The Chadar Trek

Chadar Trek in Ladakh is one of the most sought after treks in India, and its quite famous even beyond the borders. Every year in the winters Zanskar River freezes and it become a walking highway for the locals. At the same time, it also becomes a must-do for all avid trekkers and despite the extreme cold (as low as -20 degree Celcius) no one complains :)

Here is my story from an absolutely unplanned trip to Leh and how I ended up extending my trip and going on a week long trek on the frozen river!

I was already in Leh, freezing in the extreme cold and enjoying every bit of it. I was already living a personal challenge, and what more could I ask?

I was so wrong…so bloody wrong! I met a guy sitting right next to me on the flight to Leh and we instantly became friends. He found my whole plan of going to Leh only for a long weekend absurd and I was intrigued about his plans for a trek on a river…yes on a river! He even showed me from the plane, what the river could look like.

The confluence of Indus and Zanskar...

I was excited for him and his other trek-mates and wished them loads of luck. Being rather ignorant about trekking, I had not even heard of the famed trek they were about to embark upon - The Chader Trek. The trek takes place every year in the winters on river Zanskar, which freezes in the extreme cold and becomes a highway of sorts for people to commute between villages. The trek is famed for its beauty as also for the extreme weather conditions (temperatures can drop to -30 degree Celsius). It takes seven days to finish the trek and involves walking on frozen ice sheets, climbing a few hills, and if your luck sucks…even walking in freezing water wherever the ice sheets break and the only way forward is through the water.

Walking to the base camp across the river

Waiting for Ladakhi tea after a long trek...

A solo trekker..

I was damn excited, but never quite imagined that I would actually join the group for it (though in my heart I really really wanted to). After all, I had my other life waiting for me at AIIMS, New Delhi…

As luck would have it, one member of the group fell ill and decided to return. I jumped at the opportunity and begged the trek leader to take me along. I thought of nothing else at that time…I had work waiting, parents who were already worried about Leh in winters etc etc. I managed to withdraw the money needed and used the phones of my new friends (pre-paid phones don't work in J&K) to call up home to tell them thatI will be unreachable for the next one week.

The following set of images is a photo essay of one of the craziest challenges I took in life and lived it as well. I felt most alive when we finished it in years. If there is one challenge that i would love to throw at my friends…perhaps this would be it. A perfect Alive is Awesome moment of my life.

Walking through broken 'chader' ice sheets...by far the toughest and the most painful part of the trek

Friends helping each other at a dangerous narrow stretch of frozen ice. A fall in to the river on the side could be deadly!

Hmmm...that's me!

Some lovely reflections...

Climbing up on the hill to avoid walking through knee deep water

And finally...boys trying to be arm candies! Flop show :p