Zoji La

Zoji La, also written Zojila Pass, is a high Himalayan pass falling in both Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir and Kargil district of Ladakh, about 100 km from Srinagar and 15 km from Sonmarg. National Highway 1 between Srinagar and Leh crosses it, joining the Kashmir Valley to the Dras and Suru valleys and, further east, the Indus valley. Some sources read the name as 'mountain pass of blizzards', while local oral tradition links it to Du-Zhi-la, goddess of Tibet's four seasons.

Gilgit rebels seized the pass in 1948 during the First Kashmir War. Indian forces took it back on 1 November in Operation Bison, surprising their opponents with tanks at what was then the highest altitude tanks had fought anywhere. Winter often shuts the road, and those who cross in that season drive with thick ice on either side. A 14 km all-weather tunnel, under construction as of late 2022, is meant to cut a crossing of over three hours to 15 minutes.