Lachulung La

Lachulung La, also written Lungalacha La, is a paved pass at 5,059 metres in Ladakh, just north of the Himachal Pradesh border. It sits on the Leh-Manali highway, 54 km north of Sarchu and 24 km west of Pang, and a combined road and rail tunnel is being built beneath it for the highway and the planned Bhanupli-Leh railway.

For walkers it counts among the easier passes of this height, and it can be crossed on foot by following the stream beds on either side. The altitude is still the main challenge: breathlessness is common on the climb, and anyone who has not acclimatised properly risks serious altitude sickness.