Zanskar Gorge Trek The Frozen Thrill
Jammu & Kashmir / Leh / 31-Jul-2017Ladakh, a dream place for all the adventure lovers, embraces one of the most thrilling places in India; The Zanskar Gorge. Zanskar lies in the Kargil district of Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir. The Zanskar Gorge Trek is also known as the Chadar trek as the trek is on the frozen Zanskar river (Chadar meaning sheet; Hindi) ; a tributary to Indus. It’s a trek with extreme difficulty at an altitude of 11,123 ft. This route is used by locals from centuries to connect Zanskar village to Chilling, for trade & transportation.
The Zanskar trek is a dramatic trail on the frozen river, which is held during winters or early springs (January-February). During this time, the ice is well grounded to trek. The snow clad vertical cliffs flank in the whole canyon in which the Zanskar flows. Hiking on the frozen sheets of ice with fast rushing river, just a few inches below your feet gives a breathless sensation. The trail is hazardous and can be fatal sometimes, as reported. It’s a matter of life for the local porters, but has become an adventure for other people now.
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Climate of Zanskar Gorge Trek The Frozen Thrill
Zanskar trek is an extreme difficult trek because of the risks involved while walking on the ice sheet or of hypothermia, etc. As the trek season is in winters, the temperature here reaches as low as -30°C to -35°C, so one has to be able to withstand this extremety. Apart from the torturous weather, the trek takes time of 8-9 days with a total of around 105 km of distance covered. Needless to say, one has to be physically fit with loads of stamina for this trek to complete.
The weather out at Zanskar gorge is chilly and icy cold, with extremely cold nights of -35°C. As it is at high altitude, chilly winds blow all day no matter if there is sunshine. So, it’s very essential to pack your rucksacks with appropriate clothing which can withstand this temperature.
How to reach Zanskar Gorge Trek The Frozen Thrill
Reach Ladakh first. You can reach to Ladakh by air, from Delhi or by bus also.
TREK ITINERARY:
Day 1 :- Fly to Leh (11,400 ft)
Day 2 :- Drive to Tilad Do via Chilling (11,400 to 10,390 ft.
Drive 65 kms.)
Day 3 :- Tilad Do to Shingra Koma (10,390 to 10,550 ft.
Trek 10 kms)
Day 5 :- Tibb cave to Naerak camp (10,550 to 10,760 ft.
Trek 15 kms)
Day 6 :- Naerak to Tibb Cave (10,760 to 11,150 ft.
Trek 12.5 kms)
Day 7 :- Tibb Cave to Shingra Koma (10,760 to 10,550 ft.
Trek 15 kms.)
Day 8 :- Shingra Koma to Tilad Do and drive to Leh (10,550 to 10,390 and drive to 11400 ft.
Trek 10 kms)
Day 9 :- Return from Leh
Starting point of the trek: Ladakh
Duration of trek: 8 Days
Difficulty level: Extreme difficult
Highest altitude: 11,123 ft
Best time: Winters or early springs (January-February)
Average temperature: lowest of -30°C to -35°C
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