20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Freezing road workers near Singe La Pass, Ladakh

Part of a series about road workers in Ladakh, India. Many of these workers are from Bihar, a poor state, and not at all used to the high altitude and low temperatures of Ladakh. Here, near Singe Pass, at about 5000 m (the pass itself is at 5100m) the lack of oxygen is extreme and snowflakes had just started falling.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2022
Date Uploaded: 10.2022
Photo Location: India
Camera: NIKON D850
Copyright: © Corneliu Cazacu