Lachulung La | |
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Elevation | 5,059 m (16,598 ft) |
Traversed by | Leh–Manali Highway |
Location | Ladakh, India |
Coordinates | 33°06′N 77°38′E / 33.100°N 77.633°E |
Lachulung La (el. 5,059 m or 16,600 ft), or Lāchālūng La or Lungalacha La, is a paved motorable mountain pass in Ladakh in India just north of border with Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the NH3 Leh–Manali Highway, 54 km (34 mi) north of Sarchu and 24 km (15 mi) west of Pang.[1] Rail-cum-road tunnel is being constructed under this pass to cater for the traffic for existing NH3 & under-construction Bhanupli–Leh line, Bara-lacha la (84 km south of Lungalacha La) and Taglang La (87 km north of Lungalacha La) are other tunnels being constructed on this route.
This is one of the easier 16,000 ft (4,880 m) passes and it can be traversed cross-country by moving along the nala[citation needed] on both sides. However, due to elevation, the hikers face breathlessness during climb and those who have not undergone acclimatisation may face severe symptoms of altitude sickness.