In the far reaches of the Indian Himalaya’s lies the River Zanskar. A source of life for the local Ladakhi’s who have used this long stretch of rapid water as a passage for centuries. As winter approaches, the land routes connecting nearby villages disappear under thick snow, and thus the townspeople use the frozen river as a pathway. The word ‘Chadar’ referring to the frozen blanket of ice that gathers on the rivers surface.
Local guides believe that the trail was first revealed to the western world in the early 1980’s, when French photographer, Olivier Föllmi, walked across the Chadar to the town of Zanskar (population approx. 12,000). Since this time, the trail has gained popularity and amongst Europeans and has become a must for the Indian middle class.
Unsurprisingly it is almost essential to do this trek with a company. All provide a very similar service, with English speaking guides and essential camping equipment for between $250 - $400 USD.
Our group (comprising 22 Indian travellers, 10 Ladakhi guides/cooks/porters and 1 pale Australian) convened in the town of Leh for a period of acclimatization and last minute shopping. Ensuring we had the necessary gear for what lay ahead. We were warned that conditions can change in a heartbeat and temperatures have the potential to reach as low as -38 degrees Celsius over night. Gumboots, although terribly, uncomfortable are a must for this trek. You don’t want to be caught knee deep in mushy ice, wearing ankle high shoes.
We departed from Leh by bus and drove roughly 65km’s to the beginning of the Zanskar river, known as Tilad Do. It’s here where you first step onto the Chadar and literally learn to tread on thin ice. Campfires slowly erupt throughout the campsite as the sky fades to black, leaving a blanket of stars hanging over our heads. Songs are sung and Maggi noodles are consumed as many attempt to bend their frozen toes back into working order. This would become a nightly occurrence, setting the tone for an early night sleep.
The following days journeying to Nerak aren’t physically strenuous. But what they lack in vigor, they make up for in psychological exhaustion. Forever staring at cracks in the ice can become tiring and finding your footing on slippery ice isn’t easy on the legs. We weren’t without accidents either, with many plummeting to the hard freeze in spectacular fashion. Amongst us we had a broken tooth, a man overboard (falling through broken ice into frozen water) and a torn ACL resulting in a military airlift.
Nerak Village (population: 200), is the furthest that most will venture. It’s here that you witness how locals live and survive in the middle of sheer seclusion. Yaks line the mountain ridges, frozen waterfalls fall into the river bed and Buddhist monks trudge through the snow on their way to surrounding monasteries. It’s a site to behold and a wonderful place to wind down after three big days of lumbering over the Chadar.
Then just as swiftly as you arrive, you are making your way back to civilization. Tramping through the ice as porters overtake you at astronomical speeds whilst heaving their sleds across the ice. In some ways it’s a shame to retrace your steps back through the same passage, but it gives you an appreciation of the distance you’ve just covered. Like us, you may experience a complete change in weather, causing the Chadar to melt and forcing you to walk up the river edges. No doubt, this is a perilous thrill, but an adrenaline hit nonetheless.
Over the course of this trail it’s easy to become ignorant to your surroundings as balance demands great focus. However in the brief moments that one takes to stop and look up, you are quickly prompted as to where you stand: 3,500m above sea level, deeply entrenched in an Indian valley and balancing on a hunk of frozen Himalayan water. It’s these moments that you encounter fleetingly day by day. Reminding you of how truly secluded you are, and that seems to trump all the preceding exhaustion.
Total Distance: 75km round trip (approx.)
Days: 5 days, 4 nights - 7 days 6 nights
By Ben Burgess
Itinerary
Day 1: Tilad Do (3,150m) - Shingra Koma - 10km / 3hrs
Day 2: Shingra Koma to Tibb Cave - 15km / 5hrs
Day 3: Tibb cave to Nerak (3,500m) - 12.5km / 7hrs
Day 4: Nerak to Tibb Cave - 12.5km / 7hrs
Day 5: Tibb Cave to Shingra Koma - 15km / 5hrs
Day 6: Shingra Koma to Tilad Do - 10km / 3hrs
