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{{short description|Winter trail in Ladakh in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox hiking trail
| name = Chadar Trek
| photo = File:Chadar-Zanskar.jpg
| caption = Chadar: Frozen Zanskar River
| designation = Chadar Trek
| location = [[Ladakh]], [[India]]
| length = Approx. {{convert|65|mi|km}} One way
| trailheads = [[Chiling Sumda|Chilling]]
| use = Hiking
| highest_name=
| lowest_name=
| difficulty = Extreme
| season = January to February
| sights = [[Zanskar]]
| hazards = Severe cold
}}
{{coord|33.7719174|76.8453493|type:trail|display=title|format=dms}}
[[File:Indus river.svg|thumb|right|Zanskar is tributary to [[Indus river]]]]

The '''Chadar Trek''' or the '''Zanskar Gorge''' is a winter trail over the frozen [[Zanskar River]], which lies in the Indian union territory of [[Ladakh]]. It is traditionally the only means of travel in the area during the harsh winter months. The trail has become popular with international [[adventure travel|adventure tourists]].

==Trail==
The walls are near vertical cliffs up to 600 m high and the [[Zanskar River]] (a tributary of the [[Indus River|Indus]]) is only {{convert|5|m|ft|0}} in places.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outdoorjournal.in/news-2/ban-on-ladakhs-chadar-ice-trek-after-landslide-blocks-river/|title=Ban on Ladakh's Chadar Ice Trek|publisher=Outdoor Journal|accessdate=2 February 2015|date=18 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shikhar.com/chadar-trek-sti202|title=Chadar Trek Ladakh|publisher=shikhar.com|accessdate=10 November 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Blue sky in Chadar.jpg|thumb|right|]]

The overall distance is approximately {{convert|105|km|mi}} – an average trekker walks {{convert|16|km|mi|0}} per day.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.triphippie.com/home/122-chadar-trek-frozen-river-trek.html|title=Chadar - The Frozen River Trek|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818200958/https://www.triphippie.com/home/122-chadar-trek-frozen-river-trek.html|archive-date=18 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The best time to do the Chadar trek is January to February,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url = http://blog.alienadv.com/the-4-coolest-treks-in-ladakh/|title = AlienAdv- Ice trek on frozen Zanskar river|date = |accessdate = |website = |publisher = |last = |first = |archive-date = 2 December 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151202105859/http://blog.alienadv.com/the-4-coolest-treks-in-ladakh/|url-status = dead}}</ref> when the temperature during the winters drops sometimes to -30 to -35 degrees.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web | url=http://www.jktourism.org/expedition/chadar-trek.html | title=Department of Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir - Chadar Trek | access-date=24 April 2015 | archive-date=1 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401113419/http://www.jktourism.org/expedition/chadar-trek.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Chadar trek starts from Chilling however with time the organisers tend to drive ahead to about 1 km away from the first camp at Tilad Sumdo (10,390 ft). Over the next days the trek moves to higher camps until Nerak (11,150 ft). This is the frozen waterfall and the return point of the trek. There are other variations of the trek which go until Lingshed, while a bigger version goes to Padum over almost 14 days.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefreebird.net/treks/chadar-trek-blog|title=Living the Ice Age dream {{!}} Chadar trek blog|last=|first=|date=14 February 2018|work=TheFreeBird|access-date=26 April 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Modern road==
A road ([[Nimmu–Padam–Darcha road]]/ NPD Road, Nimmu is 35 KM from Leh on NH 1) is under construction by Border Roads Organization (BRO), under Ministry of Defense, to maintain year round connectivity between Leh and Zanskar (HQ- Padum) and is expected to complete in couple of years.{{when|date=January 2017}} The locals have been demanding this road, especially to answer medical emergencies during winter. The road construction has disturbed the local wildlife, primarily the [[snow leopard]]. It used to be its prime territory for the snow leopards in the winter, but now they dwell up higher in the valley.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/zanskar-valley-walking-on-thin-ice/article8309875.ece|title=Zanskar Valley - Walking On Thin Ice|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Tilat Sumdo.jpg|Tilat Sumdo
File:Improvised Sledge on chadar.jpg|Improvised Sledge on chadar
Indus Zanskar confluence.jpg| Indus and Zanskar confluence.
File:First night camp on a sandy beach opposite Bakulo cave.jpg|First night camp on a sandy beach opposite Bakulo cave
File:Beautiful clear day in Chadar.jpg|Clear day in Chadar
File:Porters are collecting drift wood for fire on chadar.jpg|Porters are collecting drift wood for fire
File:Resting moments of chadar.jpg|Resting moments of chadar
File:Chadar Trek near Tibb camp.jpg|Near Tibb camp
File:Tibb camp in chadar trek.jpg|Tibb camp
File:Wooden Bridge at Nerak.jpg|Wooden bridge at Nerak
File:Nerak fall.jpg|Nerak fall
</gallery>
[//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Video_of_Chadar_trek_done_in_2014_by_Sumita_Roy.webm Video clippings of Chadar trek done in 2014]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{citation |author1=Mateusz Waligóra |author2=Michał Dzikowski|title=Chadar, India: The end of the Ice Road – in pictures |newspaper=The Guardian |date=13 April 2017 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/apr/13/chadar-india-the-end-of-the-ice-road-in-pictures}}

[[Category:Geography of Ladakh]]
[[Category:Hiking trails in India]]
[[Category:Tourism in Ladakh]]

Chadar trek - Revision history

>InternetArchiveBot at 07:51, 29 June 2021