The Chadar trek is a walk across the frozen Zanskar river in deep winter, one of the hardest and most famous treks in India.
Because it is dangerous and remote, the Ladakh administration controls it. You cannot do it on your own. You must go through a registered Ladakh agent and register with the officials. First you spend set days in Leh to get used to the height. Then you pass a required medical check. Foreigners also need the Ladakh area permit.
Who needs to register
Everyone on the Chadar trek must register and pass the Leh medical check, Indian or foreign. You must go with a registered Ladakh trek operator, with guides and porters, because a lone or unguided walk on the ice is not allowed and not safe. This rule exists because people have been hurt and lost on the river.
The trek, in plain words
You walk along the frozen surface of the Zanskar river, deep in a gorge, in cold far below zero. The ice shifts from day to day, so your guides read it and choose the route, and you sleep in caves and camps along the bank. It is beautiful and hard at the same time. You need to be fit and ready for real cold, and you must respect the mountain and your guides at every step.
The medical rule (please read this)
Before the trek you spend a set number of days in Leh, at over 3,500 metres. This lets your body get used to the height. Then you take a required medical check, and only travellers who pass go on the ice. Do not skip these days or the test, because they keep you alive. If you feel unwell in Leh, tell your operator.
How to register, step by step
Book with a registered Ladakh trek operator, well ahead, because the season is short and places are limited. Reach Leh and spend the set days there to get used to the height. Take the required medical check with your operator. Let the operator complete your registration and fees with the officials. Carry your identity, and for foreigners the area permit, on the trek.
For foreign visitors
Foreign visitors can do the Chadar trek through a registered operator, and they also need the Ladakh area permit for the Zanskar region, which the operator arranges. Carry your passport. Give the operator extra time for a foreigner permit. [Confirm the current foreigner rule with a registered operator. Last checked 13 September 2026.]
Season and safety
The river freezes hard enough to walk only in the deep winter window, roughly from the middle of January to the middle of February. The exact dates shift with the weather each year. This is a serious trek in extreme cold. Go with a registered operator, follow the medical rule, and never step onto the ice without your guide. People with heart, lung or blood pressure trouble should take medical advice before booking.
Common mistakes to avoid
- The biggest mistake is trying to do the Chadar on your own or with an unlisted guide, which is not allowed and can be deadly. The next is skipping the rest days or the medical check. Do not plan around fixed dates, because the safe ice window shifts each year. Do not underrate the cold; the wrong gear on the Chadar is dangerous.
Questions people ask
Can I do the Chadar trek on my own?
No. You must go through a registered Ladakh operator, register with the officials, and pass the Leh medical check.
Why is there a medical check?
The height and the extreme cold are dangerous, so you spend set days in Leh to get used to it, then pass a required medical test before the ice.
Do foreigners need anything extra?
Yes. Foreigners also need the Ladakh area permit for Zanskar, which the operator arranges.
When is the trek open?
Roughly from the middle of January to the middle of February, when the river freezes hard, with the exact window changing each year.
Is it dangerous?
Yes, it is one of the hardest treks in India, in extreme cold on shifting ice, so the rules and a registered operator matter.