Chaddar Trek- A Journey Within! #Chaddar #Trek

When I heard about Chaddar Trek, I got very excited to know more about it. As Chaddar is a very different Trekking experience-the frozen river. I started exploring more, and being an amateur, it was challenging for me. As it was not an easy trek, I wanted to be physically and mentally prepared for it. I purchased the required gears from decathalon, which I would suggest the readers to prefer buying them locally from Leh. As I was travelling solo, I knew the Trek was going to be very exciting for me.

Flight from Delhi to Leh

While in the flight to Leh, I met several others who were going for Chaddar Trek. The view from the flight was amazing, giving me a close idea of the beauty that lies in the mountains. Though I was already in love with the mountains, I could not believe what I was witnessing.

As soon as I landed in Leh, the temperature was -22°C, only giving me a idea of what I was going to experience in the upcoming 9 days adventure.

On the way to Hotel Galwan, I could not find much people, the place was so quiet that I could clearly hear the sound of the car engine. First three days were for acclimatising and medical check up. In the evening, I went around the market to know the place closer. We had butter tea, Maggi, other local dishes, and grabbed a pair of Gumboots which we were going to use for the Trek. The market wasn’t too crowded, we could only see participants of Chaddar Trek. In the evening after returning to the hotel, all the group members gathered in the dining hall and introduced themselves, soon we all knew each other well enough. We exchanged and bonded over stories of our trekking experiences.

View from Hotel Galwan

Everybody were from different states, all around India, we all had so much to talk about. We all planned to go around together the next day. We visited Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace and went to Leh market for shopping and trying local dishes. I was not alone anymore, these people had become family in no time. We returned to the hotel and had our dinner back there and also had a small orientation on Chaddar Trek. Next day we were all ready by 8am, and reached the medical check up centre on time. Later, after the medical check up, we all went for hiking and captured few moments in my Canon 1300D. Later, we packed our backpacks as light as possible. We were all set to go for the Trek.

Leh City from the Palace

Next morning all smiling and excited faces gathered in the open area and loaded the luggage in the tourist bus which would drop us till Chilling, 65Kms from Leh. Our coordinator introduced us to our tour guides-Mr Namgyal, Mr Sepel, Mr Tenzing, who would not only guide us but would also be our life saver during this trek. After the mandatory group photo, we boarded the bus, and were all set for the unordinary penguin walk. Soon we hit the road to Chilling, the way to Chilling was very bumpy, unconstructed roads between the mountains, and after a long journey of 4 hours, finally we could see the frozen Zanskar river. The brown coloured mountains and the white sheet of ice were all we could see, but that in itself was so much. One could call it “Heaven on Earth”! It was a very emotional experience for me, as something which was a dream few days back, had then become a happy reality. After sipping some tea and Maggi in small tent hotel in Chilling, we started for our trek to Shingra Gongma.

The beautiful Shanti Stupa

Everybody was super excited and tried penguin walks in all possible ways. What a lovely scene it was to watch so many people walking in the frozen river. Everybody hurried to walk and soon one after the other kept falling in the thick frozen ice. The bones were hurt but the spirit was high. The ice was so hard that one could even break their bones if they fall hard. Soon after reaching the camp site, to our amusement, our tents were already set in advance. The porters are the real heroes, who manage everything so skillfully amidst such harsh weathers. Hats off!

The Frozen Zanskar River

We were served hot soup and noodles which were nothing less than a heavenly feeling. Later we all spent some time together, sharing our individual realisation and experiences. After dinner we all went to our respective tents and we all had been provided the two layered sleeping bags for compating the -20°C. The place was so quiet that one could only hear the sound of the flowing Zanskar River. It was surreal. There was something about this place, that one could only praise it’s beauty. The air was so pure, so relaxing, that I started loving being in my own company. That night I could not sleep, the local said the temperature was -30°C. I had put an alarm of 7am but every hour in the night felt as it was morning.There was no complain, I was just absorbing every bit of experience that the mountains had to give me.

Lost in the Wilderness

Next morning I got up early and got ready by 7am. Soon we and our packed our bags and started for the day. During the Trek I did not feel like talking, I wanted to be with myself and absorb the nature as much as possible. After walking few kilometres, we stopped and had some tea and far away we could see a gathering engrossed in a discussion. On enquiring, it was said that the Chaddar was broken ahead and we need to cross through the waters. We were neither aware nor mentally prepared for this adventure ahead. As we were all in our boots, the group ahead of us told us that water level was lower than the boots, but to our excitement the water level suddenly came up to the knees and we were all wet in no time. We were all horrified as our feet felt senseless.I crossed it as soon as possible, and found myself a place. When I kept my bare feet on the rocks, the rock got stuck to my feet and and stayed glued to them. I changed my socks as soon as possible and started walking, to warm my feet. I would call this incident, not only a experience that introduced me to the chilling water but also convinced me to take this weather seriously.

Guides Mr.Namgyal and Mr.Sepel

Chaddar Trek is a challenge, it challenges you mentally and physically. We moved ahead, everybody looked worried and perplexed, but this was a part of the adventure. The Trek was so exciting, it had challenges in every moment. I was filled to see that it was time time to climb the mountains as the Chaddar was broken ahead.Every time I would even think of slipping,I would actually end up falling in the freezing flowing river. I kept on renewing my focus. With every rising height the challenges kept on increasing. Someplace the ice was covered with mud, and one step in that would land me straight in the water.

Porters fighting the cold weather

Whereas, the guides and the porters, carrying 40-60kgs were climbing like a pro. But every darkness leads to light, in the same way this challenges did not stop us, and finally after the difficult climb we could see porters waving and giving call for hot lunch, finally we could see smiling faces. And after this heavenly food we reached two hours before Tibb Cave and did our camping there for the day. We couldn’t reach Tibb as per schedule, as we had 33 members in our group, and every person had there own speed. As I was among first few people to reach the camp, after some time we came to know that two of our group members had fell in the water. It wasn’t a good news for the group, but we had to accept whatever came in.

Hiking in the mountains

After dinner I went to my tent and slept. Next morning some people decided to stay in the camp, and we went ahead. Now walking in the ice wasn’t that difficult, and also we had seen the other options to Trek. Things that I thought would bother me had now become so small, comparing to other challenges. One thought always was in the mind, that the place we have come for adventure, is a daily challenge for the locals. Locals had to walk from Zanskar village to Leh for their daily requirements, it takes them 2 days and the distance is 120km (approx).

We learn realise, learn so much while exploring, how in few days we adopt a totally different lifestyle. I wanted to learn more, explore more and live a life that is less ordinary. After returning to our camp back, we were served hot lunch and I spent some time with the porters. One thing that was to learn from them is even after so much difficulty the smile was everlasting. And also learned a word “Julley” which means Hi, Hello, Namaste, it’s a magical word.

This place was so quite and that I cannot even think of spending my whole lifetime here. While returning I was taking a different me, I was much more stronger. My heart was filled with so much memories, the scenic beauty, fascinating mountains. While walking in the frozen river and putting my stick, I could only hear the sound of my breathe and the stick. One could also see a flowing river under the frozen layer, or river frozen in layers.

The real heroes of Chaddar Trek

On the last day I pulled the sledge in which the porters carry the stuffs and luggage, it was a great experience. In total I fell around fourteen times, including two times in water, but again I enjoyed it as it was the part of the adventure. My feet was hurt, and I could not feel my fingers, but now this things did not bother anymore, I was in a deep thought, wondering the beauty of this place. On the way to Leh, we experienced snowfall and clicked pictures in magnetic hill. While I was busy clicking pictures, my heart was filled with memories and love that I have received in such small span of time.

And as it is said “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you”.

Live Young, Live Free😎

Will Chaddar Trek be there in the future? Only time will tell.