Zogila is one of the highest mountain passes of the world. The strategic Srinagar-Ladakh highway passes through the 11,578- foot high Zojila Pass which lies on the bit lower depression of the Himalayan ranges, i.e. about 100 km from Srinagar. The pass attracts the heaviest snowfall during winter and as such it remains closed to traffic for nearly six months in a year. The 434-km long highway is Ladakh’s lifeline and after Kargil skirmishes in 1999 with Pakistan, the government has stepped up the pace of road construction because of the strategic importance of the area.