Chadar Trek: Walking on the Zanskar River

The Zanskar River in Ladakh freezes in winter with temperatures ranging as low as -35 degrees Celsius. The Chadar (blanket) is so called because when the ice forms on top of the Zanskar River, it feels like the river has worn a white blanket. This time, the minimum temperatures were quite high (my estimate around -20 degress), since regions of Leh (Ladakh) hadn't experienced much snowfall.

There is currently no way to get to Padum, Lingshed and Nerak from Chilling in winter other than walk on the frozen river, while a road is being made in the next couple of years to meet the demands of the locals. As a result of the road building and increased crowds, the Ibex and snow leopard that are occasionally spotted during the Chadar Trek have more or less, disappeared and stick to the high mountain. I had planned on the Chadar Trek in 2017 since there was a rumor that it would end in a couple of years since the river would no longer freeze over.

The trek begins with acclimatization to the high altitude (3500 m) for a day at Leh, walking around town to the Leh Palace and other places.

 Thukpa - Ladakhi mutton soup with a sort of noodle/pasta, and cheese on top. A complete meal in itself. 

 Chicken momos

A view of the Leh Temple

Monks in Red. Tibetan Buddhism also has a set of Yellow Hats (Gelug)

A streetside shop selling curios at the central market in Leh.

A lady selling warm clothes in the Tibetan Refugee Market. 

Everything that you need for the Chadar Trek is available in Leh itself. The gumboots are available for Rs.400 (2018 prices), down jackets for Rs.2000 to Rs.4000, great gloves, thermals, caps covering your ears, woolen socks, trekking poles, everything really. You should probably leave your own shoes rather than carrying them, because the gumboots made of rubber can't get wet, and are all you will be walking in, something the returning trekkers told us, but I took along my shoes just in case they could be used as camp shoes. On second thoughts, it is good I did, because my own shoes were the right fit while climbing, and the gumboots needed to be a size larger for walking on the ice and in snow.

Inside Leh Palace.

Man sleeping in the sun at Leh Palace.

A tourist sitting in the sun at Leh Palace on the 7th level.

There are eight levels in Leh Palace, the highest point in Leh other than the temple.

A trekking supply store at the market in Leh.

A local "granola" biscuit with dry fruits.

 Chai! 

The street dogs are all quite dirty, wooly and adorable!

Our trek began from here, Shingra Koma. A combination of factors - increased Indian tourists, road being built, climate change all could contribute to the Chadar Trek stopping a few years from now. I had to return back from Delhi since the flights couldn't take off due to extremely bad weather at Leh airport. This year, I once again planned the trek, and did it. While the total distance is 105 kms from Chilling to Padum and back, our group went till Nerak and back, a journey of around 75 kms.

We were originally part of the batch that was supposed to go till Lingshed village, but that involved a steep climb, and some eight of us cut the last day (Nerak - Lingshed) out, while the balance eight went ahead.

Mackenna's Gold!

The Chadar Trek is actually quite easy as Himalayan Treks go, barring the risks.

Occasional breaks in the frozen ice mean that you have to do some very risky climbs up the mountain sides and descend back again to the ice. More important, thermals, socks and jackets can get wet if you fall into the water, and extreme cold can lead to ice formation and frostbite. You need to carry a spare for everything. This is one factor that is supposed to add to the "adventure".

 The second risk comes from the biting cold, where a person cannot survive without gloves for any length of time. The cold adds another dimension of discomfort and endurance. The sleeping bags invariably aren't high quality and get wet. We had two sleeping bags for the first two nights, and my toes were still freezing.

 This works both as an improvised sled and also can be carried as a backpack by porters when climbing up the sides of the rock. Porters typically can carry anywhere from 40 to 60 kgs each of equipment, sleeping bags, utensils and earn around Rs.700 to Rs.800 per day (2018).

 A third risk comes from improper footwear and trying to walk on ice without crampons. Granted, it is an element of fun and "adventure" to try to walk without crampons on the gum boots. But it is sheer foolhardiness to do so - when you can walk normally with them! And that bit about the Chadar getting 'damaged' by multiple trekkers is bunkum. It takes more than a thousand trekkers a day to make anysort of dent in the ice covering. It is an ant's inflated view of its existence that the anthill could break if all the ants sneezed together. The weather does have a massive role (as do gathering clouds) in the formation of the Chadar and subsequent melting. If it's cloudy, the heat gets trapped in, and the Chadar melts a little.

A fourth risk is one that most Indians neglect, and is common to most Himalayan Treks. It is of food poisoning because of the unhygienic way in which food is prepared, the dishes half-wiped, sand and grime sometimes mixed with food, and using boiled river water.

The trek is usually made out to be more than it is - adventurous, high risk, requiring enormous stamina. If you are wearing crampons, are properly dressed (with spare jacket, thermals, socks), and are going with a good company that keeps dry sleeping bags and tents that zip up, the Chadar Trek is really just a long, walk with unchanging scenery, with some places where you may have to do risky climbs.

 This was a night shot taken with a long exposure. I couldn't see any of the Chadar with my own eyes, while the camera saw it.

 Nerak Waterfalls: This spelt an arbitrary destination to end the trek, for those not going further to Lingshed or Padum.

 The wooden bridge at Nerak Waterfalls.

 Frozen Waterfalls were all along the way.

 In the Chadar Trek, you tend to behave like a hydrophobic dog. Water is strictly avoided, except to drink hot tea, soup or cook. 

Swirling warm water inside a steel cup to clean for too long can lead to frozen ice along the insides of the cup.

Wet wipes are infinitely preferable for doing the big job, while even they freeze in the cold. Toilet rolls are perhaps best. 

One of my trekmates took boiling hot water for washing his posterior and didn't test the temperature before using it. There is a moral to the story, which was drowned out in the laughter when he told us!

 Our camp at Tibb. Two decades ago, the Chadar Trek was mostly just done by foreigners, adequately equipped, and out to stay with the local population and experience their customs and life. Today, with increased number of Indian tourists, and increased competition, it has become a mass exhibition, with 60-100 tents at pitched at every camp, and in my estimate, at least 200 people a day.

 Our camp at Tibb: Fire in the cave lit up the mountainside dimly, against the starry night sky.

 A trillion suns! The vastness and scale of the Cosmos is incomprehensible in words or figures, emotionally.

Another frozen waterfall.

Our way back to Shingra Koma.

Of course, at the end of the trek, there is the obligatory ritual of dunking in the cold Chadar river. First off, all flowing water is at 4 degrees Celsius, so it is reasonably warm. The trick is to wipe off water as soon as one gets out because the ambient temperature is -10 to -20 degrees Celsius, even not considering the wind chill factor. I did not fancy doing an ice-bucket challenge and taking a selfie, so I didn't do that. Neither did I see a single guide or porter (who are all locals) do the dip.

My personal verdict: If I were asked which of my treks I wouldn't mind doing all over again with friends, I would say yes to all of them, barring the Chadar Trek. All my earlier treks had widely varying scenery and people, and pleasant walks during the day. The Chadar Trek is mostly about bearing the cold, walking on a plane minimal gradient, unchanging scenery and hardly any local people.