Chadar Trek - The Frozen River

Trek Leader

Activities

Hotel

Altitude: 11500 Feet

You will be flying over long stretches of snow-covered Himalayan Mountains, which will make it evident why it’s impossible to reach Ladakh on the road in the winter. The moment you land in Leh, cold and crisp air will greet you, and you will experience a drastic change in the temperature. Leh has just begun to wake up from its sleep with only a few shops open.

The chill in the air will serve only as a trailer of the temperatures during this winter trek. Make sure to take enough rest to acclimatize to the weather here and remember to drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated, the night is spent in a guest house.

Trek Leader

Activities

Hotel

Altitude: 11500 Feet

Keeping in mind the health problems that trekkers are facing (Acute Mountain Sickness), as per the new regulations applied by Ladakh Government Authorities, anyone doing the Chadar Trek should spend at least two days in Leh to get their body fully acclimatized to the weather conditions here. It is irrevocable and it is important that it is strictly followed by every trekker. You can spend the day visiting the nearby places and shopping at the Leh market. It is very important that you get used to the cold temperature over Leh because the temperature will only tend to fall as you start trekking on the frozen Zanskar River, where the temperatures reach way below zero even in the daytime. It is advisable that you avoid over-exertion of your body by visiting places which are at a higher altitude.It is also advised that you check and crosscheck all the essentials before going to bed.

Trek Leader

Activities

Hotel

Altitude: 11500 Feet

As per the Government guidelines in Ladakh, the trekkers will need to go through a medical check-up at the Sonam Norbhu Memorial Hospital.

Only after you get cleared by the officer will you be allowed to get a green signal for Chadar. If not, then you can choose any of our similar treks to Chadar in any season, there is no time bond. Also, the trekkers will be issued their wildlife permits, insurance, and other important documents.

Trek Leader

Activities

Tent

Lunch  | Dinner 

Drive: 76 KM  |  Drive Duration: 3 Hours    |  Altitude: 10550 feet  |  Trek Distance: 3 KM  |  Trek Duration: 2 Hours

Today is the first day of our trek, you'll be heading to the first campsite which is Tsomo Paldar via Chilling & Shingra Koma. Shingra Koma is the most exciting and unique place of Chadar for it is placed at U bend of Zanskar. Forming a wonderful place with lots of views. Today will be one of the most scenic drives which lets you witness some of the top spots in Ladakh. Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, Magnetic Hill and the confluence of the Zanskar and Indus are some of the places where you can take a pit stop for clicking pictures. After the drive of 3-4 hours along the Zanskar will get you to Shingra Koma. The vehicle will drop you right where the road ends, this will be your starting point of trekking on the Zanskar.

The Chadar may seem thin here, but you can also find various rock formations. Walking with gumboots on will definitely be a challenge in the initial stage. It will take time to understand the ice patterns and walk on it, slowly but steadily you will know which surface is fragile and which is trustworthy. There are multiple ice surfaces that you would come across while trekking on the mighty Zanskar and as you start trekking you will know more about it. Sometimes planting your foot will be important, you can check for the ice for its steadiness with your trekking pole before stepping on it wholeheartedly. A small and light backpack will help as you will able to manage your body weight in an effective manner. After an hour and a half of trekking, slipping, falling and trying to gather your balance you'll be reaching your first campsite at Tsomo Paldar. This will be your first-ever experience of camping under sub-zero temperatures.

Trek Leader

Activities

Tent

Breakfast  | Lunch  | Dinner 

Altitude: 10950 feet  |  Trek Distance: 14 KM  |  Trek Duration: 6-7 Hours

Chadar is one such trek where you’re not gaining altitude rapidly. Slowly but gradually from Tsomo Paldar to Tibba Cave which will take 6-7 hours, you will be gaining an altitude of 400ft. (Tsomo Paldar: 10,550 to Tibba Cave: 10,950) After spending a cold night in the tent at Tsomo Paldar, have wholesome breakfast that will re-energize your senses in the morning. The much-needed hot cup of tea will be special in such frosty conditions and will give you all the warmth to start your trek. As you start heading towards the next campsite which is Tibba Cave, this trek route will offer some of the most eye-catching views of frozen waterfalls that you'll see. Waterfalls that stand frozen in time. The source of some of these frozen waterfalls is still unknown and there are a lot of myths amongst the villagers. During this whole trek, the mighty Zanskar will be flowing all along with you on the trail and the emerald green water will have a smooth soothing. On the way to Tibb cave will be served lunch. After walking for a few hours, you'll come across different rock patterns along the way which look like art, when the sun's rays fall on them making their way from behind the clouds. We will be camping near the Tibb cave which is surrounded by dry sand. Overnight stay in tents.

Trek Leader

Activities

Tent

Breakfast  | Lunch  | Dinner 

Altitude: 11100 feet  |  Trek Distance: 13 KM  |  Trek Duration: 6-7 Hours

Today's campsite is the most awaited one, as you will be going to Naerak, we will after breakfast. This day's 13 km long trail will bring you the chance to see the most scenic landmark of Chadar Trek, which is the frozen waterfall. The frozen waterfall there, is a nature's masterpiece in itself and attracts trekkers and adventurers from across the globe. The hot lunch will be served while taking halt somewhere on your way to Naerak. This campsite will be the coldest of all the campsites on the trek where the temperature goes down to as low as -30 degrees during the night. It is advisable and very important that you wear proper clothing and in layers to stay safe from the biting cold. Reaching the waterfall on time would mean that you will have plenty of time to explore the village of Naerak. We will be camping at a distance of 15-20 minutes from the frozen waterfall. Overnight at Naerak Camp.

Trek Leader

Activities

Tent

Breakfast  | Lunch  | Dinner 

Altitude: 10950 feet  |  Trek Distance: 13 KM  |  Trek Duration: 6-7 Hours

After breakfast today, you will start the return journey and go back to the Tibb cave. If you have the notion that going back is the easier part of the journey, the Chadar will force your mind to think again. The Zanskar River reacts to even the slightest change of temperature, and constantly keeps repackaging itself. The Chadar would have assumed a completely different form, and it would almost be impossible to say whether you have been here before. On your way back to Tibba Cave, you will see a lot of locals negotiating the Chadar wearing the traditional woollen Gonchas, where some of them are monks coming back to Leh from the monastery at Lingshed, while others are young students going back to schools in Leh after their vacations, accompanied by their parents. To see this sight is warming enough. You will be in awe of the way these people have adapted to the temperatures below zero and still smile. Overnight at camps in Tibb Cave.

Trek Leader

Activities

Hotel

Breakfast  | Lunch 

Trek Distance: 17 KM  |  Trek Duration: 6-7 Hours  |  Drive Distance: 76 KM  |  Drive Duration: 3 Hours

 Today, we will trek from Tibba Cave to Shingra Koma which is a long walk. These high walls of mountains rising from the sides of the river almost look no less than castle walls. It will take us 6 to 7 hours to reach Bakula. From Bakula, our trek ends here, we will drive back to Leh and that marks the end of the Chadar - The frozen river trek. Get back to the hotels, do a bit of last-minute shopping before the market closes, and prepare to catch your flight as per your schedule. Stay at hotels in Leh.

Trek Leader

Activities

Altitude: 11500 feet

After breakfast, you will be checking out of the hotel/guesthouse to catch your flight from the airport. Your most amazing trekking journey ends here. Continue with your return journey on the flight.

The Chadar trek is perfect if you're ready for a serious challenge and love extreme winter adventures! It's cold, tough, and requires good fitness and mental endurance, but if you're up for walking on a frozen river in freezing temperatures, it's an unforgettable experience. If you enjoy pushing your limits, this trek is for you!

The best time for the Chadar trek is January to February when the Zanskar River is fully frozen. This is when you can safely walk on the icy surface and experience the stunning winter landscape. The cold is intense, but these months offer the most stable conditions for this unique and thrilling trek.

During the Chadar trek, temperatures can be extremely cold, as you're walking on a frozen river! Daytime highs are usually around -4°C to -10°C, but at night, it can drop to a bone-chilling -15°C to -30°C. Be prepared for freezing conditions, but the stunning icy landscapes make it an unforgettable adventure!

You will be accommodated in 3 Men Tents on twin sharing basis. The tents Hikers 360 uses on the trek are 3 plus in which you get enough space for your rucksack and even you get inner & outer gate space for your trekking shoes, trek poles and wet clothes.

Hikers 360 uses well planned nutritious meal menu suitable for high-altitude treks. We provide a full nutritious diet that changes every day. As you wake up in the morning, we serve Milk/Lemon Tea. After that, our Breakfast varies from Bread and Butter/Jam, Poha, Daliya, Sandwiches, Upma, Paranthas and Cornflakes and milk etc. Lunch mainly comprises of Roti, Veggies, Puri with Chole and Rice. After lunch, we serve evening snacks with Tea / Coffee / Soup. In Dinner, we serve Roti, Sabji, Rice, Dal, Salade, Pickle and Desserts. We also serve refreshments (Fruits, Juice, Chocolates, Dry Fruits and Biscuits).

Trekking with Hikers 360 Adventures means you’re trekking with an expert trek leader and experienced local guide. Our leaders are certified mountaineers, first aid responders and search & rescue train. Also, we carry safety Equipment (Ropes, Harness, Carabiners, Jumar, Descender and Ice axe etc.), Medical kit and Oxygen cylinders as required per trek to face any kind of unforeseen situations. So it is safe to trek with us.

A Hikers 360 Adventures team consisting of a qualified Trek leader, Trek Guide, Porters, Cook and support staff.

Our transportation cost is mentioned on each trek, or you can check the inclusion and exclusion tab to see if transportation is included or not. We arrange transport for you and it may be shared by you or the group and the cost is on an actual basis.

Yes, you need adventure sports insurance. As you know, adventure travel has inherent risks and dangers that travel insurance covers, including medical emergencies and evacuations. Therefore, assess how likely it is that you’ll run into any of these issues.

We expect you to carry your personal backpacks on your own, but for any reason you are not able to carry your bag, then you can opt for offloading option by informing us 7 days before the trek so that we can make suitable arrangements for you and offloading in between the trip is not an option.

The trek details page gives a list of things that are essential for this trek. Check the "Things to Carry" on the Trek Itinerary page.

Yes, you can rent trekking gear and other equipment from Hikers 360. Go to our website Rent Gear page and select the date according to your trek date. Here you can find amazing deals on trekking gear rental.

A trekking pole is helpful on the trek. It gives you stability and balance and reduces fatigue. If you want a trekking pole on rent, go to our website and select the rent gear, and get the best deals on rent gear.

You can carry medicines prescribed by your doctor, if any. Although we have our First Aid kit with us on each trek, we suggest you carry some painkillers, Volini spray, kneecap, Electrals/ORS, etc.

Generally, people prefer Diamox for easy acclimatization, but we strictly avoid this kind of acclimatization. We encourage our trekkers to a natural acclimatization process. Hence you shouldn't be on the Diamox course before the start of the trek.

Drinking Alcohol or any other intoxication during the trek is strictly prohibited. Alcohol or this type of stuff dehydrates our body and at high altitudes, dehydration becomes a big cause of Altitude Sickness.

We have expert leaders who are experienced in First Aid on all our events but still, there might be situations under which an emergency evacuation might be needed. If this kind of situation arises, we are committed to making a safe evacuation for you in an emergency. Also, we will make all necessary & adequate arrangements for your evacuation to the nearest road head or hospital. The participant himself would pay any additional expenses incurred during the process. Our company will not be liable to pay for these expenses.

The maximum group size of our treks by any region is 15 participants. We focus on individual attention and the safety of our trekkers.

Yes, we do have our minimum group size as we require just 5 persons to depart. We had never cancelled or combined with other trekking companies any of our group of 5 persons from departure dates.

The toilet tents will be set up on each campsite. Inside the toilet tent, one pit hole would be digged with the help of a shovel, a heap of mud and one shovel kept beside the pit (it is used to spread the mud after you have done your business). Use it in Indian style.

It is not mandatory, but they expect a little token of goodwill gesture and appreciation from you. As a group, you can collect money and distribute it to the local staff by yourself.