Drive through Zoji la Pass

Just a short way behind Sonamarg is a huge parking of trucks waiting for a command to set out over the pass. The traffic is here quite often completely stopped or it is allowed only in one direction.
 

The first 14–kilometer journey leads slowly through the valley of river Sindh and just before a military base Baltal begins to rise meandering in the weathered mountain slope. The road is here often damaged by massive landslides. The view of the surrounding four and five thousand high peaks is very nice. The hikers then continue through the valley with the trek to the holy cave of Amarnath and further into Pahalgam.

The road leads through really weathered scree slopes and its construction basically destroyed the whole slope of the mountain.

There are virtually always some delays due to constant work on this breathtaking road through the Himalayas. On the other hand, if the weather is nice, you can at least enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and picturesque valley of Singh deep below you.
 

From greater height and distance it is clear why is the road so dangerous and ever repaired – it traverses steep avalanche and scree slopes in a very long stretch, so tons of snow or mud rush here with every snowmelt and heavy rain.
 

It sometimes happens that tired driver makes a mistake and ends up at the bottom of the abyss. This road deserves its place among so-called death roads.
 

Views of Sindh valley are breathtaking all the way to the pass.

The most common work vehicle is here bulldozer combined with jackhammer, which throws his work directly into the ravine below.
 

The last rough stretch of road is shot into the vertical mountain walls in two floors above each other. And therefore is the road ​​one-way.
 

Because only two roads lead to Ladakh and this one is the „easier“ one, so there is quite often a proper truck jam.
 

After overcoming the section above the gorge the road continues on slowly through flat river valley without any views. However, there is one interesting thing at the beginning of summer – gigantic snowdrifts through which you have to pass.
 

The pass itself is more like a small upland meadow enclosed by rock walls without any special view.

 

The way down to Drass leads through long but significantly more gradual valley without similar problems as on the south side of the pass.
 

If you're lucky, you'll meet here also dozens of soldiers undertaking here high mountain military training. There are several appropriate glaciers and mountains for this activity in the close distance from the road.
 

There is also a base of Indian troops-climbers in the picturesque landscape and height of over 3,400 meters above sea level.
 

Before you arrive at Drass, you will pass a wide range of side valleys, where perhaps only a few tourists came.