Shipki La is one of the World's Most Treacherous Roads

Shipki La is an international high mountain pass and border post on the India-China border, at an elevation of 3,954m (12,972ft) above sea level. The border is no longer open for non-residents.

Shipki La

Where is Shipki La?

Located high in the Sutlej Valley in the Himalaya mountain range, close to the town of Khab, the pass links the Kinnaur district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India, with the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China. The pass is India's third border post for trade with China after Nathu La in Sikkim and Lipulekh in Uttarakhand. The river Sutlej enters India (from Tibet) through this pass. The improvements in the road allowed India-China trade through this road to reach new heights.

Can you drive to Shipki La?

The pass is around 35km (22 miles) long, running from Shipki (in China) to Khab (in India). In India, the road is mostly unpaved, called National Highway 5, the former NH22. The road through the pass is an offshoot of the ancient Silk Road, 31.1 km (19.32 miles) long starting at Khab, and built by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) in 2010. In China, the road is a mule track leading to Shipki. It’s 3.1km (1.92 miles) long.

Is Shipki La open?

This road is usually impassable from late October through late June or early July (depending on snow). It is badly affected by flash floods often. The road is known as the World's Most Treacherous Road, featuring dangerous drop-offs with 1,000-meter (1 km) precipices to the Sutlej River.
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