Decathlon article

A Trek to Remember! What’s your Mountain Story?

Chadar trek – 14^th-22^nd Jan’2017

Location – Leh, Ladakh, India

Gear used – Quechua Forclaz 70 rucksack, Quechua Forclaz 500 HIGH Shoes, Forclaz 300 Hiking pole, Quechua hiking flask 100, Onnight 50 hiking headlamp

      It was by chance that I met Bhavesh that day. When he inquired what was I up to, I told him casually that I was thinking of going on this trek – the Chadar trek – in the month of Jan’2017. He asked for some pictures, I obliged and he instantly agreed to join me. After a few days of a little battle fought between the mountain lover and family man within myself, we were set to go. To quote Paulo Coelho, “And, when you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”, my universe in this case was my supportive wife and two year old son. Tickets and trek itinerary booked, it was Chadar calling!!
      The Chadar trek doesn’t need much introduction by virtue of being featured on a host of travel shows, travel blogs, “must-do” trek lists, “50 things to do before I die” and what not. I had read about it a few years ago and had already been there virtually (!!) numerous times (much like many other hills & mountain peaks). Briefly, it is a trek undertaken on the frozen Zanskar river which is a very unique trek across the Zanskar valley that earns you breathtaking views of the mountain peaks, surreal ice formations, lifelong memories and some bragging rights!! As we realised later, the last one might not be exactly true based on the no. of fellow trekkers that we encountered throughout the trek. In fact, after a small traffic jam at a tricky patch, we even thought whether it was Chadar or Bhuleshwar (a crowded neighbourhood in MumbaiJ)!!
      Now that I was going to be at the Chadar pretty soon, I started preparations about to gear myself up for the challenge. I stitched up an exercise routine that I followed reasonably well. For many trekkers in India, a visit to Decathlon is almost like a pilgrimage that they undertake prior to a long trek. No, I am not being paid to say this. A couple of weeks away from the trek date, I too visited the Decathlon Thane store to buy all the essentials – backpack, shoes, trekking pole, headlight being the key ones. As any trekker would attest, the gear is like your family when you are in the wilderness. I already had some of the stuff like a thick jacket and a fleece type courtesy my earlier year long stint in Lithuania where I experienced sub -25 temperatures for extended periods of time. Of course, as they say, it is more a mental game than a physical one when you are up in the mountains so all the preparation does help but at the end of the day, it comes down to how well your mind deals with the distance you walk, the load you carry and - particularly in case of Chadar - the temperatures that you experience. On the 12^th of Jan, we finally took off on what was going to be a magnificently enriching experience.



Day 1: 14^th Jan - Leh:
      On the Delhi-Leh flight, we witnessed the transition from the “white-washed” to the sandy desert views of the mountains as Leh approached. Day 1 was mostly spent acclimatising to the chilled environment of Leh. At just a 5 minute walk from our guesthouse, there was a frozen pond which was being used by the Ladakhi youth and kids for skating and ice hockey championships (with local hit numbers being played in the background). Their enthusiasm and energy level was definitely an inspiration for us. The evening was accompanied by a decent meal including food we carried from home, blame it on us being Gujaratis. That was also the time when we met fellow trekkers and exchanged introductions. The heating in our room was very effective and after packing our bags for the D-day, we called it a day.

Day 2: 15^th Jan - Leh-Chilling-Tilad Sumdo:
      After a decent breakfast at the guest house and cries of “Ganpati Bappa Morya”, we began our journey. The journey from Leh to Chilling (the starting point of the trek) took us around 3 hours. The roller coaster ride took us along the Indus, covering the village Nimmu where we witnessed the confluence of Zanskar with the Indus. It was paradoxical that during an earlier trip here in July 2015, we engaged in rafting on the same river on which we were now trek bound. After about an hour and some stunning views of the mountains, we reached Chilling where we got off the bus and readied ourselves for the trek. It was a dusty walk of around a little more than 1 hour and lo and behold, we landed our feet on the Chadar for the first time!! We were thrilled like kids who had just stepped into an amusement park. It was a wonderful experience, what was more interesting (and was going to be throughout the trek) was the variety that we witnessed in the ice formations for the first time in life. What also amazed us is the stark contrast - on one side lay unusually structured ice, snow to give it company and also the flowing river alongside, while on the other, there was this rugged terrain engulfed by sand and rocks. We lied down and embraced the Chadar.
     Later, we helped our team of porters setup the tents. The Quechua tents were very comfortable and provided good insulation. Once inside the tent, we didn’t feel the need for the thick jacket and we would give anything in the world so as to not give up the cosyness. Of course that didn’t include getting out of the sleeping bag to answer nature’s call. The temperatures ranged between -5 and -15 during the day. After sunset till early morning of course, they dipped further (-25 to -30 showed some of the apps). After dinner and rounds of bonfire and stargazing, we retired for the day.

Day 3: 16^th Jan - Tilad Sumdo-Shingra Koma :

     This was the first day when we actually trekked for a considerable time. This day also introduced us to the routine that we were going to follow for the next one week. The day began at 7 with the helpers bringing “tent tea” to us. Freshening up (under the open sky :)) was then followed by a breakfast at around 8. We packed our stuff and handed over the tents to the helpers for winding up. Considering the morning cold, we also used to spend time around the camp fire in the morning. We were now consciously using basic concepts in life like fire, water, food etc.

      Being the “first day at school”, we started off by walking slowly on the Chadar, observing and listening to our guide, observing and learning from others, recollecting stuff we read about how “penguin walk” is the best way of walking on the Chadar and so on. But you gradually develop your own style which is also influenced by your footwear. By now, we were completely in awe enjoying and capturing every unusual sight (of which there were plenty) – the world underneath the frozen sheets of ice where you could see each and every stone, the unevenness of the ice at places, little pools right in the middle of grand ice formations, pancake ice in the river to name a few.

      Lunch was en route where the helper team and trekkers settled down at a suitable spot. After about 3 hours more of walking, we reached Shingra Koma, which was our camp site for the day. Talk about accomodations with excellent views and we had camped right in front of the river. The first day was exhausting and also pretty cold since we were getting used to the conditions.

Day 4: 17^th Jan - Shingra Koma-Tibb:

      Chadar and us were getting to know each other well by now. We put our trekking poles to good use on each step to test waters, literally. We were also getting accustomed to the baby step walk. We reached the camp site of Tibb at around 4pm. Tibb is a huge campsite with the caves acting as a dwelling for many of the porters. This also happened to be the coldest day of the trek till now.

      What needs a special mention is the care and support extended to us by the support staff. Every day, the helper staff was the last to move out of a camp after wrapping up and they were also the first to reach the camp and set things up. This involved moving in a quick fashion on the Chadar with heavy loads on their back while the trekkers trudged along. Although they moved swiftly, it appeared effortless and smooth. They went to great heights (literally!!) to get wood for the campfire and made us feel at home by serving good food, hot water and tea under not exactly the best conditions. Although they were local Zanskaris and would be habituated to such conditions to some extent, what they were doing was tough work. At Tibb, the helper staff communicated and joked (local lingo) till late in the night by shouting across the river settled in camps and caves on either side. It was their way of letting themselves loose post a hard day at work. The echo of their voices in the gorges of the Zanskar lent an inexplicable zing to the already special atmosphere. Upon conversing with a few of them over campfire where I was making efforts to dry my socks, I came to know that post Chadar season (end of Feb), Siachen became their next “office” where they helped transport essentials for the Indian Army.

      On a different note however, I would like to make a humble request to all those who throw away trash in the pristine and fragile environs of Chadar – We do not wish to know which brand of chocolates / snacks you eat, the energy drinks that you have while on the trek etc., so please show some cognisance and respect nature.

Day 5: 18^th Jan - Tibb-Neyrak:

      This day took us to the half way mark of our route. Neyrak is a little village which serves as the last point of the shorter version of the Chadar trek. The longer one involves going to Lingshed and Padum and lasts for 14 days.

      We were soaking in the magnificient views in the deep ravines of the Zanskar. Not only the ice formations which were splendid in their own right, but also the grand mountain peaks which make one feel so insignificant. The natural spectacle could definitely make anyone poetic. It worked its magic on us too and we were humbled by what we witnessed. Of course, we didn’t pen down any poem on our way but we did start singing songs. It was the 4^th day now since we started walking and during that time, we had become familiar with a lot of fellow trekkers and porters belonging to other groups as well – exchanging hellos (or “Juley”), helping each other, sharing moments of rest enroute or just sharing versions of awesome mountain stories, meeting many couples walking hand in hand, father-son duos who were having a good time bonding over the trek.

      We reached a point where due to the malformed Chadar, we had to climb up a hill and a climb it was!! It was tiring after all the walking that we had already done. But, the bird’s eye view that the climb provided was a sight to behold. You could see tiny “dots” of trekkers treading along on the Chadar. The descent was more challenging than the ascent as it stressed our already tired legs. Finally, making our way to the camp site, we had the option of choosing a “pukka” room made of clay and wood with a traditional heater (Additional charges – INR1300). Apparently, these are maintained by the villagers and provide a source of income to them. We chose to continue our love affair with the tent.

      We settled into our tents and were given twigs from the Juniper tree by our guide as it is believed to be a sign of good luck according to the local tradition. The tree assumes a lot of significance for religious and cultural reasons across Ladakh. The dinner was followed by a discussion with the guide about the plan for the return journey and how we could optimally reach Leh.

Day 6: 19^th Jan - Neyrak – Tibb:

      The return journey from the last point of the trail began this day. After a filling breakfast we began from Neyrak and our first stop was at this surreal waterfall which was stunningly frozen and is also a very famous spot in the popular imagery of Chadar. Hanging from the cliff, it went down in the valley but it was hung up mid-air. The structure displayed superlative shades of white and with rays of sunlight glistening it up, one would instantly fall in love with it. And that was indeed the case! While all that was going on, I could not help but just stand, stare and wonder (yet another time) in awe of the wonderful spectacle I was witnessing.

   The sun-kissed mountain view out of our tents early morning had signalled a bright day ahead, it was very pleasing since the Sun had eluded us till now. What that also meant was this could potentially deform the Chadar and make it slushy and we had to be mindful of that during the trek. En route, we witnessed pugmarks on the snowy patches which indicated the presence of snow leopards, ibex and foxes, though we did not see any of them.

      For someone like me who finds peace in the mountains, treks give one plenty of opportunities. For long stretches on the Chadar, one can be completely alone and enjoy the solitude listening to what the mighty mountains and the flowing river have to say or decipher the multitude of ice patterns. On one particular occasion though which was solitary and almost haunting, there I was walking across the Chadar and suddenly a portion of Chadar not too far, caved in, producing that typical cracking sound - almost as if someone thrashed a window - I looked around and found nobody. I paused and waited for the silence to return. The silence was beautiful.                      

      Earlier during the day, while moving through a challenging patch, where only one person at a time could move, I suffered a fall and a nasty one at that. I was submerged in the flowing river till my waist and my upper body was hanging on to the sheet of ice. Fortunately for me though, I still had held on to my walking pole. A fellow trekker caught hold of the other end and pulled me out. I turned out to be fine with a slight scratch on the forehead and a broken phone!!

      Being the 5^th day of walking, all that “penguin walk” and walking on rocks was definitely talking a toll on my legs – ankles in particular. My speed had reduced and I was motivating myself to reach the next camp.

Day 7 : 20^th Jan - Tibb – Leh(!!):

     The plan this day was to make it to Shingra Koma, camp there for the night, leave early the next day and attempt to reach Leh by 3 or 4 pm in the afternoon. We would then have some time for shopping before we leave Leh on Sunday.

      We started at 8 am and were walking with our heads down covering as much distance as we could and soon enough, we realised that we had covered around 12.3 km in 3 hours. The snowfall the previous night provided good grip and helped us to move faster. It felt very strange - the Chadar was still captivating, the ice formations still extraordinary, the canyon still overwhelming, the lofty mountains still majestic, the blue and clear waters of the Zanskar still very appealing – but we were moving like men on a mission. After an early and a quick lunch, the team deliberated if we could actually target Leh that same day itself by walking double the planned distance. The team agreed and made it to Tilad Sumdo at around 3 pm. The guide had already arranged for a return bus to Leh.

      After six days of an enthralling experience, the trek was finally coming to an end. We shot a farewell video featuring messages from our entire group. The last leg involved trekking uphill for about half an hour – it turned out to be extremely tiring, more so because we knew that it is all coming to an end.

      At the Silverline guesthouse that evening, we were sitting in the dining area in the company of people who were Chadar bound in a couple of days. We were celebrating the trek completion with cold (rather chilled) drinks. The others around were surprised to see us doing that, our reply to them was that after drinking hot / warm water on the Chadar for one whole week, they would also do the same upon return. On a few occasions during the trek, we actually drank the icy water sourced directly from the Zanskar. The celebration was then followed by hot onion pakodas, dal rice and interesting conversations about each other’s trekking sojourns.

      The feeling that we experienced upon completion of the trek is definitely one of contentment and achievement.

Day 8; Day 9 : 21^st Jan; 22^nd Jan- Leh - Mumbai:

      It was a day of rest with some shopping to be done. We started off by soaking sum sun on the guesthouse terrace. Closer to the guesthouse, there was a pond which had frozen and was used for ice hockey games. Apparently, there was a game between a Canadian team and the Indian team today. With a decent hindi commentary going on, it was good to see the crowd turn out in good numbers considering the ambient temperature. A banner with the following message was proudly displayed – “Guinness World Record – Ice Hockey match at the world’s highest altitude” After making video calls home from a local café (free wifi, nice soup & noodles) we roamed around in the market area in search of a South Indian restaurant!!     

     The following day brought an end to our trip. Sitting in the AI flight to Delhi, I was revisiting the entire trek and going through the awkward transition now to the mundane world. Between all this, Bhavesh just asked me “Jimit, when are we coming back to Chadar again?”