Finally, after a horrible cold sleepless night, we encounter a beautiful sunny morning. Sun shining bright over the valley like a gold, no wonder why it is Sonmarg.
Ofcourse, it is Sonmarg for a different reason. But, the beauty of this place is pure gold.
Ready to roll
After a quick camping tea and a warm “ready-to-eat” breakfast, we felt a surge of adrenaline as we prepared to roll toward Leh. While the distance from Sonamarg to Leh is approximately 340 kilometers, the numbers don’t tell the full story; this is by no means an easy road. It is a grueling, high-altitude gauntlet that tests both man and machine against biting cold and unpredictable terrain.
The journey is a long, demanding odyssey filled with diverse challenges, yet it rewards the traveler with a breathtaking variety of landscapes. We began with the legendary Zoji La Pass, where snow-capped peaks tower over narrow, precarious trails. From there, the scenery shifted into the lush, sprawling green valleys of Drass as we pushed toward Kargil. Riding through Kargil felt deeply patriotic and overwhelming, as the solemn history of the land resonates through its stark, magnificent vistas.
Finally, we ascended into the high-altitude desert of Ladakh, where the thin air and vast, silent valleys create an otherworldly beauty. Every kilometer of the route from Sonamarg to Leh is profoundly scenic, offering a sensory overload that truly brings you goosebumps. It isn’t just a road trip; it is a pilgrimage through the most dramatic landscapes the Himalayas have to offer.
THE MIGHTY ZOZILA
Even before you kickstand up in Sonamarg, you must mentally prepare to face the legendary Zozi La Pass. It remains one of the most formidable mountain passes in the world—at least for now, until the massive tunnel project currently under construction is completed to provide all-weather connectivity. Until then, travelers must contend with the raw, unpredictable nature of the high Himalayas.
The View from Zozi La Zero Point Zoji La is notorious for its temperamental weather. It is not uncommon for the pass to close abruptly due to heavy snowfall, even in the height of summer. We experienced this firsthand in June 2023, when an unexpected storm shut down the pass for a couple of days, stranded travelers and turning the landscape into a winter wonderland in mid-June.
The ascent to the Zero Point spans approximately 24 kilometers of sheer drama. As you climb, the route offers a cinematic view of the free-flowing Sind River snaking through the valley below, complemented by heart-stopping vistas of ancient ice giants like the Thajiwas Glacier.
However, beauty comes with a price. The road is notoriously narrow, hugging the cliffside with terrifying drops. While the Border Roads Organization (BRO) has done incredible work paving and stabilizing much of the stretch, the path remains treacherous. Melting snow in the summer creates deep water crossings and thick, slippery slush that can trap the unwary. Navigating these “nallas” requires steady nerves and precise gear control, as the mud can be incredibly deceptive. It is a route that demands absolute respect and a very capable vehicle.
Zero Point (Zozila)
When you reach zero point you witness valley of snow filled mountains. There is always snow at this place, at least I have witnessed it always. You can halt here for a while for some snacks and tea. This place also offers some adventure activities like Adv riding, which you can enjoy. One can even walk on the glacier over the snow.
You must carry your sun glasses for this place as it will be very bright in case it is sunny. Take some beautiful pictures, play in snow, enjoy some maggie with tea. Overall, this place definetely bring a smile on your face and stay in your memories for ever.
Soon there will be a tunnel bypassing the Zozila will be available for travel, and just like Rohtang Zozila will be a talk of the history, till then do visit and enjoy the beauty it has to offer.
Drass and Kargil
Zozila is the doorway to Dras and Kargil. Distance to Dras is approx. 40 Kms and a very scenic one. One one side you have sind river flowing and other side are the green valley and snow filled glaciers.
At places, the river flows right next to the road, so you can relax for some time in river water. The other side is no less, it offers small waterfalls which looks so amazing that it will force you to stop and witness the beauty.
Dras to Kargil it approx. 64 Kms but in between comes a point which no Indian can ever forget and it is one reason we are very proud to be an Indian.
KARGIL WAR MEMORIAL
This one place you cannot miss on this route and one should not, even if you are not an indian. Kargil war memorial is built in memory of the brave indian soldiers who fought the great battle of Kargil in the year 1999 and save us from the cheat of Pakistan.
This place is built at a point from where you can witness all the famous battle points which were taken back by Indian army during the Kargil war. The famous Tiger hill is one of them.
This place will definetely brings you some goosebumps and tears to your eyes. We salute to all the brave soldiers who fought without even thinking about their own lives. You can witness the story of this battle with some historic battle equipment used during the battle.
I have been to this place several times but, it always brings the same excitement, goosebumps and patrotism.
Kargil to Leh – The STUPID BLUNDER
We reached Kargil around 4 PM and stopped for lunch, which took about an hour. Despite the late hour, we still had approximately 220 kilometers to cover to reach Leh. Ideally, a traveler should stop and stay in Kargil; it is the primary hub on this route, offering every necessary facility, from comfortable hotels to mechanical support.
However, we decided to push forward and continue our journey—a decision I now view as a significant mistake. This wasn’t because of safety concerns, but because of the sheer, unmatched beauty this route holds. By choosing the road over rest, we traded some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes for the void of the night.
Namika La (12,198 Ft) The final landmark we witnessed before the sun dipped below the horizon was the Namika La pass, situated about 50 kilometers from Kargil. As the golden hour faded, the jagged peaks turned into silhouettes, and we spent the remainder of the journey traveling through total darkness. The vibrant colors of the Ladakhi terrain vanished, replaced by the narrow beam of our headlights, leaving the rest of the mountain’s secrets hidden from our view.
THE MISSED BEAUTY
Driving through the darkness on a flat, straight highway from Delhi to Chandigarh is a world apart from navigating the treacherous, majestic mountain ranges of Ladakh. By traveling at night, we inadvertently bypassed the soul of the region. We missed legendary waypoints like the moonscapes of Lamayuru, the rugged charm of Khalsi, and the towering heights of the Fotu La Pass. Landmarks like Nimmoo, Phey, and the gravity-defying Magnetic Hill remained hidden in the shadows, leaving a significant void in our journey.
The experience was more than just a disappointment; the biting, unbearable cold made the ride physically grueling, and the pitch-black mountain passes turned dangerous at several turns. Missing these iconic sites felt like a true blunder, especially for a trip that was a year in the making. Instead of the immersive Himalayan experience we had dreamed of, we realized we had bypassed the very essence of Ladakh, sacrificing its most beautiful vistas to the night.
LEH
We reached the Leh entry point at the stroke of midnight, where we underwent mandatory checks to present our negative COVID-19 reports. Once cleared, the road ahead transformed into a “buttery slide”—a perfectly paved, straight stretch of tarmac that felt like a dream after the grueling mountain passes. However, this perfection came at a cost. We cruised past the legendary Magnetic Hill, the sacred Pathar Sahib Gurudwara, and the sprawling Leh Airport shrouded in darkness. While we planned to backtrack to a few of these sites the following day, the vast majority of the hidden valleys and scenic vistas between Kargil and Leh were lost to the night.
A Vital Travel Tip: If you are traveling from Sonamarg to Leh, I cannot emphasize this enough: plan a night halt in Kargil. If you push through, you will either miss the soul-stirring scenic beauty of the route or be forced to waste an extra day backtracking—an impossible task if your itinerary doesn’t include a return trip via Srinagar.
We finally pulled into Leh around 1 AM. Exhausted from a day that tested our physical and mental limits, there was no energy left for celebration; we simply changed and collapsed into a deep sleep. Despite the “blunder” of traveling in the dark and missing several waypoints, the day remained an awe-inspiring success. The sights we did witness are etched into our minds as unforgettable memories of the majestic Himalayas.
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Follow this journey from the beginning – Ultimate journey to the land of sensation passes
