The picturesque and unique 105 km journey of the Chadar trek in Ladakh opens up only in the winter season. This difficult trek takes you to an altitude of over 11,000 feet above sea level. It’s one of the fewest treks that are available exclusively for winters. Chadar trek in December is like a dream come true. The name ‘chadar’ comes from the sheet of ice on the frozen Zanskar river. It’s the only way of commute for the villagers living in Padum and Lingshed region. All other routes get obstructed because of heavy snowfall.
Chadar Trek in December
The most ideal time to cover this trek is in December. During this period, the footfall is minimum, and you don’t have to criss-cross huge crowds. With 105 km of Chadar trek distance, this 9-day long trek requires you to face extreme weather conditions. The temperature dips as low as -30 degree celsius during nights. While in the day, during the hours of trekking, it remains around -5 to -10 degree celsius. It’s recommended that you acclimatize with the low oxygen levels at such altitude by resting for at least a day in the mainland.
The only way to travel to Ladakh in winters is by taking a 90 minute flight from Delhi to Leh. After spending a day in Leh, you are taken to Chilling, which is the beginning point of the Chadar trek. You can only do this trek in a small to large group as no tour operators facilitate individual trekkers. The journey is split into 5-6 hours of trekking each day for 9 days, which takes you through some beautiful landscapes of Chilling, Tilad do, Gyalpo, Dib cave and Naerak. To get more info on Chadar trek packages, preparations etc., just click here.