Browsing through old mountain memories brought alive a sense
of adventure, backed by a need to escape from manic work, a Nat Geo photo cover
of Leh, a knowing look from my sister - that's all we needed.
There’s not much to do in Leh city during winters as most of
the passes are shut due to heavy snow fall. However the wilderness of the
Zanskar valley is wide open during this time, something you cannot explore on
foot in summers. What better way than to explore this magical kingdom than to
walk across its frozen rivers! That’s when we zeroed in on the Chadar trek.Chadar is the term used for the layer(s) of ice that forms over rivers in winters. While the river flows and temperatures begin to drop, the edges of the river begin freezing, slowly gaining ground and ultimately covering the complete river with sheets of plexiglass like layers of ice. Unlike a glacier, the river does not freeze into a solid mass as water continues to flow under this Chadar. That’s what makes walking this trek a crazy, thrilling adventure!
Fact File:Route: Drive from Leh – begin trek from Chilling – Tilat – Dib Yogma – Nyeraks. Leave the Chadar for a detour proceeding to a heaven like village called Lingshed. Head back –Nyeraks – Dib Yogma – Tilat – Chilling
Region: Zanskar, ladakh
Altitude: 3850Mtrs/ 12,632Ft
Temperature Range: Day temperatures can be as low as - 10°C and night can reach -26°C
Dates: 27th January – 7th February
Rivers Traversed: Zanskar, Indus and their tributaries
We were to begin our trek from Chilling i.e a point where the road ends.
Getting on to the river from this point means descending a good 10-20 meters to
the level of the frozen river. Chilling was literally chilling to the bone, you just have to keep moving, the only way to keep you warm no matter how many layers you wear!
Imagine a ice rink with a gymnast gracefully gliding from
one end to the other.
That’s exactly what this was not!
My first step on that
uneven rock solid surface in gum boots, a pair of shoes that I was wearing
after playschool; I was anything but graceful! Step2, and Step 3 – CRASH!
Crashes I had and many, you can’t keep a count! But
gradually as I understood the undulations of the frozen water, places where to
step and those to avoid become a little easier to recognise if not entirely. Overall
you pass through water in various forms of snow, trudge through cool blue slush,
stomp through beds of brittle ice, glide over surfaces as smooth as polished
marble, feather walk over sheets as think as wafers; you can see vivid bubbles
of water through it! Oh, did I mention
parts where you crevasse cross over the ice with a wild river flowing below!
Enroute, we met a German gent, who claimed to have walked
across the Chadar 20 times over the past 12 years! A simple man, with no guide,
he lived in caves along the path. “You are never safe on the Chadar until you
finally reach your home-stay back in Leh city,” he said when asked about the mysterious
nature of this journey.
Pancakes on a trek like this! Can you believe it! We had the
yummiest food ever on this trek a sure shot mood lifter after getting all black
and blue from each fall!
I cannot begin to cover the sights and sounds, the magical experiences, the million stars, the vivid blues, sheer happiness of the locals just to meet new people! This is one among many journeys that must be experienced to be believed; a rare trek indeed!
This trek would not have been possible without Angchuk and
Jigmit, our fellow travellers and guides on this beautiful journey
You can Hear my story at http://f.cl.ly/items/0c273b240Z0t390j2P0z/DiiptiFinal.mp3
See Here (youtube): My experiences during this trek @Bar Camp, VJTI
You can Hear my story at http://f.cl.ly/items/0c273b240Z0t390j2P0z/DiiptiFinal.mp3
See Here (youtube): My experiences during this trek @Bar Camp, VJTI
(Technical information courtesy Jayesh Morvankar from www.odati.com, picture courtesy Yuktie
Jhangiani)
