Jammu Kashmir: Delayed Freeze on Zanskar River Pushes Chadar Trek Back, Raising Fresh Climate Concerns | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The deep winter freeze that traditionally locks Ladakh in ice by early January has arrived late this year, with visible signs of warming emerging on the ground. One of the clearest indicators of this shift is the Zanskar River, which has failed to develop its usual thick crust of ice, forcing the administration to defer the much-awaited Chadar trek, a flagship winter adventure and a key tourism draw for the region.

The Chadar trek, scheduled to begin on January 10, has been postponed after authorities found that large stretches of the Zanskar River remain insufficiently frozen to allow safe passage. The trek, which involves walking for days on a frozen river cutting through a dramatic Himalayan gorge, is highly dependent on sustained sub-zero temperatures that traditionally prevail in Ladakh by the first week of January.

“A team visited the trek route on Saturday and will submit its report by Monday,” Additional Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Ghulam Mohammad told reports about the delay in trek. “Based on the assessment, a final decision on the new starting date will be taken. At present, the trek is expected to commence around January 15.”

District authorities have also decided to enhance safety arrangements this season by deploying additional National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel along the route. The assessment team is mapping vulnerable stretches and identifying suitable locations for campsites, medical facilities, rescue points, and police posts, taking into account the increasingly unpredictable ice conditions.

Tourism stakeholders say the delay is directly linked to incomplete ice formation on the Zanskar River. Rigzin Wangmo Lachic, President of the All Ladakh Hotel and Guest House Association, told reporters that the river had not frozen uniformly. “The ice is not thick enough in several stretches. That is why the trek has been delayed. We are hopeful it will start later this week,” she said.

For many in Ladakh, the postponement has revived concerns about the long-term impact of climate change on the region’s fragile ecology and winter-dependent tourism. Traditionally, Ladakh enters a deep freeze by late December, with temperatures plunging well below minus 20 degrees Celsius, ensuring a stable ice sheet on the Zanskar by early January. This year, however, prolonged cold spells have been sporadic, slowing the freezing process.

The Chadar trek has faced mounting challenges in recent years. In 2024, parts of the route were truncated due to construction work on the Nimu–Padum–Darcha Road by the Border Roads Organisation under Project Yojak. At the same time, trekkers and locals have repeatedly flagged shrinking and fragile ice stretches, a phenomenon increasingly attributed to global warming.

Scientific studies appear to support these observations. A research paper titled “Climate Change over Leh (Ladakh)” points to a clear warming trend in the region, coupled with reduced precipitation in the current decade. The study notes that declining seasonal snowfall and fewer days of heavy precipitation are likely contributing to delayed and weaker ice formation on rivers such as the Zanskar.

Last year, too, the Chadar trek began later than usual, starting on January 13 instead of the first week of the month, reinforcing concerns that the traditional winter calendar of Ladakh is undergoing a gradual shift.

The delay also comes at a time when the Ladakh administration is keen to boost winter tourism. Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta has repeatedly underlined the importance of promoting adventure tourism during the harsh winter months, viewing activities such as the Chadar trek as vital to sustaining livelihoods in the cold desert region.

However, the tourism sector in Ladakh continues to face headwinds. Visitor numbers last year were impacted by heavy rains in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh that cut off key road links to the region for extended periods. The situation was further aggravated by unrest in September in which four locals were killed, denting tourist confidence.

As trekkers wait for the ice to harden and authorities weigh safety considerations, the delayed freeze of the Zanskar river stands as a stark reminder that climate change in the Himalayas is no longer a distant warning, but a visible reality reshaping traditions, livelihoods and landscapes in Ladakh.