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LIFE ON THIN ICE – Zanskar Valley, Ladakh, India
In Zanskar, Ladakh, life on “thin ice” refers to the Chadar Trek—a centuries-old winter lifeline where locals and monks walk the frozen Zanskar River. Because deep snow makes mountain passes impassable for months, the cracking, ephemeral ice sheet is the only connection to the outside world.
For four months, temperatures in the valley drop to a staggering -30°C to -40°C, freezing the fast-flowing Zanskar River into a thick slab of ice known as the Chadar (blanket). The 120 km frozen corridor extends along narrow gorges. Locals, monks, and modern-day trekkers use it to transport timber, reach schools, and trade goods.
However, the ice is never uniform. It cracks, shifts, and thins out due to rising temperatures and natural river currents. Wading barefoot through freezing, ankle-deep water or sleeping in sub-zero tents requires extreme endurance. Climate change and new road constructions are changing the annual freeze, making the Chadar increasingly unpredictable and threatening this ancient way of life.
