Chadar Trek in Winter

Chadar is an Urdu word that literally meaning "sheet or big piece of cloth." In the context of the journey, it refers to a thick enough layer of ice on the frozen Zangskar river that allows a person to walk over it. In Ladakhi, the word is 'tar.' Despite the fact that Ladakh has other rivers, including the Indus, Zangskar, and Shayok, as well as numerous streams, the Zangskar river is usually referred to as the 'Chadar' whenever it freezes over in the winter.

Zangskari trekkers told me many stories, legends, and myths about the Chadar. The Chadar was used as a sacred path by feminine goddesses who travelled via this gorge across the ice river, according to legend. Tsomo, a town on the Chadar, is said to be connected to the Ganges by some.