Leh, Jan 12 — The iconic Chadar trek on the frozen Zanskar River has been postponed after the river failed to freeze adequately, forcing authorities to delay the January 10 start date over safety concerns.
“A team inspected the entire trek route on Saturday and will submit its report by Monday. After that, a final decision on the opening date will be taken,” Additional Deputy Commissioner Leh Ghulam Mohammad said, adding that the trek is now “expected to commence around January 15.”
Officials said the ice layer on the river remains too thin in several stretches, making it unsafe for trekkers. The district administration has also decided to deploy additional National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel along the route this year to strengthen rescue and medical preparedness. The assessment team is tasked with identifying locations for campsites, medical units, rescue points and police posts.
Rigzin Wangmo Lachic, president of the All Ladakh Hotel and Guest House Association, said the delay was unavoidable. “The river has not frozen completely yet. The trek is likely to start later this week if conditions improve,” she said.
The Chadar trek, one of Ladakh’s biggest winter attractions, draws thousands of domestic and foreign tourists who walk for days on the frozen Zanskar amid sub-zero temperatures and towering gorges.
This is not the first time the expedition has run into trouble. In 2024, the route had to be shortened due to construction work on the Nimu–Padum–Darcha Road by the Border Roads Organisation. In recent years, incomplete freezing of the river has become a recurring concern, which experts link to warming winters and shifting climate patterns in the region. Last year, the trek had opened on January 13.
A research study titled Climate Change over Leh (Ladakh) has pointed to a warming trend and declining precipitation in the area. “The reduced average seasonal precipitation might also be associated with a decreasing number of days with higher precipitation amounts over the region,” the study noted.
The Ladakh administration has been pushing winter tourism as a key economic driver, with the Lieutenant Governor repeatedly calling for greater promotion of adventure activities in the cold desert. However, tourism last year was hit by weather-related road closures and unrest in parts of the region, which kept visitor numbers below expectations.