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2011 Chadar Picasa slideshow by Luke Smithwick
2010 Chadar Picasa slideshow by Jamie
 

Quick Chadar

An 11 day Zanskar adventure!

Surely the craziest trek there is; we walk on the semi-frozen Zanskar river as far as the first village then return. With the awe-inspiring gorge and captivating lighting, this is an unforgettable adventure in a tight itinerary.

Itinerary

We trek two-thirds of the Chadar to experience the ice and we also have a complete full service Chadar Expedition.

(Day 0 - Arrive Delhi)

You are responsible for getting to Leh, and will need to be in Delhi today.

Day 1 - arrive Leh 3500m

We suggest everyone books on Jet Airways for this particular trip.

2 Leh 3500m

Exploring Leh, we shop for the special boots and pack ready for tomorrow.

3 - drive to Chilling and trek to Tilad Do 3100m

We test the ice with our first short day, and sleep in caves (!).

4-5-6 - trek to Nierak 3390m

Over three days we trek to Nierak, staying in caves. At Nierak there are some winter rooms, so a bit of a change.

7 - rest Nierak 3390m

We explore the village above and learn how Zanskaris survive the winter.

8-9 - trek and drive Leh

We are going downhill and put in longer days so the return trek is quicker.

10 - Leh

Enjoy this Central Asian town and this is an extra day in case we have any delays.

Day 11 - depart

Farewell - you should arrive in Delhi around lunchtime; DO allow for fog-delayed flights!

Note that Leh is a fine weather only airport and there can be flight delays of days during periods of very bad weather. Luckily this is not common. The costs of any delays are not included.

Highlights

+ challenging and exciting trekking

+ stunningly beautiful frozen river

+ value trip!

Dates

No current departure; custom trip possible

Leh start and finish

Cost

Please ask

Maximum 6 bookings

Leaders

TBA

Leh office and hotel

Rinchen

Wonderland Trek and Tour

Hotel Shaynam

Old Road, Leh

tel: +91 1982 255 990

Mob1: +91 94191 79154

Mob2: +91 99069 90444

Our service includes

suitable sleeping bag

suitable mattresses

suitable insulated jacket

gear sleds

Leh airport transfers

3 nights guesthouse in Leh, shared rooms

Group transportation by private vehicle

Expedition-style trek:

Experienced western & local guides

all meals and hot drinks

Our service excludes

additional costs due to delayed domestic flights

special winter boots (you buy in Leh)

Meals in Leh, insurance, India visa, flights, additional equipment rental, alcohol and soft drinks, laundry, tipping and other items of a personal nature
A trick section of the Chadar

Klara in ankle-deep water just a few minutes after starting the Chadar; behind, the end of the road a little past Chilling - Jamie

Some narrow ice on the Chadar

Yes, that ice is narrow, good judgement from previous experience is required - Jamie

Chadar cave camping

Our home for the night - Jamie

 

Our coldest on the Chadar click to go to the top of the page 		Leh in winter

Leh in winter; it is entirely cut off from the rest of India for the winter months - Jamie

Light expedition style

Our trip is light expedition style which means you carry your own personal gear and snacks, including the gear we provide such as sleeping bag and jacket. Porters carry the stoves, fuel and meal supplies.

Gear

The normal temperatures on the Chadar are likely to be between 0C and -20C, and we are sleeping in caves so you need good, warm gear; our gear list is coming sometime. We include a warm jacket, warm sleeping bag and mattresses to save you buying these potentially expensive items (and flying with these bulky items as well).

Warnings

Yep, the Chadar really is a wild trip, and incredibly satisfying however is far more dangerous than any other standard trek, losing concentration, simple bad luck or taking a different route from the guide could result in death.

Rock scrambling is occasionally required. If you are scared of heights, don't book.

In rare circumstances it is too dangerous to even start the Chadar; in that case we have an alternative plan at Tso Moriri.

Additionally there is a risk of getting trapped in the gorges by changing river conditions, possibly for several days, and risks of delayed domestic flights.

In booking this trek you agree that Project Himalaya has no liability; I don't expect anything to go wrong and our staff are very experienced, but even with the best of judgement and planning there is still an element of luck both with weather and river conditions.

Understand all of these warnings prior to booking!

Walk on (frozen) water with us!

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jdesign -- all rights reserved -- frozen in time July 2013