Day 4 from Ladakh 13: Crossing the mighty Zozila Pass

The Mighty Zozila Pass - 3528m

Don't miss the Introductory Post

Day 3 - Reaching out to Meadow of Gold

After being tested in rain for 2 days, its time to be tested in Slush & Snow. Deepak (@xtrememotoadv) being an experienced rider was warning and preparing us for the mighty Zozila. Also hotel people informed that the trucks were plying all night and the route is very much open which also means that lot of slush is waiting for us. Clear sky outside was motivating enough to go ahead + that's the time for cameras to come out.

It rained heavily last night so had to cover them well

Beautiful Sonamarg

Deepak's encounter with slush

The Zozila is one of the important mountain passes in India. At an elevation of 11,575 ft (3,528 meters) above the sea level, the pass links Amid Leh in the Western Himalayan Mountain Ranges and Srinagar. This strip of rock is not the place for a Sunday drive. It’s 9km long, about 3,500m above sea level and provides an important link between Ladakh and Kashmir.

The pass stays closed during winter, and comes under Border Roads Organisation (BRO) who's Beacon Force unit is responsible for clearing and maintenance of the road during winter. To drive this trail, you must have supreme confidence in your vehicle and your driving skills.
It’s the lifeline that keeps the people of Ladakh in touch with the rest of the world. If you look at the sharp mountain edges to find a road there you will see only a thin line. That’s the ‘road’. It’s nothing more than a one-lane crumbling dirt trail that hugs some of the tallest mountains in the world, with imminent death waiting for those who show up unprepared. Needless to say, conquering this beast requires relentless driver attention, along with a reliable set of wheels.
Source: Dangerous Roads

On the edge

Valley welcomes with traffic (small white cubes in left)​

Route to top was slushed however was pretty clear at the top and snowfall started as we moved towards the Zozila Pass sign. What's the point of crossing it without clicking, so a long break to capture beauty of the place made us forget the time and conditions and a local had to interrupt to remind us of same.

Post Zozila there was heavy snowfall, while we constantly kept moving ahead since stopping in middle would have only screwed things more. This side of road is better off with no slush or traffic however riding on broken roads and sleet was a challenge in itself which we proudly passed.

Definitely an experience riding down one of the scariest pass with continuous snowfall (check out glasses on handle bar)

Somehow love this one

Few miles down and the landscapes change to green. Next stop was Zozila check post for vehicle details and then at a small dhaba for chai & Maggi. Post that it was regular ride to Kargil. Roads are decently done and came across lot of points wherein BRO welcomed us with fresh laid Tar.

and then changes its face to challenge us

We were planning to head to Zanskar valley which is another 200 kms from Kargil and had only the basic necessities enroute. This would also mean we would have to carry some extra fuel since a round trip will be close to 500 kms. Reaching kargil by 1800 hrs, we reached out to a mechanic to get another round of check done and spent rest of the evening in hotel trying to dry clothes and riding jackets.

Day 5 will gonna be a challenging since Zanskar is pretty remote area with barely any roads or fuel station.

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