The pass currently consists of a rutted dirt road, though it is slowly being improved by construction crews as part of the international reconstruction effort in Afghanistan.

[1] The Khost-Gardez Pass has been in use since antiquity, serving as one of the main routes connecting Kabul to locations in the Indian subcontinent.

Portions of the pass were paved or otherwise improved by German international development efforts during the 1970s, prior to the Soviet occupation.

This led to the Siege of Khost, in which land access to the city was largely impossible and the area relied on aerial resupply, which was expensive and allowed for only lightweight supplies that could be carried by aircraft.

However, these improvements were quickly destroyed either by war, the mujaheddin so that it would be easier to place mines against Soviet forces, or by failure to keep up the pavement.

Subsequently, the Soviet Union withdrew entirely from Afghanistan and during the Afghan Civil War Khost continued to be under siege.

Some notable operations took place near the area including the famous Battle of Tora Bora which occurred only 30 miles north of the pass.

US troops withdrew from Salerno in 2013, it operated from 2002 to 2013 and was known as Rocket City due to constant indirect fire that the base received.

The Soviets relied on brigade and division sized elements to conduct major operations using heavy equipment such as the BTR-80 and T-70.

FOB Salerno which is located near the city of Khost housed two route clearance platoons which were responsible for clearing the pass.

The climate difference between the two sides of the pass is quite noticeable as its peak near Gardez is about 10,000 ft above sea level while the Khost entrance is only 3,300 ft.[9] The Khost-Gardez Pass ascends approximately 2,000 feet (610 m) from the Gardez river valley to its highest point, then winds down 4,000 feet (1,200 m) to the floor of the Khost bowl.

The pass runs through multiple administrative and tribal areas, including the districts of Swak, Gerda Serai and Waze Zadran in Paktia, and Besmil in Khost.

The pass receives a high amount of snowfall in winter months, but is largely arid during the rest of the year.

Attacks by militant elements remain frequent, and Coalition and Afghan forces and civilians are occasionally killed by IEDs.