The Frozen River Trek of Ladakh

It is that time of the year when the world rushes to the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh in India in spite of it being extremely cold and hostile. Temperatures can drop to as low as minus 35 degree Celsius and oxygen levels can be abysmally low due to lack of any green living matter. Now, you might think, ‘Why do people want to travel here in such hostile weather’. The reason is one of nature’s best spectacles and experiences, wherein, you get to walk on a frozen river and experience a cold and icy atmosphere.


The Zanskar river that flows through one of the remotest regions on the planet freezes every year from around the 3rd week of January to the 2nd week of February. Historically, this was the time of the year when the people living in the remote villages of the Zanskar region used to walk on the frozen Zanskar river to collect supplies from Leh. What was historically a path for survival is quickly turning into a adventure sport where a lot of tourists are interested in trekking two to three weeks on the frozen river.


The trek begins at Padum, one of the larger villages in the Zanskar valley and ends at Chilling, where the road connectivity to Leh begins. The frozen river trek can take any where from between 15 to 22 days depending on prevailing weather conditions. Since, the treks take place in testing circumstances, one has to be decently fit to embark on this journey. A lot of trekking outfits provide packages for the frozen river trek. Such packages include most of the gear, insurance, guide, food, tents, et al.


If you are young, decently fit and have a streak of adventure in you, then this is one trip you have to undertake. It is rarely that you get to live in a world of white, walk amidst towers of ice, walk on ice and live (eat and sleep) on ice. And once you finish this trek, you can also go on a Leh Ladakh tour to see a different side of Ladakh and so unlike from the summer months.


If this trek is not your thing, but you want to explore the other side of Ladakh, look up the other options you have at Ladakh Tourism.

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Confluence of Indus and Zanskar Rivers

One is a shining blue river. The other is dirty green. Both of them originate in the high Himalayas. While the Indus originates in the Changthang Cold Desert, the Zanskar river originates in the Zanskar ranges. Both these Himalayan rivers join at a scenic setting near the town of Nimmu in Ladakh.


If you visit this place during the summer months, you will see a fast turgid river in Zanskar and a relatively calmer river in Indus. But, if you see it in the winter, it is just the opposite.


The Zanskar, instead of being the fast mountain river is the one that slows down and starts to freeze, thus making the flow very less, while the Indus moves relatively fast and with a lot of ice floating on it. While the Zanskar freezes completely during some part of the winter to enable the Chadar trek, the Indus keeps flowing though it too would have started to freeze in patches. Summer or winter, this confluence makes for a great sight.

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Zanskar Valley: One of the remotest places in India!!

The remotest places on our planet often offer the most adventure and it is no different that the Zanskar Valley situated in one corner of India in the Western Himalayas offers its fair share too. To reach Zanskar valley, one can take one of the many flights to Delhi and then from Delhi, you can either fly to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region or drive to Leh through the highest series of mountain passes in the world (Manali –> Rohtang Pass –> Keylong –> Barlacha Pass –> Sarchu –> Tanglang Pass –> Upshi –> Leh).

 
In summer, one can take the road from Leh to Padum via Kargil to reach the Zanskar valley and in the winter months, one can do the short drive from Leh to Chilling and then onwards walk this rugged terrain.

 

The Zanskar valley is a mecca for adventure travel enthusiasts. In summer, adventure lovers come here to raft on the ferocious Zanskar river where the rapids are typically Class 4 and Class 5. Rafting trips can be as short as 6 hours to as long as 7 days. The river rafting expedition begins near Padum and ends just after the Sangam (the place where the Zanskar river joins the mighty Indus river). A closer look at the terrain and you will figure out that the gradient from Padum to Sangam is steep throughout ensuring a high adrenalin experience all the way.

 
And come winter, the hard core trekkers come here to do the famous Chadar trek, where the entire river is completely frozen and people live on and around this river for the next fortnight or so. In fact, the Chadar is the age-old trade route taken by the people native to the Zanskar valley to get food supplies from Leh and Kargil during the bitterly cold winter months. In today’s world, trekkers from all over the world join the locals in walking the frozen river in a world that is enveloped by ice. The insane pictures from this trek coupled with its sensational stories have made this trek go right up on my adventure travel bucket-list.

 
I was there in the heart of this valley last winter, but I was a good 15 days early as the river had just started to freeze. Another 15 days and the entire river would have frozen making way for the Chadar trek. But, Chadar or no Chadar, the terrain, the river, the people, all make for a great experience in one of nature’s best kept secrets. And I guess we will have to thank the mighty Himalayas for making it such a tough place to get into.

 
Apart from the Zanskar river rafting expedition and the Chadar trek, one can indulge in other adventure activities too. There are other equally tough treks that can be taken to explore this remote region. The Markha valley trek running parallel to the Zanskar river is one of the toughest and the prettiest. A lot of treks are also undertaken from the Himachal Pradesh side of Keylong. And if you are interested in seeing the snow leopard, go on a winter trek into the Zanskar regions and increase your chances for spotting the rarest of the big cats. In summer, Himalayan bears, kiangs (Tibetan Wild Ass), Marmots and other mammals can be seen here.



The Zanskar valley is also the place where the Himalayan car rallies are held every year. Though, this is ideal terrain for rally racing, the locals tend to think otherwise. They mention that the rowdy car drivers damage their already sensitive connecting roads leading to gradual weakening of the roads and a decrease in passenger safety during local commute.

 
While traversing this region, remember the age-old maxim,which says ‘where there is adventure, danger is not too far away’. And the chances of recovering from danger is also quite low given the remoteness of this region. Hence, ensure that you are reasonably fit before signing up for any of these adventure expeditions, take all necessary precautions and pack all the right gear especially in the winter. Enjoy the adrenalin rush, but don’t do anything stupid. If you do come back in one piece, you will remember the rush for your entire lifetime. Such is the magic of Zanskar Valley, one of the remotest regions in India!!

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