crushed, asphyxia due to lack of oxygen, shot by border patrols". I'm guessing, and hoping, that these are slight exaggerations on the authors part. However, the spectre of being crushed by a kamikaze lorry driver is one that would loom in the mind of any cyclist in India.

The threat of altitude sickness is not one to be taken lightly either. It's quite sobering to think that at 5359 metres, Khardung La reaches exactly the same altitude as Base Camp, Mount Everest!! A slow, measured ascent will be required to lessen the effects of extreme altitude and to avoid over-exertion in the oxygen-depleted environment. Following a few days of acclimatization, the climb will start out from 'Leh', once capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, and now home to a population of roughly 30,000.

(New interactive route map with ride elevation coming soon…)