The land of Ladakh is surrounded with the mountain passes that satisfy the eyes of the beholder with a tranquility that prevails throughout the territory. The mountain passes are the exotic destinations to the travelers who want to perceive the beauty of the mountain and the heavenly natural grandeur. The high plateau, steep mountains and valleys are closely knit in this territory forming an all encompassing beauty of rocks and plains. `La` is the dialect of Ladakh that stands for the Mountain Pass and therefore connoting Ladakh as the `Land of Passes`.

The land of Ladakh is covered by the Great Himalaya, the barrier between the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan plateau. It proliferates into an astonishing complex of ranges and sub-ranges. These, and the river valleys dividing them, form a system of rough parallels in the general direction south-east to north-west. The Shivaliks, the very outermost of the ranges, form the foothills that connect the whole system with the Indo-Gangetic plain. The Dhauladhar and the Pir Panjal, also south of the main range, enfold the valleys of Kangra and Kashmir. From the crest of the Great Himalaya to that of the Karakoram, lies Ladakh, athwart the ridges and valleys of yet more major mountain systems. Taking them from south to north, these consist of the Great Himalaya itself, falling to the trough of the Zanskar and Suru valleys; the Zanskar range; the Indus valley, the Ladakh range. It extends into Tibet as the Kailash range, and creates the even more impressive Pang-gong range; the valley of the Shayok. This is a major tributary of the Indus; and dwarfing them all rises the Karakoram, which here forms the watershed between India and central Asia.

The mountain passes of Ladakh does not comprise any major peaks. The average height of the Ladakh range is a little less than 6000 metres, and few of its passes are less than 5000 metres. Within Ladakh it forms the northern boundary wall of the Indus valley. The Ladakh range has a magnificent subsidiary, the Pang-gong range, running parallel to it some 100 kilometres north-west from Chushul, along the southern shore of the Pang-gong Lake and a short way along the Shayok River. It is divided from the main range by the Tangtse River, and is actually a more imposing chain of mountains than the parent range, its highest peak rising to over 6700 metres, while its northern slopes are heavily glaciated.

Apart from these, some other passes that stand erect in the land of Ladakh are the Rohtang Pass. Several passes are seen while passing through the land to Ladakh. There are some of the mountain passes of Ladakh, are Zoji La, Rohtang , Baralacha-La, Khardung La, Namika La, Taglang La, Fotu La, Lachulung La, Taglang La.

The Zoji la mountain pass of Ladakh is considered to be one of the highest mountain passes of the world. The strategic Srinagar-Ladakh highway passes through the 11,578 feet high Zojila Pass rests on the lower depression of the Himalayan ranges, about 100 kms from Srinagar. This pass is the creator of boundary between Kashmir and Ladakh. This is the first of the passes on the Srinagar - Leh Highway which receives the heaviest snowfall during winter and sometimes hampering the normal traffic of the region. The 434 km long highway is Ladakh`s lifeline. Another mountain pass of Ladakh is Khardungla Pass which lies at 18,380 feet, and is the gateway to Siachen Glacier. This pass is also said to be the world`s highest motorable road. Khardungla Pass is just about 40 kms north of Leh by road on the way to the Nubra and it establishes a connection point from Leh to the Nubra Valley. The view of the Karakoram Range is perceivable from the north of the pass, and then by turning 180 degrees one can view the Himalayas back towards Leh.

Another mountain pass of Ladakh, Rohtang Pass is at a height of 13,000 ft or 3,978 metre. Rohtang Pass is 51 KM from Manali and connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahul and Spiti valleys of Himachal Pradesh. This mountain pass is open from May to November and is considered to be very dangerous because of unpredictable snowstorms and blizzards. As per the scholars, the Persian word "rohtang" stands for pile of dead bodies. This pass has been remaining as the ancient trade route between the people on either side of Pir Panjal. This pass remains crowded in the summer months with tourists. Moreover, the Baralacha-La, another pass of Ladakh, lies at the lofty height of 16,050 ft or 4,892m. It is situated at a tri-junction of three roads namely one from Manali, one from Leh and one from Spiti. Bara-lacha-la is also known as Bara-lacha Pass and is a high mountain pass that connects the Lahaul district in Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir. This pass is located on National Highway linking up Manali and Leh. The view from Baralacha-La pass is spectacular with the Himalayas covering the horizon. The rivers Chandra and Bhaga are originated from this pass and become ChandraBhaga at Tandi. This river is renamed as Chenaab in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. Apart from these passes Ladakh has some other passes like Khardung La pass which lies on the elevation of 5359 m. this pass was established 1976 and was opened to motor vehicles in 1988. The Khardung La pass on the Ladakh Range lies north of Leh and is considered to be the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys. Lying on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Chinese Central Asia, this mountain pass has been reckoned as one of historical importance. Khardung La is situated 37 km by road from Leh.

In addition to these mountain passes of Ladakh, some other passes like Namika La, Fotu La, Lachulung La, Taglang La mountain passes are also located in this region. The Namika La pass is situated at a height of 12,200 ft or 3,719 m and is on the road from Mulbek Valley to the Lamayuru Monastery. Fotu La pass is located at an altitude of 13,432 ft or 4,094 m. Lying at 16,600 ft or 5,059 m, Lachulung La is on the Zanskar Rangeand. Taglang La pass is also located on the Zanskar Range, at 17,469 ft or 5,325 m and is a resting place for nomadic Changpa herdsmen.

The mountain passes of Ladakh are the destination of a large number of tourists. The view from these passes is incredible and soothes the eyes and mind of the beholder and makes them accumulate the all pervasive beauty of the place.