Chadar Trek, Winter hiking trail in Ladakh, India
Chadar Trek is a winter hiking trail in the Ladakh region of India that extends roughly 105 kilometers along the frozen Zanskar River. Vertical rock walls of dark stone rise on both sides up to around 600 meters high, forming narrow gorges above the frozen watercourse.
The frozen watercourse has served residents of the Zanskar Valley for centuries as the main winter thoroughfare when snow makes mountain passes impassable. Isolated villages stayed connected to larger settlements, allowing basic goods to be exchanged.
Villages in the region have used this route for centuries as the only winter path connecting the remote valleys of Zanskar. Today, hikers often meet locals leading pack animals across the ice, continuing trade routes that have existed for generations.
Hikers need thermal clothing and sturdy boots for this winter journey, as temperatures in January and February can drop to around minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit). Experience walking on uneven ice surfaces is helpful, as the frozen surface changes shape daily.
The frozen river surface under foot cracks and groans audibly as hikers walk over shifting ice layers. Natural caves in the rock walls provide shelter for the night, their entrances often decorated with thin curtains of ice.
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