One of the most popular and potentially challenging treks for the winter season is the Chadar river trek in Ladakh, also known as the Chadar Frozen River trek. During the time of winters, the mighty Zanskar river freezes up to create a layer of solid ice on its surface, which is called ‘Chadar’, the only passage for villagers in the Zanskar valley in the harsh snowy winters.
The journey that is revered by seasoned trekkers is 105 km long, split into 9 days of 5 to 6 hours of trekking each day. The terrain is mostly flat with very little climbing. The challenging bit is the harsh temperature, which gets down to a spine chilling -30 degrees during nights and about -5 to -10 degrees during day time. It tests your physical as well as mental strength to tackle such weather conditions.
The course of this trek takes you to an altitude of over 11,000 feet above sea level, through serene, overwhelmingly silent yet immaculately beautiful icy landscapes compelling you to soak in the nature with all will. You get to experience camping, trekking and soul searching through places like Chilling, Tilad do, Gyalpo, Dib cave and Naerak.
What Should You Carry On Chadar River Trek?
Considering the difficulty of the trek, it’s important to plan your trip with one of the best Chadar trek organizers. A one day acclimatization in low oxygen levels is a must before you begin. The extremity of weather in the Zanskar valley during winters requires the trekkers to gear up well before beginning this trek. Just to make sure that you don’t have to look anywhere else, we made a quick list of things to carry for the chadar trek. You can also checkout information about our Chadar trek packages. Just click here.