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Chadar Trek in Leh

Photo credit: Bodhisattwa
Chadar Trek in Leh
  • (no stars)
  • 10+ km
  • High
  • High
  • A week or more

Mind-blowing Chadar Frozen River Trek

Leh India
Food in Leh and Ladakh is a mixture of Indian, Tibetan, and Continental cuisine. Ladakhi cuisine itself is a little difficult to find because of the scarcity of ingredients required to prepare it. However, some of the must-try foods and drinks there include butter tea, also known as gur gur in Ladakh, momos, and ofcourse, the Kashmiri rogan josh.
Chadar Trek is very intense and requires a high level of fitness. If you have any sort of breathing ailments or any such medical shortcomings that may deteriorate at such a high altitude, it is suggested that you do not risk your life. Before preparing for the trek, check with your trekking company and make a list of all the necessary items that you must carry. If you are an amateur at such trekking activities, it is suggested that you join a reliable trekking agency.

Travelling in Leh and Ladakh can be a bit more difficult than it sounds. Steep, snow-clad mountains are a wonderful sight, but they are at times dangerous too, which is why several roads in this region are closed during the winters. Villages become highly inaccessible during the winter months leaving trekking on frozen river the only way to access them. Chadar Trek is one such trek which lets you walk through the Zanskar Valley into Chilling and the frozen Zanskar River. In fact, this route has been used for ages for trade and transportation and claims to be the most reliable one with frozen ice covering it during the month of February.

 

The trek from Chilling to Zanskar valley takes over a week. Imagine walking on ice with heavy backpacks on your shoulders which carry everything that you need to survive the harsh cold weather and the icy water under your feet, camping overnight inside caves with a bonfire being the only medium to keep you warm and alive – terrifying yet exuberant!

 

The whole trekking route is approximately 75 km with the maximum altitude of 11,123 feet. Having a good guide along with you is very critical. The trek at times may require of you to walk along very steep canyons on one side and icy cold river flowing on the other and slipping or falling may not just be really cold but can prove fatal if you aren’t covered properly. However, adventure always has its own risks and those risks can’t stop the ones who seek adrenaline rush in their day to day lives.

 

A brief itinerary for this trek could be as follows:

Fly into Leh – Drive to Tlad Do via Chilling – Tilad Do to Gyalpo – Gyalpo camp to Tibb Cave – Tibb cave to Naerak camp – Naerak to Tibb Cave – Tibb Cave to Gyalpo – Gyalpo to Tilad Do and drive to Leh – Return from Leh.

 

For better or for worse, the current Chadar Trek routes may not exist in the upcoming years as government of India is trying to construct a road through the valleys, which when completed will make the access to Zanskar Valley villages during winter relatively easy (and most likely boring!).

 

Trekking the Chadar may require permits so find out about them and make the necessary arrangement before starting the trek.

 

Opening hours

February is the preferable season for trying the Chadar Trek.

How to get there

The main airport of Leh is well connected with major cities in India. You can take a flight from Delhi to Leh and then hire a taxi to reach your destination point.

The nearest railhead is Kalka. You can hire a taxi or take a bus to Manali. From Manali, reaching Leh is an easy affair as there are regular buses and taxis.

If you are bent upon enjoying every second of your Leh trip and wish to be a part of an awesome adventure even before the trek begins, take a road trip from Delhi to Leh. This, in itself, is what attracts major tourists from all over the country. However, keep in mind that the roads into Ladakh from Manali and Srinagar are closed altogether between October/November to May so flights could be your only option.

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