Chadar, a walk on the river !

Sun was rising up the horizon and the white rugged mountains beneath reminded us of the challenge ahead. The flight was full of interesting people: army soldiers back from their leaves, ice hockey players from foreign countries and a bunch of serious trekkers with one destination in mind – the Chadar. From past couple of months, chadar was the constant part of our thinking. Reading trek blogs, seeing weather forecasts: we were mentally ready to face it! No matter how prepared we were, there was always a question - “How can I withstand the cold? “ Our readiness was immediately put to test as the pilot announced “The temperature outside is -12 degress. “  From the warmth in the flight we walked out into a giant freezer.  The journey in the cold desert had just started! 

 Getting acclimatized in Leh is very important.  At 11,562 ft above sea level, at subzero temperatures, and 7 days out on the river, falling sick is the least thing you want! So first day is just relaxing,  getting used to mountain air,  finishing any last minute purchases.  Leh market is such amazing place, everything you need for the trek can be found there even in winter. 90% of the town hibernates for the harsh winter months.  A little conversation with the locals will help in realizing how tough the next few days will be! Some of the responses we got: “Ye tho Delhi hai, asli ladakh wahi hai[wrt cold] “, “ Ham log nahi jaayenge udhar, aap bahut himmathwale hai ”!  None of the comments seem to distract us :D With the excitement, a little fear and cold hands we marched onto the Chadar.

Chadar means a blanket of ice. Every winter Zanskar River turns from furious flow into freezing ice. From December to March, all roads in and out of Zanskar valley is blocked by snow and the frozen river is the only way out. And this route is used for centuries by the locals.  In the past decade, it’s become a hot spot for trekkers. To hit Chadar, ride along the Leh-Srinagar highway till the grand Indus-Zanskar confluence and travel along Zanskar. You can trek all the way from Chilling to Padum by walking on the river! 

 In chadar the reality hits you soon and in hard way! We walk very carefully on the chadar, checking the ice before every step we take. Ice is rock solid and won’t break even if an elephant walks on most of the places. The problem is the uneven and super slippery surface. It’s as if you are walking on a smooth floor spilled with oil! On top of that, gum boots makes your walk very difficult. No matter how careful you are, you will fall down! It’s your first day on chadar and you haven’t even walked for half a day and already you would have fallen not just once or twice, but a zillion times. “Oh gawwd, why am I here?”,”Can I finish the trek if I fall like this?”,”What if I injure myself”?.. Mind starts playing the ‘what if’ game very early!  Occasional ice cracks, the sound of gushing water beneath the chadar gives some more threat!  Seeing the campsite is much needed relief ! :) 

Cold is your constant partner throughout the journey. With huge mountains on either side of chadar, sunlight falls only on few areas. And it stays for a very short time. Day time temperature would be around -5 to -10. Night gets really cold with the mercury plunging to -25 to -30.  Staying out with your body exposed to cold wind is tough. Your hand becomes numb, fingers loose feelings ;)  Minute tasks like opening the water bottle, taking photo, locking the tent zip needs humungous efforts!  Drinking more than a sip of cold water is humanly impossible. But it’s not all that bad!  Kawah , black tea, soups gives enough water to keep you hydrated. On the walk, the body generates enough heat to keep you warm. With 5-6 layers of clothing and a decent sleeping bag, it’s warm enough in the tent! And the body slowly starts getting adjusted to the cold!

 As the journey continues, you begin to accept the reality! Once the acceptance comes in, the journey is more fun! You start to learn walking on ice, start learning to maintain balance, start to slide, experiment with your footsteps ,enjoy the walk and enjoy the frozen world.  Nothing seems to be in hurry here. Streams supposed to join the river have halted; water does not fall from waterfalls; there is no flow in the river; everything is frozen and settled in the mountains to breathe in thin mountain air!  A 50 feet waterfall, frozen from top to bottom tells it all, isn’t it? 

Imagine the life in such harsh conditions. In cities, changing seasons no longer affect our lives. Out there in the mountains, seasons mean everything. Summers are short and everyone is busy! Winter cold seems to last forever. Nothing can be grown, there’s very little to do and survive with the food stocked in summer! Staying warm is of paramount importance.  On the third day, we just got a glimpse of winter life in the Zanskar valley. There are 8 villages around, a steep climb above the frozen waterfall takes you to the Naerak village. Around 25 people lead their lives in such harsh conditions. No schools, no hospitals, no power, no communication with outside world!  In summer they have to trek 34 kms to catch the road, and in winters chadar is the only way out!  2 cute kids of our host will have to take this dangerous route on river in March to come back to school in Leh. There’s no other choice!  In spite of these things, people are happy, satisfied and jovial.  They know how to treat the guests well! We got to taste butter tea, Yak milk, roti and sabzi - everything grown locally! And it was the warmest evening spent on the trek! The journey back was more interesting as it snowed for almost a day. Same route looked very different. There was extra grip on the chadar and extra smiles on every one’s face! :)

 

Somebody wisely said "Your journey should become your destination, your thoughts should become your actions." It’s a wonderful feeling, when you are living that life! Gorgeous mountains, ever changing landscapes, the river and the frozen marvels surprise us at all the times. More than that the local people, their food, lifestyle and culture add unique flavor to your experience. You follow the locals, learn from locals, share their stories, become local for that short duration and that’s what makes the trip complete and an epic one! The mighty mountains continue to mesmerize, leaving more destinations to visit.   Till the wanderlust kicks in, Chadar memories and experience is all I have. Julley for now!