Taste the Ultimate Dish in the Menu of Soul Stirring Adventures

Frozen River Trek in Zanskar, Ladakh is one of the most incredible treks in the world. It comes among the top most places in the ‘to do’ list of every adventure crazy individual. Zanskar is an area in Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir), which is located on the Northern side of the Himalayan range. Like most of the Ladakh, it is more or less a high-altitude desert region.

Before becoming a haunt of the adventure junkies, the route was used as an alternative way by the local population to carry on the trade ties. That’s because during the winter season, the usual routes of commuting get blocked due to the extreme snow fall. The bone-chilling cold freezes the river during mid-January to February, thereby making an ideal time to undertake the journey over it.

The route over the frozen river was a discovery made out of necessity thousands of years ago. But now it has become an ultimate destination and without embarking on it an individual cannot be called a true adventure enthusiast. The trek is also known as the Chadar trek; Chadar refers to the ‘blanket’ indicative of a sheet blanket of ice, which spreads over the active river of Zanskar.

The trek begins from a point called Chilling and ends at Zanskar valley covering a distance of 70 kms. The conditions in which the trek is carried out are inhospitable but with the proper preparation and planning, one can manage well over here.

The average temperature stands around -10 during the day. In the night, the mercury falls as low as -25 to -30. However, with good clothing, footwear, right health and attitude and a guide well-acquainted with trekking in the challenging and extraordinary environment of frozen river trek, the trek can be successfully and joyfully completed. During the trek, one may come across the unique accommodations comprising of caves, which will give one the taste of the life of an early man with bonfire providing the much needed warmth.

The accompanying trekking guide will give adequate instructions regarding the stretches of ice, which are safe to trek but gradually as one would start treading on the frozen waters, the ice will start to reveal its nature. The sound that the ice make while one walks over it tells about its thickness.

Walking on a frozen river is not a cake walk. The river may freeze, on a narrow stretch, just below a low over hanging rock and one may have to duck and crawl to pass through. The ice cover may break under one’s feet and he or she may have to jump to a stable cover for safety. The ice frequently breaks and joins other blocks to form different patterns. The trek keeps the trekkers on their toes and with the pleasures and warnings of nature, the adventurer within the visitor’s blossoms.

The scenery around the trek is simply mesmerizing. A 50 ft high frozen waterfall, along the trek, at Nerak is a captivating site to behold. It also marks the coldest area that one would encounter during the trek.

Since the trek is difficult and requires prior knowledge and skill to deal with the terrain, the choice of an expert guide is very critical. The thrilling journey, extending to 70 kms, can bring one up to the elevation of 13120 ft and take around 22 days to complete. This wondrous region can also be experienced with a lower altitude of 12360 ft by investing just about 13 days.

The frozen river trek marks a milestone in the journey of life of an individual trekker. The Zanskar River trek is like the pole star of the land of Ladakh, which can be called a Mecca for the adventure lovers because of the various thrill-filled activities it hosts. So, don’t wait for long to tick off this most cherished item on your list!

Author is travelogue and adventure enthusiast who is professional writer. He has keen interest to share the off beat adventurous destination of Indian continent.