Chill! Chadar! Checked!!

How does walking on a frozen river, in a deep gorge, at an 11000-feet altitude under bone-chilling temperatures, thin air, and howling wind sound? Extreme, right?

Challenging as it may sound, I was in awe of the Chadar trek ever since I visited Ladakh back in the summer of 2015. The thrill, the sound of the extreme, and the uniqueness of treading over a frozen river – manifested into making it my dream trek. I dared my dream and finally took the expedition on the frozen river of Zanskar in the last week of January 2023.

Chadar trek is a five-day long winter expedition over the frozen river of Zanskar, located 60-odd km southwest of Leh in Ladakh. In the month of January, the river freezes into ice due to ultra-low temperatures that go as low as -20 to -25 degrees below the freezing point. The snow over the icy sheets gives the appearance of white chadar and hence the trek fondly is known as the Chadar trek. For centuries, the people of Zanskar village have been using this frozen river as a way to commute to Leh – the capital city of Ladakh.

I landed at Leh in subzero climate conditions with benumbed toes, racing heartbeats, and a recovering viral episode. After acclimatizing for three days, along with a bunch of hundred other trekkers, I got the medical clearance for the trek- a mandatory administration protocol. It snowed heavily the night before we were to embark on our expedition. Concerned about the high risk of skidding over the slippery roads, the army at the check post didn’t allow our vehicle to move further. Disappointed and dismayed, I felt my dream was getting washed away with snow that continued to fall incessantly. We had to start that day if we were to finish the trek on time and leave as per our original itineraries. After hours of waiting and shielding our spirits, the dark clouds finally yielded and we made it to our base camp by the end of the day. I couldn’t have been more excited!

Right in front of my eyes, laid a beautiful marvel of nature. Frozen beneath the ice sheets in some places, while gurgling openly at others, the river played hide and seek with us. The snow-dusted mountains, deep-blue sky, and frosty landscape stretched as far as we could see. Neither the unforgiving cold nor the unfamiliar icy trail could diminish our zeal. We pitched our tents right on the frozen river bank and retired for the night. Suited in more than five layers of clothes, we cozied ourselves inside the cold sleeping bags trying to avoid any midnight nature calls. By the morning, we had frost all over inside the tent, on backpacks, and even on ourselves. The struggles with frozen toothpaste, ice-cold wet wipes, and filthy toilets added to the thrill of adventure that had just begun.

For the next three days, we penguin-walked over the frozen river, navigated through the weakly formed icy patches, dodged the broken chadar, waded through the flowing stream, detoured on the rocks, and slid down the icy boulders. The squishing sound of the snowy icicles under our gumboots and that of the tinkling wind gushing down the valley made perfect company for my wandering soul. The rays of sunlight filtering through the gorges literally felt like the light at the end of the tunnel. Trusting our guides’ judgments and accepting a few slips and falls, we made it to Nerak – the final and the coldest point of our trek. A frozen waterfall with a fascinating story behind its existence enthralled us all with its beauty and magnificence. We sang, danced, rejoiced, and made friends along the way. While returning, we realized the melodramatic chadar had changed its props and sets only to leave each one of us in awe with it forever.

The trek was indeed challenging and called for abundant mental strength. While I am still figuring out what made the trek so worth doing - whether the quest for a unique experience or an odyssey of self-discovery and pushing one’s limits - my heart is full of pride and already pumping for my next expedition!