Khardung La not the highest pass...

Interestingly, on the LP forum a bunch of GPS-weilding cyclists have discovered that the Khardung La pass (between Leh and the Nubra valley) is not as high as the Indians hope for or optimitically paint on their rocks - about 5350m instead of 5602m.
See: http://tinyurl.com/74h9l.

I think I'll trust the Guinness Book of Records on its height rather than a cyclist with an altimetre to be honest.

Jeroen,

The Khardung La connets Leh and Nubra Valley...and hence it is the highest motorabel road.

The other road - which is actually the highest road - is not proper ( no tar ) and it seems does not connect to any other place. So, thought it is the highest motorable road, it does not have a proper destination, it seems...and hence...may be Khardung La is for now, the highest.

Anyway, both r in India.

Itseems China is doing something else, to ensure that the highest motorable road is in their country.

I find these international games of petty oneupmanship ridiculous.
Building a road just to be higher than the Khardung La is risking lives pointlessly.
Risking people's lives just to build a road that nearly touches the sky must be justified by the road's potential use. The Khardung La was completely justified in its construction - it is a vital link with the rest of the world for the Nubra Valley.
Others may not be so justified.

According to the US SRTM (http://srtm.usgs.gov/) measurement of altitude and GPS field measurement the altitude of the Kardung La is around 5350m with a precision of 20 m whatever the guinessbook says. Sorry for the people how believes in this bigger, higher funnier reference. Indian maps often shows funny altitudes, as do the himachal pradesh trekking maps.

abram

Why is it funnier?
Whatever that link you've given says, the Gunniess Book of Records are recognised globally as the source for information on the biggest, smallest, widest, highest and so on.

i would call it more of a joke then any thing else! http://www3.utsidan.se/corax-e/routes/zmanleh.htm go to this link, they actually put Taglang La as much higher then Khardung La! Now why would any one mention lower altitude on a pass then it really is?

i guess Khardung La is sinking and Taglang La is gaining height LOL!

It must be sinking quite rapidly as well!

Going by the painted posts:

Tanglang la - 17582 ft. - second highest pass in the world
Khardung la - 18380 ft. - highest motorable road in the world
Chang la - 17800 ft. - third highest pass in the world??

please note that there is a difference netween "highest motorable road" and "highest pass." But even so, i guess, it doesn't add up.

The world's highest road is Marismik La which is off road from Chang La and actually their is a road which connects Marismik la to khardungla though used extensively by BRO(Borders Road Organisation) in peak summer season.
Marsimik La (18652 feet),
Khardung La (18380 feet).

Here's one more article confirming the same
http://www.60kph.com/interact/marsimek_la.htm

Happy High off roading...
FreeBirD

I wish the BRO would give in to reality sometime soon.
All other sources are seemingly conspiring against "the worlds highest " claim. If you look at Corax log he has gps and altimeter readings for both the Khardung and Taglang La. This also corresponds to numerous other gps readings , NASA´s SRTM imagery and the Russian topographic map.

Heres the one to its name,
the highest.. yes, we guys made it to the top...

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...272604&page=25

Enjoy
~m~

See this link...

http://www.gearthhacks.com/downloads/map.php?file=19753

At 5565m Semo La in Tibet is now considered the "highest motorable pass" in the World. Khardung La is 5359m acc to more accurate measurements.

I believe Semo la doesnt have a metalled road.

Correct - but I fail to see the significance between different kind of roads. For me the one distinction that seems worth making would be public transport or not.


I took a look along the roads of the highest workplace I could think of , the Chajnantor observatory in the Atacama desert at 5030 meters , and found a crossroad and some sort of building , 5500-ish.