The Lamkhaga Pass (5,282 m / 17,320 ft) is one of the toughest pass in India which serves as a traditional and challenging trekking route connecting

Kinnaur Kinnaur district () is a mountainous district located in the northeast part of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Kinnaur district borders Tibet (China) to the east, the state of Uttarakhand to the south, Shimla district to the southwest, Ku ...

district of

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

with Harshil in

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...

."Lamkhaga Pass Trek". Himalayan Hikers. Retrieved 2025-08-04. The pass is a key geographical feature in a region that is both ecologically significant and strategically sensitive due to its proximity to the Indo-Tibetan border."Lamkhaga Pass Trek- A high altitude pass between Uttarakhand & Himachal". Himalaya Shelter. Retrieved 2025-08-04. Harsil-Kharcham Highway will have a Lamkhaga Pass tunnel, and the highway route will also connect to

Char Dham Highway Char Dham National Highway, is an under construction two-lane (in each direction) 889 km long National Highway with a minimum width of 10 metres in the Indian state of Uttarakhand under Char Dham Pariyojana. The under construction highway wi ...

and Pooh-Chumar-Hanle Highway.One step closer
Daily Pioneer, 8 April 2020.

History

Lumkhaga Pass's first documented crossing was by Greek-British author and mountaineer, Marco Alexander Pallis, famous for his writings on Tibetan Buddhism, who crossed it in 1933. He also made a first ascent of Leo Pargial peak (6790m) in 1933.

Physiography

Geography

The pass is located at a convergence of two distinct Himalayan valleys: the

Baspa Valley Baspa Valley is a river valley that is said to be named after the Baspa River. It lies in the Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh, India. Sangla is a major town in the Baspa Valley, and the valley is also known as the Sangla Valley or Tukpa V ...

in Himachal Pradesh and the Jalandhari Valley in Uttarakhand."Lamkhaga Pass Trek: History, Highlights, Best Time And Itinerary". Scoutripper. Retrieved 2025-08-04. The trek typically begins from Chitkul, the last inhabited village in the Baspa Valley on the Himachal side, and ends in Harsil, a village in the Bhagirathi river valley on the Uttarakhand side."Lamkhaga Pass Trek". Bikat Adventures. Retrieved 2025-08-04. The terrain on both sides of the pass is known for its difficulty, featuring steep climbs, moraines, scree slopes, and crevassed glaciers."Lamkhaga Pass Trek: A High-Altitude Crossover Trek". Advenchar. Retrieved 2025-08-04. The pass itself is often covered in snow year-round, and the route requires crossing multiple streams, including the Baspa and Jalandhari Gad rivers.

Geostrategic Importance

Lumkhaga Pass holds significant geostrategic importance for India. The pass provides a direct, albeit difficult, route between the border districts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. This connectivity is vital for the military and border security forces, as it offers an alternative to longer, more circuitous road routes."India's border roads: a game changer?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 2025-08-04. The presence of Indian military and

Indo-Tibetan Border Police The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is a Central Armed Police Forces, central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Ministry of Home Affairs. It is responsible for guarding Border guard, India’s border with ...

(ITBP) posts along the trek, particularly at locations like Dumti, underscores its role in monitoring and securing the region's sensitive border with China. The development of infrastructure in this area, including the potential for future roads, is a part of India's larger strategy to improve connectivity and assert its presence along the

Line of Actual Control The Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the context of the Sino-Indian border dispute, is a notional demarcation lineAnanth KrishnanLine of Actual Control , India-China: the line of actual contest, 13 June 2020: "In contrast, the alignment of ...

Ecology

The diverse ecology of the region is a major highlight of the trek. As the trail ascends from the lower valleys, it passes through dense forests of deodar, pine, and rhododendron."Lamkhaga Pass Trek - Potala Adventurers". Potala Adventurers. Retrieved 2025-08-04. The meadows of Kyarkoti Lake, a major campsite on the Uttarakhand side, are known for their vibrant alpine flora and are surrounded by waterfalls and streams."Lamkhaga Pass Trek - The Himalayan Adventure Saga". Travel & More. Retrieved 2025-08-04. The wildlife in the area includes species adapted to high-altitude environments, such as the

langur The Colobinae or leaf-eating monkeys are a subfamily of the Old World monkey family that includes 61 species in 11 genera, including the black-and-white colobus, the large-nosed proboscis monkey, and the gray langurs. Some classifications split ...

ibex An ibex ( : ibex, ibexes or ibices) is any of several species of wild goat (genus ''Capra''), distinguished by the male's large recurved horns, which are transversely ridged in front. Ibex are found in Eurasia, North Africa and East Africa. T ...

, and various birds of prey like mountain crows and

eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

s. The

Baspa River Baspa River rises near the Indo-Chinese border and forms the Baspa Valley (also known as the Sangla Valley) - one of the most scenic in Himalayas. The Chung Sakhago Pass lies at the head of the valley. It is fed by the perennial glaciers and s ...

, which flows through the

Sangla Valley Sangla is a town in the Baspa Valley, in the Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh, India, close to the border with Tibet. It is the headquarter of the eponymous Sangla tehsil, and the primary town in the Baspa Valley which is also referred to a ...

, is also known for its population of freshwater fish, particularly trout."Lamkhaga Pass". Advenchar. Retrieved 2025-08-04. The fragile ecosystem is vulnerable to human impact, and efforts are often made to ensure trekking practices are sustainable.

Tourism

The route offers a unique experience, with a dramatic landscape transition from the green, forested valleys of Kinnaur to the barren, glacial landscapes near the pass. Due to its high altitude and remote location, trekkers face challenges such as the risk of

acute mountain sickness Altitude sickness, the mildest form being acute mountain sickness (AMS), is a harmful effect of high altitude, caused by rapid exposure to low amounts of oxygen at high elevation. People's bodies can respond to high altitude in different wa ...

(AMS) and navigating treacherous terrain."Lamkhaga Pass Trek". India Hikes. Retrieved 2025-08-04.

Inner Line Permit

Since this pass is located near Indo-Tibetan border and to cross the pass one needs to obtain

Inner Line Permit Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the state government concerned to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period. It is obligatory for Indian citizens from outside those stat ...

(ILP) from the district administration of

, Himachal Pradesh

Trekking

The Lamkhaga Pass trek is widely considered one of the most difficult and demanding high-altitude treks in the

Indian Himalayas The Indian Himalayan Region (abbreviated to IHR) is the section of the Himalayas within the Republic of India, spanning thirteen Indian states and union territories, namely Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, We ...

, suitable only for experienced trekkers. The Lamkhaga Pass trek starts from

Chitkul Chitkul is a village in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. During winters, the place mostly remains covered with snow and the inhabitants move to lower regions of Himachal. According to a recent study by Centre of Atmospheric Sciences at II ...

the last Village of Sangla valley in Himachal, though it can be done from Harshil side in Uttarakhand also. The journey spans over 8 to 10 days and covers a distance of approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi)."Lamkhaga Pass 2024 - Chitkul To Gangotri Trek". Raacho Trekkers. Retrieved 2025-08-04. The trekking season is limited to the short summer and post-monsoon months, typically from late May to early July and from late August to October, when snow cover is manageable.

Transport

Karcham-Harshil Road, from Karcham NH-5 to Harshil, with a road tunnel under the Lamkhaga Pass, is under construction which will cut down present 450 km long distance, which take nearly 16 hours, to just nearly 150 km or 2 to 3 hours. In 2024, BRO began constructing 40-km long Kharcham- Sangla-

section of Karcham-Harshil Road.Himachal: BRO to build Karcham-Chitkul road along China border
Hindustan Ties, 15 July 2024.

References

Mountain passes of Himachal Pradesh Mountain passes of Uttarakhand {{Uttarakhand-geo-stub