One of the most extreme treks on Earth. Walk on the frozen Zanskar River ('chadar' = sheet of ice) through a narrow gorge where no road or trail exists. The ice sheet is the only winter route connecting Zanskar to the outside world, used for centuries by Zanskari people. Temperatures reach -30°C at night. The ice breaks and reforms constantly — guides test it with every step. Cancelled in 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons due to unstable ice from warming winters. Check conditions before booking.
Distance
83.2 km
Max elevation
3,600m / 11,811ft (river gorge)
Duration
7–9 days (winter only, Jan–Feb)
Safety classification
DifficultyMulti-day trek
GuideGuide required (law)
GearTraction / poles
OfficialYes
MaintainedYes
Season
Mid-January to mid-February only, and only in winters when the administration opens the season by order (the 2021 permit window was 8 Jan - 8 Feb; the season SOP for 2025 was issued 11 Jan 2025). The rest of the year the route does not exist - the Zanskar is open water. The administration suspended the trek entirely in 2021 and 2022, and warming winters are making thin-ice years more frequent; never go outside an officially opened season.
Hazards
▲Breaking through thin ice into the Zanskar river - drowning and cold-shock; the ice sheet changes hour to hour and year to year
▲Night temperatures of -25 to -30 C - frostbite and hypothermia
▲Detours climbing the gorge walls where the ice has not formed - fall risk on iced rock
▲No mobile or radio coverage in the gorge (the 2025 SOP still lists a communication network only as something police should 'explore')
▲Cold plus altitude cardiac stress - the administration mandates two acclimatization days in Leh, a medical fitness certificate and high-altitude insurance because trekkers have died on this route
A government-regulated winter event, not a walk-in trek. You legally cannot do it independently: permits are issued only to trekkers recommended by a registered travel company, after two mandatory acclimatization days in Leh, a medical fitness certificate and proof of high-altitude/trekking insurance - no certificate or insurance, no permit. Group sizes and daily numbers are capped and checked at Wildlife Department posts. Confirm before booking that the administration has opened the current season: it was suspended outright in 2021 and 2022, and a warm winter can cancel or shorten it.
