Chadar- The mystical frozen land of Zanskar !
The narration is about an expedition to one of the ineffable lands located in northern region of India, in the union territory of Ladakh. Zanskar is a tributary of Indus river, equal or greater in volume than Indus itself and it means "white copper". In winter when the road to Zanskar valley is closed by snow, the only way to high passes is via trek over the frozen river bed. Over the years the trek has become popular, attract trekkers globally who visit the place in the months of January & February, when the ice sheet is thick and strong. The cold here is known to be extreme and in worst scenarios temperature can go down to as low as -40° C
Mission
The narration is about an expedition to one of the ineffable lands located in northern region of India, in the union territory of Ladakh. Zanskar is a tributary of Indus river, equal or greater in volume than Indus itself and it means "white copper". In winter when the road to Zanskar valley is closed by snow, the only way to high passes is via trek over the frozen river bed. Over the years the trek has become popular, attract trekkers globally who visit the place in the months of January & February, when the ice sheet is thick and strong. The cold here is known to be extreme and in worst scenarios temperature can go down to as low as -40° C
Vision
Its been five years I returned from the last trek to Himalayas!. To go on a trek of grade: Extreme, will require me to get back to my fitness levels of 20's, or may be get much better than that ! But the question is what motivates me to go back to those days. Chadar trek has always been part of my bucket wishlist since I time started trekking . And that was eight years ago. I have heard amazing stories about the trek, the extremities, the thrill the trek offers and its own way of testing your limits. I was even asked a question in one of job interviews whether I did complete this trek. Unfortunately the answer to that question was 'no' on that day ! But since then I do have this on my mind that I can change that answer.
Approximately 60 days of training on the power cycle at gym, focus on the legs workout, control on diet, shopping technically so that I can survive the extreme conditions at Ladakh and I was ready to go !
Day 1 | 20th Jan 2023 | Leh City
Day 1 is about journey to top altitude acres of the world. Leh welcomes you at 11000ft at -10° C right at the airport. Sparse population in cold desert. Less amenities, no franchises of top city brands, less city like facilities. It intrigued me that what provides the comfort on those hills ? May be the comfort of people surrounding provides the necessary warmth. This is onset of 72 hours of acclimatization routine before heading over to Zanskar. Intense 3 hours of briefing session held by the tour coordinator for the days to come . Followed by some ice hockey practice. Surprisingly, snowfall happened at night on the the 1st day of our arrival and that made our day. An old man from among the locals informs us that this is the highest snowfall recorded in three years I do miss my stubble !
Acclimatization Day 2 | 21st Jan 2023 | Leh City
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Temperature on digital thermometer reads -14° C. A thick sheet of shiny white fresh snow hugging muddy brown terrain covers the entire Leh town, is what you see through the window when you flip your eyes early morning. The humungous Mt. Stok Kangri standing tall at 21,000 ft is visible when clouds cleared up. Post I had my morning tea, when an old Ladakhi man narrated tale of his summit climb, made a chill go down my spine. Tour to Leh market that has quaint little shops of jewelry and arts makes you believe ambience is inspired by Tibetan culture. Gigantic prayer metal wheels are at every corner of the street.
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While the view from the 9th storey of Leh palace leaves you stunned, the palace and the city itself prepares for G20 India meet. Rohtang pass route was vividly visible from Shanti Stupa - a place where you can witness the most serene sunset. Tried my best with ice skating for an hour, but only resulted in fall thrice. Advise: - do not try that sport without some practitioner.
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Acclimatization Day 3 | 22nd Jan 2023 | Leh City
Though the temperature is -18°C, the sun shines brightly and reflection from snow is hard to bear without glasses. Its the day of mandatory medical checkups and issuing trek insurance ! These are conducted by local government agency before a trekker moves to Zanskar for Chadar trek. Long que at tourist information centre (TIC) for Covid/BP/Oxygen and multiple other medical checkups. I just realized , of all events, medical checkups are the only place where vocal sound of 'negative' will provide comfort to ears.