"This is the spot where I nearly got buried in snow. Many assumed I had died.”
Sharap recalls the heavy snowfall raining down at 17,480 feet on Tanglang La mountain pass. “The other labourers rushed to save me,” he adds. He was lucky that the army hospital was close and he could be treated quickly.
Road construction labourers like Sharap working in the high-altitude ranges of Ladakh routinely face uncertain weather and the risks that follow. Temperatures frequently dip below freezing, but in the last two decades, there’s more. “We face higher risks now as late snowfall – brought on by a climate change -- brings heavy snow,” says Sharap, a resident of Gya village in Leh district.
It’s the responsibility of workers like Sharap and his team to re-open Tanglang La – the second highest pass in the region. The intense cold and extreme weather closes the pass from October to May. Opening the pass ensures smooth traffic on the Leh to Manali highway – a 428-kilometre journey that goes over four passes, and Tanglang La is the highest point. While the view from here is stunning, the wind and cold make it difficult for anyone to stand and look around for more than 10 to 15 minutes.


















