Research
Articles
Evidence-based research on Ladakh & Zanskar trekking. Every claim sourced.
The river didn't freeze, the peak is closed, and the palace came first.
In winter 2025-26, the Zanskar River didn't freeze — cancelling the Chadar trek for the first time in living memory. Stok Kangri has been closed since 2020. Leh Palace predates the Potala Palace in Lhasa. And 46% of the population that trekking brochures label 'Little Tibet' is Muslim. Ladakh in 2026 is not the destination most English guides describe.
Getting to Ladakh — Delhi flights, the Manali highway, and mandatory acclimatization
You land in Leh at 3,500m. The flight from Delhi takes 90 minutes and gives you zero acclimatization. The alternative is a 2-day drive over 5,000m passes. Both options have risks the brochures downplay. Here is the full transit guide.
Ladakh permits in 2026 — Environmental Fee, PAP, and the military dimension
The Inner Line Permit is gone — replaced by an Environmental/Development Fee for Indian tourists. Foreign nationals still need a Protected Area Permit through a registered agent. Some nationalities are banned entirely. Sat phones are illegal. And the military checkpoints are not optional. Here is every permit, sourced from the Ladakh UT administration.
Chadar Trek — the frozen river that didn't freeze in 2026
For centuries, the frozen Zanskar River was Zanskar's only winter connection to Leh. Tourism adopted it in the 2000s. In winter 2025-26, for the first time in living memory, the river did not freeze — warmest winter in 8 years at -8.6°C average. The road that is replacing the Chadar is also destroying it. Here is what happened and what it means.
When to trek Ladakh — the rain shadow, the monsoon window, and the roads
Ladakh sits in the rain shadow of the Greater Himalaya. When the rest of India drowns in monsoon, Ladakh gets 10cm of rain per year. The trekking window is June to September. The roads open in May. The Chadar happens in January — when it happens at all. Here is the month-by-month reality.
Markha Valley — 6 days through a living Buddhist civilization at 5,000m
The Markha Valley trek crosses two passes above 4,900m, sleeps in Ladakhi homestays where dinner is served on the floor, and ends at Hemis — the richest monastery in Ladakh. The homestay system costs INR 1,200-1,600/night. The June river crossings are genuinely dangerous. Here is the stage-by-stage reality.