Challenging Indian Treks: Chadar Trek is all About Conquering Nature

How would you feel walking across a giant frozen sheet of ice? We bet, just imagining so might open a torrent of emotions surging through your being. That is what Chadar Trek does to you. It makes you feel infinite and humble at the same time.

As the name suggests, the Chadar Trek is nothing but a gigantic sheet of ice spanning more than 100 km geographically.

However, every hassle taken to travel here is definitely worth it because as you reach here, you are introduced with the raw immensity of nature; for instance, the temperature here can sink down to - 25 degree Celcius and along with that the Himalayan peaks welcome you with their grandeur.

There is no doubt that Chadar Trek is totally one of the toughest and challenging treks in India, more so because of the climatic conditions and not much because of the geographical hindrances.   

It is basically a six-eight day trek and is mostly conducted during the second half of January and continues until the end of February. However, this completely depends on the overall weather conditions of those specific months each year.

Chadar Trek Itinerary

Day 1. On day 1, arrive at Leh and settle in your hotel. It would be best that you do nothing major on the first day itself, rather take a day off to adjust yourself as per the climate and high altitude conditions.

Day 2. If you want, do some travelling or sightseeing activities. Enjoy and be a bit self-indulgent.

Day 3. It is very important to be in a physically fit condition to complete the whole journey without damaging your body. Thus, you will have to go through a mandatory process of medical certification by the government.

Day 4. On day 4, drive via hotel cab and introduce yourself to the ancient Indus and Zanskar rivers. From here, you can start your journey from Tilat Sumdo and head towards Shingra Yokma towards the campsite and spend the night there.

Day 5. With the onset of another beautiful day, start your trek towards the Dibb cave while walking past the deep gorges and high peaks. At the end of the day, you will be at the campsite.

Day 6. As another day welcomes you, start heading towards the Nyerak village. En route, you will pass by large frozen waterfalls where many people go for rafting trips (usually in the months between August and September). You will need to spend your night in the village.

Day 7. Head towards Hotang the next day and enjoy your night stay there.

Day 8. Then go to Shingra Yokma by walking over the thick ice. The trek back home may take you about 9-10 hours including a break of a few minutes.

Day 9. By now you would have enjoyed the journey of a lifetime and as you leave Leh in your flight, you get to witness the grandeur of these peaks right above you and the snowy desert below you.

Chadar Trek: Some Dos and Don’ts You Need to Know

Consider travelling here only if you are physically fit and can walk for some hours without too much hassle. Like every other destination, this too has some of its dos and don’ts, for instance.

1. While visiting here, at least wear 4 layers of woollen clothing

2. Don’t travel here without your gumboots

3. Keep the medicines handy

4. Have extra passport photos

5. Pee bottle

6. A good novel

7. Sleeping bag

8. Trekking equipment

9. Keep yourself hydrated at all times

Major Attractions in and Around Chadar Trek

Pangong Lake. This is a very beautiful lake situated at an altitude of about 4350 m and is one of the most loved tourist attractions in Ladakh. One of the highlighting features of the lake is that it changes its colours from light blue to green and even grey during the day. Due to this, it is also called the lake of changing colours. This is mainly due to some kind of interplay or phenomenon of sunlight. And just so you Bollywood buffs know, the critically acclaimed Bollywood movie 3 idiots was also shot here; this might just add another reason on why to visit Pangong Lake?

Magnetic Hill. This hill is believed to defy the forces of gravity as it pulls the vehicles towards itself. It is quite a unique travel getaway to explore near the Chadar Trek region. You can even find many videos on the internet about this mysterious hill.

Zanskar Valley. This valley is located in the Kargil district. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, this valley brims with nature’s lush beauty to the top. If you want to go on that adventure of a lifetime then Zanskar Valley is the perfect place to start from.

Khardung La Pass. This is a high mountain pass situated near Leh in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the bollywood celebrities favourite destination for bikers as it is the highest motorable road in India located at an elevation of about 5602 metres. 

How to Reach

Surrounded by the bulging mountains this trek can prove to be no less than a walk of life for you. To visit here, you will first need to reach Leh and from there further, travel to this region. Check out the below-mentioned details on how to reach here.

By Air. You will need to deboard at the Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL). It is considered to be the 22nd highest airport in the entire world and has been named after the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche. The airport has fairly good flight connectivity via major airline carriers which operate to and fro other cities.

Once you deboard at the airport, the foremost thing you must do is to take a day off at your hotel and acclimatise yourself as per the weather conditions of Leh. Then the next day you can book a taxi via the hotel and drive to the confluence of Zanskar and Indus river.

1. From Amritsar - Board IndiGo, Spicejet, Air India flights from Amritsar Airport. The airfares start from INR 5,000 - INR 6,000
2. From Chandigarh - Board Air India, Spicejet flights from Chandigarh Airport. The airfares start from INR 9,000 - INR 11,000
3. From Lucknow - Board IndiGo, Vistara, GoAir, Spicejet flights from Lucknow Airport. The airfares start from INR 10,000 - INR 12,000

By Train. To reach Leh, you can consider deboarding either at Pathankot, Kalka, Chandigarh, or Jammu Tawi Railway Stations. However, it is best advised to first deboard at Jammu Tawi (JAT). Jammu Tawi, being the major railhead of Jammu region has quite train connectivity with other regions. From there take a flight to Leh from the Jammu Airport.

By Road. If you want, you can also travel via road to Leh. People usually prefer to visit here between the months of May and October due to overall good climatic conditions. It is also important to make sure that your vehicle has the required ground clearance and also that you are physically fit to make it to the whole journey.

1. Amritsar - 867 km via NH154
2. Delhi - 1,007 km via Leh Manali Highway
3. Shimla - 717 km via Keylong Leh Road

If you are residing in Delhi, then you can also take a bus from ISBT Delhi. The fares are starting from (approx) INR 1,300. Apart from Delhi, you can also easily book a bus online from other nearby regions like Jammu via J & K State Road Transport Corporation.

So, if anywhere in near future you feel like planning a trip here, make your itinerary with Adotrip's Travel Planner Tool.