Views on the way to Umling La
Umling La Pass in Ladakh, at an altitude of 19024 Feet or 5798 Mtrs, became the highest motorable pass in the world dethroning the Mana Pass in Uttarakhand and the road to Uturuncu in Bolivia when BRO opened this road to civilians in 2017. In 2021, Umling Pass received the Guinness World Record certificate for being the highest motorable road in the world.
Many adventure enthusiasts have already visited this coveted pass over the last few years and added this ultimate accolade of visiting the highest motorable road in the world in their adventurous lives. In today’s article, I am going to write in detail about how you can plan a trip to Umling La Pass which lies near Hanle village in Ladakh.
If you are interested in knowing more about the highest roads and passes in the world, you can, of course, check my article on the top 13 highest motorable roads in the world.
The 54 km long road passing through Umling La Pass connects the villages of Chisumle and Demchok and took six years to be built by BRO under Project Himank. Hats off to the whole team of Project Himank, who took this daunting task of building up the road at such a staggering altitude. BRO had to give special training to all the workers for the construction of this road. Every hour workers had to come down to acclimatize themselves.
I cannot imagine the hard work undergone but well the result is we now have the highest motorable road in the world in India. As Umling La pass is near the Hanle village, you will be spending a couple of days in Hanle and hence, will be exploring it as well.
In Hanle village, apart from witnessing the breathtaking beauty of the cold desert, you can visit Hanle Monastery as well as the second-highest optical observatory in the world with an installed telescope of about 2.01 meters (6.5 feet) diameter. Hanle observatory is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, and is situated at an altitude of 4500 Mtrs. The details of making a trip to Hanle are detailed in my comprehensive travel guide of Hanle.
Umling La pass is very near to the Line of Actual Control between India and China. Hence, one needs to get the inner line permit to visit this region including Hanle.
As of 2022, permits are not required for domestic tourists to travel anywhere in Ladakh including Umling La pass. You only need to pay the environment/green/ecology fee and carry a receipt (soft copy or hard copy) of the payment. Towards the end of the 2021 season, authorities/army check-posts did allow a few people to travel to Umling La pass. In the last season 2022, many people completed the journey to Umling La Pass successfully and no one is stopping tourists from visiting Umling La Pass.
However, you should note that it all depends on your travel days if the army is allowing people or not during that time. They sometimes allow and sometimes restrict the movement of civilians in these border areas. It is highly likely that you will be allowed but then there is a little risk that they might not.
You can pay the Ladakh environment fee online now and do not need to get any stamps at the tourist information center at Leh. However, to get the permit for Hanle, you will have to visit the DC office in Leh and get the permit stamped as per the old method of getting the permit. Carry the printout and visit Leh DC office to get the permit for Hanle. No permit is needed now for Hanle or Umling Pass as well. In case you are visiting Umling La pass from Demchok side, please prepare the permissions from the army for which you will need some good contacts in the army to get permission. Sometimes they allow from Demchok side without permission too. As I said, it all depends on the situation at the border.
Well, the region of Changthang around Hanle and Umling La Pass is very scenic but at the same time, it is harsh, unforgiving, and difficult to survive, especially in winter. As it is at a very high altitude, the lack of oxygen makes survival difficult if your body does not acclimatize to its high altitude. Umling La Pass’s altitude is 19024 feet which comes under an extremely high altitude range.
Hence, one needs to plan his/her journey extremely carefully to acclimatize properly and reduce the chances of acute mountain sickness. I highly recommend that you travel slowly and acclimatize properly before making the trip to Umling La Pass.
The distance of Umling La pass from Hanle village is 75 km approximately if you follow the Photi La route or about 88 km from the Ukdungle – Nurbula Top route. Hanle itself lies at a distance of 275 km from Leh town of Ladakh district in Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Soon you will find it available on Google Maps as more people visit the place in the coming seasons. To get an idea about the directions, you can use my rough sketch of Google Maps directions for the Umling La Pass map below:
Disclaimer: The route direction map of Umling La has been hand-drawn by me considering the rough idea of maps. Please use it only for informational purposes and direction sense only. It will give you an idea about the location. I request if you have the KML file for the route of Umling La Pass, please do share it with me too so that it can help many other adventure folks looking to travel to Umling La Pass in coming years.
Umling La Pass has become the highest motorable pass or road in the world located at a staggering height or altitude of 19024 Feet or 5798 Mtrs in the Indian Himalayas.
Well considering you will have to traverse various rough roads, especially after Hanle, I will highly suggest that you make the trip to Umlingla Pass at the end of the season around September. In early May, the Photi La Pass will have snow, so the route might not be open, and then it is more like snow melting time and by the end of May, it should be fine to travel as you can see in my latest video. So, you can visit Umling La pass from the end of May to like end of September / early October at max.
But, late August when the monsoon resides in the North, and September month seems to be the best time to make a trip to Umling La Pass as roads will be in much better shape without the risk of snow. In winter, it will not be possible to make a trip to Umlingla Pass at all. So, from November to April, the roads to Umling La Pass will be snowbound. Even in early May, there is a lot of uncertainty as the snowbound roads are not actively kept open by the army and snowfall can happen on the way as well even if the road is open.
You can reach Umling Pass after reaching Hanle from three routes. However, you should also know how to reach Hanle first and again. To reach Hanle, you can take the direct route from Leh to Hanle:
Leh – Karu (36 KMs) – Upshi (13 KMs) – Kumdok (19 KMs) – Kere (53 KMs) – Chumathang (34 KMs) – Mahe (22 KMs) – Nyoma (25 KMs) – Loma (22 KMs) – Hanle(51 KMs) = 275 km
This is the general route to Hanle that most people take to visit this ever-beautiful place in Ladakh. You can reach in about 9 – 10 Hrs depending upon the number of breaks you take in between.
Spangmik (Pangong Tso) – Man (9 KMs) – Merak (12 KMs)– Kakstet (4 KMs) – Chusul (24 KMs) – Tsaga La (33 KMs) – Tsaga Village (20 KMs) – Loma (23 KMs) – Hanle(51 KMs) = 176 KMs
There exists a direct route between Hanle / Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso as well and in most general cases, you will always be doing it from the direct route of Pangong Tso to Hanle because you can exit Ladakh from Tso Moriri towards Manali – Leh Highway after visiting Hanle and Tso Moriri without coming back towards Leh.
Secondly, both Hanle and Tso Moriri are higher than Pangong Tso, so as per the acclimatization schedule, you should stay near Pangong Tso before spending the night at Hanle and Tso Moriri. However, all depends subject to the approval of permits for this route via Chusul. Starting in 2021 end, no permits are required to travel on this route as well via Chusul. I think, though not 100% sure, starting in 2019, foreigners are also all allowed to go beyond Man – Merak Villages as the DC office has started issuing permits to them for this route.
You should always carry your own water bottle and refill it as many times as you need water. It will not only keep you hydrated always, but you will also help in saving the Himalayas from plastic garbage. Remember, every tiny step counts and you can help save the Himalayas too !! 🙂 🙂
After visiting Hanle, you can opt to go towards Tso Moriri from where either you can go to Ladakh, or you can exit towards Manali via Manali Leh Highway. There exist three routes to reach Tso Moriri from Hanle, one via Mahe bridge, another via Salsal La, and Kyon Tso – Nidar – Nyoma route. Below is the route which you can follow to reach Tso Moriri from Hanle via Mahe bridge:
Hanle – Loma (51 KMs) – Nyoma (22 KMs) – Mahe (25 KMs) – Sumdo (10 KMs) – Tso Moriri / Korzok (53 KMs) = 161 KMs
The other route goes via Salsal La near Chumur, whose permits are hard to come by, but if you can get them, then nothing gets better and more adventurous on your Ladakh journey. Below is the route that you can follow to reach Tso Moriri from Hanle via Salsal La – Chumur village:
Hanle – Salsal La (62 KMs) – Charchagan La (23 KMs) – Tso Moriri / Korzok (60 KMs) = 145 KMs
Finally, you can also take the third route from between Tso Moriri and Hanle as Hanle – Salsal La – Kyon Tso 1 – Kyon Tso 2 – Thitzorbit La – Nidar – Nyoma – Mahe – Tso Moriri. This route is very less frequented among all three routes we discussed to reach Hanle and the chances of getting stuck in the marshes of Kyon Tso twin lakes are pretty high.
Once you have reached Hanle, you again have three routes to visit Umling La Pass. Umling La Pass is about 73 km from Hanle Village, so the distance from Leh to Umling La Pass is about 350 km via Photi La route.
If you have a permit to visit Hanle, then there is no extra permit required, and if you are coming from the Koyul side, then you need to have a permit for passing Koyul as well. No permit is required to visit any place in Ladakh from the end of the 2021 season. You can refer to the maps for Hanle and Koyul routes.
The route you can take is Hanle to Photi La Pass to Photile Village and then follow the route from Photile Village to Umlinga La Pass via Chisumle bridge at an altitude of 19024 feet. You will come across two bridges/ water crossings while going to Umlingla Pass from Photile Village.
There is another route from Nurbula Top – Ukdungle village as well, but it is more of a dirt track up to Nurbu La Top then from there tarred road exists up to Umling La. Hence to sum it up, the five routes to reach Umling La Pass from Hanle or Loma are:
This is the most general route to reach Umling Las pass from Hanle in comparison to all other routes. However, the Nurbula Top route is more adventurous and in case of dry conditions of roads, would be fun.
The road from Hanle to Ukdungle – Nurbula Top is almost a dirt track but unless it rains or heavy snow melts, the slush should not cause many issues. It is recommended to use a high-ground clearance vehicle to travel on these rough roads. Once you reach Nurbula Top, you will see tracks leading up to the tarred road from where you can easily reach Umling La Pass Top. Hence, you can do kind of both routes as a circuit.
This route is a shortcut of route 2 and follows the Hanle – Nurbula Top trek route where there are dirt tracks that can be followed towards Zursur village. This road meets somewhere ahead of Ukdungle and before Nurbu La top. Again, it is a shorter route than Ukdungle one.
This route starts from Loma and runs parallel to the Loma – Hanle road on the other side of the mountain. It all depends if the army allows you on this route or not but Demchok in Route 5 is where more strictness is. So, you can follow this route till Koyul and then take a right turn to Lekeng Yok and then further to Chisumle Bridge and then from there go over to Umling La top. This is ideally the shorted route to reach Umling La from Leh
Well, there are lots of ifs and buts for following this route because you will need special permission from the army to visit beyond Fukche towards Koyul and Demchok. Demchok is a border village on Indo – Tibet/China border, and half of the village lies in Tibet/China while the other half lies in India. Hence, getting permission to visit this village as a civilian is extremely tough and can result in a waste of a day in case the army does not allow you to go beyond check-posts at Fukche or Koyul.
Of course, higher ground clearance vehicles are preferable, and AWD or 4×4 ones will surely add much-needed comfort and peace of mind. The road ahead of Hanle towards Photila and Photile has some tricky sections in between and then further to Umling La pass there are a couple of water crossings which could be nasty at times, especially later half of the day when snow melts faster.
I will highly recommend that you take high GC vehicles if you wish to take the Ukdungle – Nurbula top route or even Loma – Koyul routes as those are all dirt tracks. I will keep my reservations for hatches and sedans going toward the Umling Pass pass as of now. Once BRO completes the road constructions and makes it fully tarred, it is better to then attempt Umling Pass on a hatchback or sedan. You should learn about the tips and tricks to drive on the rough roads in the Himalayas.
Pro Tip: If you are doing a self drive to Umling Las Pass and Leh – Ladakh, then make sure to read my article on 40 Must Have Things to Carry on a Self Drive Trip to the Himalayas
To visit Umling La Pass from Hanle, I will highly recommend that you stay two nights in Hanle to make a trip to Umling La Pass from Leh. One day you can relax the night before visiting Umling La Pass at Hanle and the next morning leave early to give yourself ample time to visit Umling La Pass from Hanle.
It will also give you a chance to relax at Hanle and witness the mesmerizing beauty of Hanle and a star-studded night sky. Of course, an opportunity to capture shots of the Milky Way galaxy from your camera. Hence, I will recommend the following plan for the Umling La pass trip:
Day 1 | Leh – Upshi – Chumathang – Nyoma – Loma – Hanle
Day 2 | Hanle – Photi La – Photile Village – Umling La Pass – Hanle
Day 3 | Hanle – Tso Moriri via Mahe
Day 4 | Tso Moriri – Tso Kar – Debring – Taglang La – Rumste – Upshi – Karu – Leh
You can always refer to my most recommended and detailed itinerary for Leh Ladakh trip.
As Umling La Pass is just a mountain top far away from civilization, the closest stay option or accommodation near Umling La Pass is at Hanle village where the stay will be available for tourists.
There is a well-known guest house in Hanle by the name Sonam Guest House which offers about ten rooms in all with a big dining room. Many of them have attached toilets and a few shared ones. It was also known to be by the name of Padma Homestay earlier. Sonam Dorjay is the guy who runs it while Padma is his wife.
Apart from this, you can stay at Milky Way Homestay or another recommended one Namdruk Homestay in Hanle by contacting +91-9419309751.
Sonam Guest House Hanle, offers SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATES to all the readers/followers of the Discover with Dheeraj website through our Destination Specialists. In order to avail the discounts, you can use the online booking form at the link: Book Here
As it is one of the remote places in Ladakh itself, you will not find anything major as medical aid near Umling La pass. You may need to visit the nearest primary care center at Hanle Village or Rhongo Village. Otherwise, army camps may help out in case of emergency medical aid. Hence, I highly recommend that you carry your medical kit for basic health issues and do not rely much on medical facilities near Umling La Pass.
There is an oxygen chamber up there at Umling La Pass but whether it will be functional or not will depend on your luck.
The medical kit or first aid kit must always be present with you. Also, as you understand it is a very high altitude region, carrying an Oxygen cylinder with you will be extremely helpful in dire circumstances.
There will be no proper eating place or food joint around Umling La Pass but there is a small cafe that BRO runs in season time. You may find some snacks/tea up there at the cafe.
The nearest food you may get will be at army posts, local village dhabas at Koyul, Demchok, and, of course, Hanle. I will suggest taking packed food from Hanle village and if you are staying at Sonam Guest House or Namdruk Homestay, then better ask them to pack food for you.
I will further advise that as a contingency for such a remote location, it is better to carry some spare food in case you get a little late somewhere due to roadblocks or landslides.
The moment you leave Hanle village, you will lose any connectivity whatsoever to Umling La Pass and back. Recently, a BSNL phone tower has come up in Hanle, and at times phone connectivity is present in the village. However, do not rely much on it. There is one public satellite phone installed at a house in Khaldo village in Hanle. The home with a phone also offers homestay accommodation.
There is a new petrol pump now available at Tangtse, about 34 km before Pangong Lake. So, if you are coming from the Pangong side then that will be the petrol pump from where you should carry spare fuel.
The other petrol pump near Umling La is Karu (about 240 km) from Hanle and will come if you are coming to Umling La Pass from Leh.
You need to carry enough spare fuel with you to complete the trip. It also depends upon which route you are taking and add the required fuel based upon the added distance you need to travel from Hanle.
Karu is near Leh only, so no matter which route you opt for Pangong Tso to Tso Moriri or Leh to Tso Moriri, you should carry some spare fuel. You may also find some fuel sold by villages at Hanle or Chumathang as well.
It is always better to carry cash with you from Leh as it has ATMs. Then in Nyoma, there is an ATM as well.
This region near Hanle / Umlingla Pass in Ladakh UT or previously Jammu & Kashmir state offers one of the most beautiful landscapes that you will ever see within Ladakh. Hence, if you are planning a bit of an adventurous trip and not traveling with family, I will suggest surely including Hanle and Umling La Pass in your trip plan.
This region of Ladakh is still a bit secluded, offering a different feeling and aura. I hope this travel guide will be useful for your upcoming trip to Umling La Pass in 2023 and other places within Ladakh.
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And by the way for any questions, you may still have about your Umling Pass trip, feel free to post them under Ask A Question section of our website or leave a comment under this article. In the end, if you have been to Umling La Pass, kindly share your thoughts and other information you feel is worth sharing with other fellow travelers and will help them plan their trips to this highest motorable road in the world.
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