“What is the best time to visit Leh?”
~ All first-time tourists. ever.
Go in winter, no! Jan – early Feb. The average temperature throughout the day: below zero. Nights even colder. Acclimatization involves no heater, no hot water. Freak blizzards (no guarantee): all-white fairy tale afterward. Khardung La under meters of snow. Have tea and chips with the snow warriors in their camp, when the weather gets worse.
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And the major crowd-puller: Walk ON the Pangong Lake… go as close to the China border without being blown to bits by border artillery. Downside: The lake is solid ice, so yeah, freakish chilly winds. Shacks closed, sparse food supplies. So another 5 hours journey back on the worst motorable road imaginable.
Take a dip in the wintry Zanskar River as a ritual for completing the Chadar Trek (ten casualties last year, but numbers vary). You can delay your trip to March for the elusive Snow Leopard Trek. This is when these exotic animals come down from their high-altitude habitat in search of easier prey after their long winter isolation. Please maintain distance.
My school friends actually had a neater plan. Tour Ladakh, do a 3-Idiots pose, rent a car, stay at a resort – a cool calming summer retreat and the life-long dream of “Leh-Ladaaaakh” complete. My bad to ditch them, and take an endearing hike at -38 freaking degrees to keep the adventure alive!
Yet even after more than a year, I won’t change a thing.
Chadar Trek 2018: Last Party for the Season
In “Have You Ever…”, I could definitely raise the glass for signing a death bond, thanks to the Frozen River Trek. No kidding! The fear is real.
On 7th Feb 2018, I personally was told to go back for not having proper health documents (it took a lot of convincing… pleading). By evening, our party had received news that other teams were stuck at Chadar as the river bed had started to unfreeze.
The ice-bed of Zanskar River is by name the Frozen River (or Chadar) trekking route. When the ice gets unstable, the steep and sharp ledges on both the banks provide no maneuverable routes, making it life-threatening. Best formation of rock-steady (6m depth) ice is during mid-Jan: the ideal time for completing the trek.
We saw a few people from previous groups coming back exhausted and trembling, and the news of people dying during the trek also started to spread. There was little chance that there would even be a trek. As our full team of 23 people assembled on the 8th morning, we were given two choices: to not do OR to half do.
You can guess, we take what we get. See the excitement on these faces! #KudosToCrazy
The Journey Begins…
Here, each sunset has its own story. Mountain sunsets are vibrant, colourful and are gone in the blink of an eye. Like little parting surprises after equally gifting days.
Day 0: Journey to base camp
The Chadar Trek, one of the most delicate trekking routes in India, is getting more and more dangerous every year with vehement construction work and industrial blasting going on by the banks. Our journey was halted by the cloud of dust and mountain-size debris due to the blasts multiple times. In spite of that, road construction is pretty essential for the locals who are completely disconnected from the outside world for most of the year.
Fun Fact: The daring Chadar Trek route (accessible only during Dec-Jan) is the locals’ best communication to the main lands. Otherwise, the (unfrozen) Zanskar River is a water rafting destination for the other 10-odd months, making it equally or more impossible for people to pass.
The grave question is: will the route survive the march of progress?
Day 1: Walk on the cold sweat
The daring trek begins. Cracks on the Chadar are evident right from the beginning. At this point, we have an unstable crossway which is like an ice bridge with both sides breaking away into the flowing river underneath. The surface is extremely slippery and sloped like a wedge towards the freezing waterbed. Sand provides the bare minimum friction to prevent people from skidding off. Only one can cross at a time.
We took a few falls, got back up, took ourselves over and over on the sheet of ice. The trick is to know, which ice to pick and which to poke.
Trekking Tips: Get your long-boots locally. Gears are way cheaper at the Leh Market, and solves your purpose most efficiently. Trekking Poles: they are a life-saver, but only when you know how to use them. Learn. Carry loads of warm socks. You need to keep changing.
Day 1: The First Break
The mountains are constantly changing form with every meandering turn of the river. But with our sole focus on the treacherous, skidding walk, we were barely able to look up. Our guide, Nyima Bhai, chose a fantastic place to rest. We could ogle at the scene for hours (while catching our breath, of course).
Camp in Shingra Koma. End of day 1. The river bed is still frozen here. Trekkers coming back informed us about the bad path lying ahead. For us, this view alone was no less magical. My guess: this place is a beach in summer.
At -38 degrees, all you can do is to keep the fire going and dance around it like tribal hooligans. Food is a relish – any food at this point. As the night darkens, you will see nothing beyond your own bonfire. So dance. Dance your heart out.
Tent Manners: Please don’t complain about the food. Understand that there is no vegetation for miles, so even the fire wood has to be carried by your guides. Relish it – you need it. Be accommodative to your tent partners and others. Sulking doesn’t help. Keep the guide informed about any illness or uncomfort as soon as you face them. Ensure that the tent you are carrying is a double-lined Winter Tent – not a Summer Tent.
Day 2: To Ganga and Back
With a morning view like this, your day is made. But then you remember, that you have to get out of bed – or the tent will be taken from over your head. We reached our destination, or however further we could proceed.
Sadly, the trek had to remain incomplete. Due to the bad condition of Chadar ahead, we couldn’t reach Nehrak. But Nyima Bhai ensured we had a sight for a summit. Behold, the Ganga waterfall!
End of Day 3: Return to Base Camp
We were lucky on our way back. The snowfall (and ensuing snowstorm) started only as we were close to the base. This would have been dangerous during the trek, as a) fresh snow is harder to grip, and b) the snowfall also makes the steady frozen Chadar melt. We would have been stranded, which was pretty much the case for the teams that went after us. 10 casualties, which is the highest in recent years, happened during the 2018 Chadar Trek season.
In the end, though we weren’t able to cover the total distance, I believe our last-minute adventure was more thrilling during the three days than it could ever be during the mid-season. The only dream now is to complete our journey – Nehrak Falls. See you again, Zanskar!
Don of Zanskar Valley – Lobzang Nyima
The real Daredevil, who slides through slippery ice like a gazel, climbs razor-sharp ledges like a panther and rules the mountains and the river. Our guide, our saviour, and the soothsayer of “tum to humara dost hai, chhalo!” – our beloved Nyima Bhai. All greatness starts with simple ambitions and hard-earned dedication. As for Nyima Bhai, he wanted to make three grand windows in his house for his newly married spouse, with the earnings from the trekking season. In a rare moment, we got to see his knockout Bollywood persona too. 😉 Jiyo, Nyima Bhai! May alllll your wishes come true.
Check Facebook for Nyima’s latest adventures.
Back to Leh
It is sometimes the journey that makes the destination worthwhile. Add a little snow, and it’s magic.
Personally, the Leh trip was a journey of a lot of firsts for me. On our way back from the base camp, I faced my first blizzard. It’s more like rain, but softer. If you drench though, you start coughing icicles in a minute. Not cool at all. But it did make my trip. As the storm cleared, a white city, with its white roads and white people… shone like crystals in the lap of the Himalayas. This sudden snowfall changed the arid sceneries of Leh for the coming few days.
Titbits from Leh
The Monastery Trail:
The drive to Hemis Gompa is flanked by many monasteries. Our goal was to cover three for the day: Thikse, Shey Monastery & Palace, and Hemis (mind the spellings). As I said, the snowfall the other day had brought new life to these barren lands. These particular white structures by the roadside are tombs of lamas. People come here to worship these anonymous holy spirits and inspire hope. There are more of them as you leave the main city. From down here, Zanskar seemed a distant memory.
Atop Khardung La Pass:
Could barely keep the windows open. En route to Khardung La, the chill outside the car bit into our skin. These minimum wagers on the other hand braved the storm and snowfall in freezing February to keep the supply road functional. Life in the mountains is harsh, but it teaches humility and respect towards nature. The people hardly complain. Seeing this image, later on, I found a new badass idol for Snow White.
I remember a quote from the army banner up there: ‘Your adventure is our routine.’ Though it’s NOT the highest motorable pass in the world (though many claim so), it surely is one of the toughest. Low oxygen, frequent blizzards, chest-deep snow, and treacherous terrain – our Army braves all to protect the connector to Nubrah valley and to other strategic points of India’s sovereign borders. And as civilisation grows thinner, the vastness comes closer.
Walk ON the Frozen Pangong:
Crossing a little township of Durbuk and the Cham La pass, our 5-hour ride to a frozen Pangong Lake was a wind-chilled journey through the vast, rocky Himalayas. Some shrubs and mountain goats aside, the hours-stretching sheer emptiness of life looks alien. The scenery gets more surreal when you reach the Lake.
Clouds engulfed the icey Lake and created a myriad shadowscape of different shades. Even the shape of instantly frozen waves resembled moments frozen in time. Though our off-season visit didn’t bring the crystal blue colour of the water, to walk on the Pangong Lake itself was an experience like none other.
We also had to chase a storm on the way back.
The Ice Stupa:
It might look like something out of a horror novel, but there is a novelty to these artificially created tourist hotspots. The dearth of irrigable water is a huge problem here and causes a lack of plantation and thereby, food. Since 2014, www.icestupa.org has created a small but innovative solution to this hazard.
They are creating special ice stupas in the outskirts of the township. Apart from being cool tourist destinations during the winter, these are also designed to melt at the right time for the crop season. The water can be used for sowing thousands of plants. Last year, their target was 5000. Volunteers from different parts of the country join in every year to make Leh evergreen.
Special Mentions:
There are people, and there are people. Like-minded troublemakers: some you find on the way, and some you find once you reach. A big shout out to all you guys for welcoming a shy city boy in your junglee tribe. Our troupers are really big posers!
We reached Leh at an auspicious time. On one side, there was the Leh festival and the start of their calendar year, while on the other there was this huge snowfall that made the city fairytale white. The simple traits and the hearty laughs of the mountain peeps are what I feel the world needs more.
We also met Phunsukh Wangdu IRL! Our senapati ji! I think I owe this jolly man my life for more than once.
Magical bon🔥… Memories of Winter
The Chadar has melted by now and Zanskar’s mighty splashes tell our maddening tales to the silent night. I picture the little stars gathering around, twitching and sparkling at our wild stories around the fire.
~~~
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