Chadar Valley Trek, Ladakh

Take the spectacular flight to Leh, which passes over the snow-capped Himalayas. At the airport you will be met by our local guide and transferred to your hotel where you can rest. After lunch you can take a walking tour of Leh Bazaar to get your bearings and soak up the atmosphere of this enchanting town. With trade routes loosely dated as far back as the third century, Leh is an ancient whitewashed city set between the mighty mountains and the Indus river.

The rest of the day is at your leisure to acclimatise and rest. You will spend the first few days of the trip in and around Leh to give your body a chance to acclimatise to the altitude.

Overnight: Guest house, Leh

After breakfast, you’ll start your tour of Leh and the surrounding areas. You will visit Gompa Soma (an important monastery and integral part of the Leh palace complex) and Moti Market, the old bazaar.  After lunch, you’ll hop in a jeep and head to Saboo monastery, located just outside of Leh. Spend the afternoon exploring the grounds, talking to resident monks and observing the local devotees. On your way back to Leh we will visit the Sankhar Gompa and the Shanti Stupa, constructed by Japan as a symbol of international peace in 1991.

Overnight: Guest house, Leh

Today you will wake up and set off early to visit the monasteries of Shey, Thikse and Hemis; an hour and a half drive away from Leh. Visit the former summer capital of Ladakh, Shey, with its ruined castle, ancient palace, and gompa standing high on a hilltop. Next you will head to the ancient Hemis Monastery, before visiting Thikse Gompa, noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. Return to Leh, the rest of the day is at your leisure.

Overnight: Guest house, Leh

Today you will begin your trek along the frozen Zanskar River as you head towards the first campsite at Tsomo Paldar. The day starts with a scenic drive (approximately 1.5 hours) along the Zanskar River that passes some of the top spots in Ladakh. Along the way you can stop to admire Gurudwara Pathar Sahib, Magnetic Hill and the confluence of the Zanskar and Indus Rivers. When you reach Chilling, the car will drop you where the road ends for your starting point of the Chadar Valley trek.

Walking on the frozen river with gumboots on is a challenge in the initial stages. Understanding the ice patterns takes time, but over time you will be able to recognise the difference between stable and fragile ice surfaces. Planting your foot steadily on the ice is important but you can check the steadiness of the ice with your walking stick before stepping on it. A small and light backpack will help as you will able to manage your body weight in an effective manner. After an hour and half of slipping, falling and trying to gather your balance you will reach the first campsite at Tsomo Paldar. This will be your first experience of camping under sub-zero temperatures.

Overnight: Camping, Tsomo Paldar

After spending the night at Tsomo Paldar enjoy tea and breakfast and get ready to re-energise your senses. The much-needed hot cup of chai will be greatly appreciated in such frosty conditions. Today you will head to the next campsite at Tibb Cave (6-7 hours), gaining an altitude of 400ft. This part of the trek has some of the most eye-catching frozen waterfalls that ever you’ll see. Marvel at the waterfalls that appear to stand frozen in time. The source of some of these frozen waterfalls is still unknown and there are a lot of local myths amongst the villagers.

You will follow the mighty Zanskar which will be flowing along with you on the trail, the emerald green water having a smoothing effect. Midway to Tibb Cave you will take a break for lunch. As you continue towards the campsite you will pass many different rock patterns and formations which look beautiful under the afternoon sun. You will be camping for the night near Tibb Cave which is surrounded by dry sand.

Overnight: Camping, Tibb Cave

Today you will make your way to the most breath-taking campsite of the trek at Nerak. The 13km long trail will take you to the most iconic landmark of the Chadar trek, the frozen waterfall. The frozen waterfall is a stunning natural wonder that attracts trekkers from around the world. The campsite is 15-20 minutes from the waterfall.

Nerak is by far the coldest of all the campsites on the trek, sometimes seeing temperatures as low as -30 degrees during the night. It is important to wear proper clothing in order to stay safe from the freezing cold. If time permits, you will be able to visit Nerak village once we reach the campsite.

Overnight: Camping, Nerak

Note: Trekking back from Nerak

The weather patterns can be very unpredictable on the Chadar trek. There will be instances where the formation of chadar (frozen sheet of ice) has completely changed. Even though it’s the same route, you’ll be amazed to see how different it appears while coming back.

Today you will start your return trek back to Tibb Cave. The return route may look completely different as the river can rapidly react to slight changes in temperature. Make sure that you take the time to admire the beauty of the river and valley on your way back.

Overnight: Camping, Tibb Cave

After breakfast you will head towards Gyalpo. The high walls of the mountains rising from the sides of the river almost look like human made castle walls. Along the way you will see several trails of pugmarks made by animals like foxes, ibex and snow-leopards. You would be extremely lucky to see a snow-leopard, but you can almost be sure that you are being watched by one at all times.

Overnight: Camping, Gyalpo

This is your last day of treading on the Chadar and your last chance to immerse yourself in the pristine beauty of the frozen river. When you reach Tilad do it will be time to say goodbye to the Zanskar and its inhabitants.

A driver will pick you up and transfer you to your guesthouse in Leh by approximately 6:30 in the evening. The rest of the evening is at your leisure.

Overnight: Guest House, Leh

After breakfast the tour ends. We will transfer you to the airport for your flight to Delhi. If your flight is in the evening you have the day at your leisure to relax or explore Leh.

Thank you for travelling with us and we look forward to seeing you on another Ekno experience soon.