© Mystic Himalayan Trails

Adventure, Soul-search, Sustainability.

“““GGGiiivvveee uuusss aaa fffeeewww dddaaayyysss ooofff yyyooouuurrr lll iii fffeee,,, wwweee’’’ lll lll gggiiivvveee yyyooouuu mmmeeemmmooorrriiieeesss fffooorrr aaa lll iii fffeeettt iiimmmeee...”””

THE ZANSKAR ‘CHADAR’ TREK – (Winter 2012)

(An incomparably exiting trek on the frozen river Zanskar in the heart of the ‘Ladakh’ Indian Himalaya, in the middle of winter)

The frozen river Zanskar in deep winter Calling the winter in Ladakh ‘harsh’ is a bit of an understatement. With average minimum temperatures in the coldest part of winter (Jan. & Feb.) hovering between – 20 and – 35 degrees Celsius, this high altitude hauntingly beautiful land closely resembles some semi-arctic wilderness. Smothered in this deep freeze, life, however, doesn’t come to a standstill. Since time immemorial, the denizens of Ladakh have adapted themselves to the will of the elements and the primeval ebb and flow of the seasons and evolved a way of life, which is in complete harmony with nature. The ‘Chadar’ is a perfect example of this resourcefulness of the Ladakhis and their indomitable spirit, in the face of such daunting odds. The term ‘Chadar’ means blanket in the local language, thereby giving an indication to the nature of this whole experience. Large sections of the river Zanskar, which is one of the mightiest rivers in Ladakh, freeze over in the dead of winter and are covered by a thick blanket of ice. This frozen blanket or ‘Chadar’ is the only way in and out for Zanskaris in winter, when the road and various other caravan routes are closed due to heavy The icy wonderland of the ‘Chadar trek’ snowfall blocking the high passes. It has been their traditional trade route in winter for Centuries. The seven to eight days walk from chilling to Padum is both challenging as well as an incomparably exiting experience. The landscape aquires a pristine grandeur in winter as the trail enters into the gorge of the Zanskar, where temperatures sometimes drop to –30 to - 35 Degree Celsius.

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Staying overnight in Caves, with a small bonfire for warmth and walking on the frozen river is the ultimate high for adventure lovers. Another plus point of doing this trek in the middle of winter is the heightened chance of coming across some of the area’s famed wildlife…including the possibility of sighting the elusive Himalayan snow leopard. All in all…a once in a lifetime experience.

TREK OVERVIEW: The trek begins from Chilling, which can easily be reached from Leh by Taxi and from Chilling; it enters into a gorge and proceeds on the frozen river up to Pidmo. From there a couple of days walking brings one to Padum, the principal township of Zanskar. As the road between Padum and Leh is cut off due to heavy snow at this time of the year, it is not possible to travel back to Leh by Taxi. The alternative is to arrange a helicopter from Padum to Manali or walk back to Leh by same route. ROUGH TOUR ITINERARY: Day 01 : Fly Delhi/Leh Arrive in Leh by the early morning flight from New Delhi. Traditional Ladakhi welcome by Mystic Himalayan Trails representative and hotel check in. Rest of the day for relaxation to aid your acclimatisation to the high altitude. (O/N in hotel). Day 02 : In Leh Sight seeing tour of Leh city including that of the sixteenth century palace and Gompa (monastery). Visit to Basgo fort. Day 03 : Leh – Chilling - Tilat Do Drive from Leh to the village of Chilling, and onwards along a rough road to Tilat Do, which is our camp spot for the night and is the confluence of the Zanskar and Khurna rivers. (O /n in a cave or Camp)

Walking on the ‘ice blanket’ Day 04 : Tilat Do/Paldar Sumdo. (O/N in cave.) Today, we step onto the ice for the first time on the trek. The feeling of stepping on the frozen river Zanskar is a little unsettling at first, but we soon get into a rhythm and follow our local Zanskari guides iin their movements. We trek till Paldar sumdo, where we camp for the night. (O/n Camp or cave) Day 05 : Paldar Sumdo/Nerak Pullu. (O/N in cave.) Day 06 : Nerak Pullu/Hanumur. (O/N in cave.) Day 07 : Hanumur to Pishu, which is a quaint, charming little Zanskari village. (O/N in tent.)

Day 08 : Pishu to Karsha. The Karsha Gompa has the distinction of being the largest monastery in Zanskar. It is often described as being sublime in its grandeur.( O/N in tent.)

Participants and porters negotiating a particularly tricky section of the trek route. Day 09 : Karsha to Padum. This day we reach Padum, the regional capital of Zanskar and the goal of our journey. Our visit should hopefully coincide with the Losar (Tibetan New Year’s) celebration. Visit to local villages and gompas, including the erstwhile kingdom of Zangla. (O/N in tent). Day 10: Padum – Zangla - Padum This day we either embark on a daylong hike to Zangla or just rest and relax in Padum, exploring the town. Zangla, which was the seat of the erstwhile ruler of Zanskar, is located across the river and can be only reached after a hair raising crossing over a rudimentary suspension bridge. We return to Padum by late afternoon and take rest for our onward journey, back to Leh. (Overnight in Padum) Day 11 to Day 18: Padum – Leh Over these days, we shall retrace our journey over the frozen river…sometimes battling with the elements and at others, treasuring the hauntingly beautiful winterscape of the Zanskar gorge. Who knows, with a stroke of luck, we may even run across the elusive ‘Grey ghost of the Himalaya’ – the enigmatic snow leopard; before returning to Leh on day 19, to conclude our trek. (Overnight in a hotel at Leh) Day 19 : In Leh We utilise a full day in Leh, either to just relax or to explore the surrounding sights and sounds and try out the few restaurants that might still be open in the heart of winter. (Overnight in hotel) Day 20: Leh – New Delhi

Morning transfer to the Leh airport, after breakfast, for your return flight to New Delhi. PROGRAM ENDS. BON VOYAGE.

KINDLY NOTE : In case you would like additional days in Leh after the conclusion of the Chadder trek, for local sightseeing or visits to the monasteries, it would be our privilege to arrange these services for you. In that case, please do feel free to let us know. The list of equipment / personal gear needed by individual participants shall be advised to you later, after program confirmation. Please do not hesitate to let us know in case any further clarifications or information are required pertaining to the above-given program. We would be pleased to provide the same. Best Wishes from, THE MYSTIC HIMALAYAN TRAILS TEAM

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Office: Opposite Hotel Sun Park, Aleo, New Manali, Manali – 175131, District Kullu, Himachal Pradesh - India Tel: + + 91 1902 251274 E-mail: rahulogra@gmail.com Mobile: + + 91 9816084461 mystichimalayantrails@gmail.com

www.mystichimalayantrails.com

© Mystic Himalayan Trails

Adventure, Soul-search, Sustainability.

“““GGGiiivvveee uuusss aaa fffeeewww dddaaayyysss ooofff yyyooouuurrr lll iii fffeee,,, wwweee’’’ lll lll gggiiivvveee yyyooouuu mmmeeemmmooorrriiieeesss fffooorrr aaa lll iii fffeeettt iiimmmeee...”””

SERVICE INCLUSIONS: -

Accommodation in Deluxe A class

hotel in Leh on full board / bed and breakfast basis.

Sightseeing as per the itinerary.

Monastery free at all Buddhist

temples.

Services of cooks, asst. cooks, helpers etc.

Services of an experienced English

speaking mountain guide.

Services of porters for luggage.

Food included on trek.

Two man Alpine tents.

Thick and sturdy foam pad mattresses.(We do not provide inflatable mattresses as these are not available locally. In case the clients have good thermarest inflatable mattresses, they should get the same with them for the trek)

Rope. Zanskari porters ferrying loads on impromptu Home-made sleds on the ‘Chadder.’

All trekking equipment such as: member tents, kitchen tent with kitchen equipment, tables and stools etc.

Arrival/departure transfers with traditional Ladakhi welcome at the time of arrival in Leh.

Camping permits and Environmental Levy / wildlife charges.

TM

SERVICE EXCLUSIONS: -

International airfare India domestic airfare Travel from Delhi to Leh and from Manali to Delhi Personal essential gear / equipment / specialised clothing etc. needed on the trek. Tipping of guide, staff or drivers Eating in local restaurants and drinks, beverages etc. Airport tax & Excess baggage charges Personal expenses - laundry, room service, phone calls, etc. Still or video camera charges. Medical, Evacuation, accidental and Trip Cancellation Insurance. Emergency evacuation, hospitalisation or medical charges. Any other services not specified in the above inclusions.

Kindly do let us know in case any clarifications are required pertaining to the service inclusions and exclusions. Assuring you of our superlative service benchmarks, And with the warmest regards, THE MYSTIC HIMALAYAN TRAILS TEAM.

PPPllleeeaaassseee dddooo cccooonnnsssiiidddeeerrr ttthhheee ssstttaaattteee ooofff ttthhheee eeennnvvviii rrrooonnnmmmeeennnttt ,,, bbbeeefffooorrreee tttaaakkkiiinnnggg aaa ppprrriiinnntttooouuuttt ooofff ttthhhiiisss dddooocccuuummmeeennnttt ... CCCooopppyyyrrriiiggghhhttt ©©© 222000111111 MMMyyysssttt iiiccc HHHiiimmmaaalllaaayyyaaannn TTTrrraaaiii lllsss... AAAlll lll rrr iiiggghhhtttsss rrreeessseeerrrvvveeeddd

Office: Opposite Hotel Sun Park, Aleo, New Manali, Manali – 175131, District Kullu, Himachal Pradesh - India Tel: + + 91 1902 251274 E-mail: rahulogra@gmail.com Mobile: + + 91 9816084461 mystichimalayantrails@gmail.com

www.mystichimalayantrails.com