The Most Adventurous Walk of My Life: Puneet's Chadar Trek Review
With panting breaths, lasting resilience and a lot of patience, I completed the formidable Chadar Trek in Leh. A journey that I can brag about to my future generations till my last breath, this trek goes down in my memory lane as an adventure of a lifetime.
My father, who is a retired Air Commodore always has tons of stories from his days of flying in Leh. I always keenly heard him narrate the alluring beauty of the Zanskar River which turns into a sheet of ice during winters.
One day over a casual dinner chat, my father narrated a story about when he flew over towering cliffs of ice and rugged mountains during his military days. And I could only imagine how it would feel to see such landscapes up close.
‘Once you brave sub-zero temperatures and navigate the unpredictable terrain of Zanskar Valley in Ladakh, you can do justice to the Fauji blood flowing through your veins.’, my father chuckled while he had a bite of his favourite ice cream.
This was a trifling challenge by my proud father which I looked up to as an opportunity. The next day I began my research about Chadar Trek and was motivated more by the glorious reviews of trekkers who had conquered this unbelievable feat. And Voila!
I came across Thrillophilia who helped me understand the requirements of this challenging trek and guided me in preparing the best way possible.
My first snowfall
There are some moments in life which change you as a human being. From my first bicycle ride to my first day at a new job, I always felt an electrifying energy pulsating through my body.
However, before starting on the first-ever solo trek of my life, I felt a little nervous despite my confident demeanour. When I met Satya Sir, our tour leader, who shared a similar fauji background as mine, we just clicked and felt as if we had known each other for ages.
We had a chat over a cup of tea and biscuits on the first day of the trek and he had an informed answer to all my queries. He was the first person who didn’t make me realise that I was travelling solo on this trek. And this was just the beginning, I made numerous friends who became family while we embarked on the same challenging journey amidst the snow-clad Himalayas.
Even though I had been to Manali and Shimla a couple of times before, I had come back empty-handed without tasting the fresh snowflakes. But this trek was different in all aspects! The morning in the cosy campsite of Chilling greeted me with a surprise.
Yes, I experienced the gentle touch of snowflakes and witnessed the entire landscape turn into a wonder of white.
Eat, pray and love
I am a hard-core foodie. Give me good food and I tend to forget all my worries. One of my concerns about going on this trek was the fear of getting bored of eating Maggie in the mountains. However, this trek was all about changing my notions about people, situations and life in general.
When I thought that my love for Ladakhi people had reached another level, I was again surprised by their humility and friendliness. Our porters Laxman and Vikas were the most amazing humans I met on this trek.
After carrying our camping equipment on wooden sledges all day, they cooked the most amazing food in the most challenging conditions. Imagine we were able to relish delicacies like pasta, pakoras and pulao at a height of 13,000 feet on a frozen river bed!
After a sparkling bonfire under the glittering night sky, Dorge Sir, our trek leader got us some yak cheese and local rum which we went crazy for. He also told us that this trail was used in ancient times by the locals to transport goods during the winter months. ‘This trail is significant for us spiritually, culturally and socially’, Dorge Sir remarked while we trekked with caution towards Nerak.
He told us about the legend of the Ice Queen, believed to bless the trekkers who walk on the frozen river and protect them from the harsh weather.
Our porters also narrated the legend of the snow leopard who watches over the Zanskar River and told us that its rare sighting is believed to be a sign of good luck for the trekkers.
And from that moment onwards, I kept my eye out for the elusive snow leopard. Though we couldn’t see one of them, we did see the Sacred Ice Cave, a place believed to be a site for meditation of sages and healing. We prayed for guidance in our daring journey ahead at these ancient caves.
How’s the Josh? Always High!
Throughout this treacherous trek, there was never a dull moment. From bonding over tea to helping each other get up after stumbling in snowfall, we all enjoyed each other’s company. We all kept motivating each other on every step of the trek.
When we reached Nerak and saw the frozen waterfall, I could not control my excitement, so I pulled out from my bag the Indian flag, which I carry with me on every trip.
The patriotism was infectious and many trekkers along with me proudly waved the Indian flag and hurled the enchanted slogan of ‘Vande Mataram’. This was the moment I felt that I had finally made my father proud and risen up to the challenge which he casually threw at me over the dinner table.
We battled nine days of spine-chilling cold and encountered a glassy ice sheet on the frozen river.
I went on one of the dangerous treks ALONE. I mean that says something, right?
So with that thought on my mind, I knew that I had earned bragging rights the next time I drank a bottle of scotch with my father.
Read more: Thrillophilia Trek Reviews