Chadar Trek Archives - EXPLORE WITH BOB

Leh-The capital of Ladakh Union territory resembles the CPU of a computer-like CPU that acts as a center of coordination among all other parts of a computer. Similarly, Leh is the node from where you plan tours in the Ladakh district one by one.Nubra Valley,Pangong Tso,Tso Moriri,Sham Valley,Zanskar Valley and so many treks can be planned from here .It has rich culture and heritage to be proud of. Stay tuned to know more…

Reasons why you must visit Leh:

Monasteries are life in Leh Ladakh. This reflects a part of the regional culture as well. The tranquillity offered by the location of these monasteries is unmatched.
Trekker’s paradise is what Leh is, and Chadar Trek in winters is one among them. There are all sorts of trekking of varying difficulty. Drang Drung is another beautiful one!

Hemis festival at hemis monastery in Leh in June — Hemis festival at Hemis monastery in Leh in June

Camel Safari at Hunder Sand dunes-yeah the two-humped Bactrian variety-the view is terrific, plus a bonanza camel ride…

Pangong Tso Lake in evening — Pangong Tso Lake is one of the most sought destination in Ladakh

Leh has a beautiful night view from Shanti Stupa, and Tsemo Castle has a fantastic view of the city. Not to forget Namgyal Tsemo and the Hall of Fame!
Leh gives you a winter rush in June or July without letting you drench in the rain! Perfect weather for Travel.Right!

The beautiful vistas on my way to Padum through Zanskar Valley

Rafting is what the Himalayas is so known for.Jump to Leh to catch up some rafting in routes like Phey-Nimo, Saspol-Khaltsey, and Sangam-Alchi.
Thukpa, SKU, and Momos-yes, the indigenous food of the region, are a must-try, and why miss out when you are in Leh?
Some famous festivals in the vicinity are the Hemis Festival, the Dosmochey Festival, Spituk Gustor, and the Losar Celebration. Just check out dates on google, and off you set a plan and go…

Location : Leh is capital of Ladakh U.T. about 500 kms north of Manali and 500 kms east of Srinagar, placed in extreme north of India.

Leh city view from Tsemo Castle in evening

Tourist Attraction in Leh:

Leh has a lot to offer in and around it. Hemis, Thiksey, Shey, and Spituk monasteries are a few options, and the Hall of Fame museum, Shanti Stupa, Zorawar Fort, Leh Palace, and Namgyal Tsemo are in Leh. So the whole summation is that you won’t be bored touring in and around this beautiful city.

Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:

You can visit Hanle, Pangong lake, Sham valley (Magnetic hill, Nimoo, Alchi, Rizong, Likir monasteries, Basgo Palace), Tso Moriri, Khardung La, Turtuk, Panamik, and Diskit. Not to forget, Kargil and Zanskar Valley also add to the treat package!

Panamik in afternoon within Nubra Valley

Distance Charts:(Ex Leh)

Hanle Monastery at a visible still far off distance

How to Reach Leh:

Road Routes:

Delhi-Ludhiana-Jalandhar-Jammu-Anantnag-Srinagar-Sonamarg-Dras-Kargil-Lamayuru-Leh
OR
Delhi-Chandigarh-Shimla-Kullu-Manali-Keylong-Jsiap-Pang-Hemis-Leh

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:

1)Try hopping in Leh by road via Manali-Keylong instead of Jammu-Srinagar-Kargil, as the latter will be lengthy and a bit risky compared to the former. Scenery-wise, I feel the Manali route has more to offer.

2)Leh is around 3 K.M. height above sea level, so whether it’s June or September, have a jacket with you and some full sleeves as temperatures dip at night, even in summers.

3)Avoid taking flights and use road transport to avoid breathing/respiratory problems. Yes, if there is a time constraint, you can prefer flights with a two-day rest in Leh.

4)Don’t forget to keep a day aside for all the permits to tour around Leh. 14-day permits are usually given at maximum, after which renewal is necessary.

5)Have the timings noted in mind when visiting monasteries or monuments as for various tourist places, the timetable varies. Again, use the website or ask travel agents to help you out.

Suraj Taal(Lake) near Jispa,Manali-Leh Highway

RAIL:Railways are restricted upto Shimla thereafter which you need to hop in a bus to get to Leh!

AIR: Leh has good connectivity by air all over India

ROAD:You need to be at Leh either through Rohtang Pass(June onwards) from Manali side or from Srinagar side via Zozila Pass.

In case you want to reach from Delhi or Chandigarh, the Shimla-Manali-Leh corridor shall be a better choice in terms of scenery and safety, which will take 3 days with a one-day halt at Keylong to acclimatize. Even from Jammu side, it will take 3 days but acclimatize option can be left out pretty easily.

Map:

Leh in and around-local sight seeing map -go to Hemis,Spituk,Shey,Thiksey — Leh local sight seeing map

Time to Visit:

June to Mid-October

Spend Time With:

Family, Friends, Solo, Couple, Groups

Food and Lodging:

Hotels and flooding are not a problem, but in peak season, you’ll land in trouble for hotels. Hotels will be packed, and even if you find one, it will be rented at a fiery bumper price. Please get in touch with travel agents and plan a tour with them; they might help you get a room at a much cheaper rate-reasonable in peak season, to be precise. Food -north Indian, local dishes, and south Indian are available- no problems with food! Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip if you want a booking. Zomato and swiggy can be used for food breaks!

Expense:

Local sightseeing takes one day. But who can miss out on Hemis festival that happens once a year and hence,Leh trip slid on to a two day trip-a memorable one of course.

Live Hemis Festival at Hemis Monastery in June

Food:INR 200/person/day(3 times a day)X5
Transport:INR 3500 for leh local sightseeing by private car;for Hemis festival-I took a shared bus to Hemis which costs around INR 50 one way-100 INR both ways. You can save a lot by using public transport for local sight seeing-just add an extra day of food and lodging as not all places have public transport connectivity and even if they have you need to come to Leh for many a time. (You can save INR 1500 by this method)
Lodging:INR 700/day X2 @ Leh
Entry Fees includes various places (varies):Entry fees is there for museums and monastery antiques at few places(INR 250 max)

Total: 6250 INR( Can be brought down to 4000 INR by public transport and cheap food/lodging)

Nearby Attractions(Leh)

If you are coming all over to Leh and Srinagar and thinking of skipping Zanskar for next time, sorry to say you are missing the cherry on the cake! That’s where I rank Zanskar on my list of travel-somewhere close to Spiti Valley, right on top of the most recommended places in the Indian Himalayan circuit. The beauty lies mainly en route to Padum rather than Padum itself. So, don’t miss out on Zanskar-it should be there in your itinerary at any cost! I will post amazing photos and a youtube video wrt Zanskar Valley, and you can always visit my insta id-explorewithbob1, where you’ll find beautiful Himalayan photos shot by me!

5 Reasons why you must visit Zanskar Valley:

When Zanskar is on our trip list, the Chadar trek comes to mind right out of nowhere! Choose the coldest month of December to February and unleash your adventure avatar trekking on the frozen Zanskar River at sub-zero temperature for about a week to reach Padum-the center of the valley. Vegetation is largely compromised with lots of fun around with snow to play with!

Zanskar Valley is known for its picturesque landscape from Panikhar through Rangdum to Padum. The greenery with shades of haunting whites imbibed with turquoise water lakes makes the journey too memorable to be forgotten.
Padum, once a capital of the Zanskar kingdom, and Rangdum are pretty towns, with Padum having a more naked shade of browns and Rangdum shading whites on one side and greens on the other. Rangdum is arguably more beautiful than Padum, with a stream flowing by and Drang Drung glacier visible in the vicinity.
Pensi La is a beautiful pass that marks the division between Suru and Zanskar Valley-It is surrounded by glaciers and has lakes in patches, a shade of greenery too! The Zanskar and Suru rivers originate from these glaciers.

Want some mountaineering engine gushing on in months of summer-wait no further-Nun and Kun peaks where the famous Shafat glacier is waiting to welcome you. Relish the adventure of trekking to these Nun-Kun peaks, closely watching the Shafat glacier passing by.

Location: Padum is 230 km south of Kargil, which takes nearly 9-10 hours by shared cars(buses are hardly available) due to pathetic road conditions after Parkachik.Water is all over the roads, and nallahs and landslides are plenty. So prepare for a day’s exercise through this treacherous section!