Treacherous Srinagar-Leh Highway Reopens After Six Months Of Winter

ZOJILA, KASHMIR, INDIA - MAY 12: Kashimri men wait for tourists with their ponies near Thajiwas glacier on way to the Zojila pass after the Srinagar-Leh highway was thrown open by the authorities on May 12, 2017 in Zojila, 108 km (67 miles) east of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian administered Kashmir, India. The 443 km (275 miles) long Srinagar-Leh highway was opened for vehicles by Indian Border Roads Organisation after remaining snowbound at Zojila Pass for the past six months. The pass connects Kashmir with Ladakh region a famous tourist destination among foreign tourists for its monasteries, landscapes and mountains. The average snow buildup on the rocky territory of Zojila pass normally stays in the level of 15 to 25 meters and is closed for a half of each year. It opens up in late spring and travelers on the pass have to withstand snowstorms, fierce air currents, cold and highly dangerous circumstances. (Photo by Yawar Nazir/Getty Images)