Winter Ladakh: Chadar and Snow Leopard — 14 Days

This trip brings together two independent reasons to fly to Ladakh in winter. The first is a short route along the officially open and checked section of the frozen Zanskar river. The second is a photographic expedition with local trackers in one of the areas where the snow leopard winters.

The full version runs to 14 days thanks to the shared acclimatisation and the single logistics chain through Leh. The same page can also be used to enquire about the Chadar module or the snow leopard module on their own. For a modular trip the compulsory 48 hours of rest after arrival in Leh are still included.

Three ways to take part, on one page. The full expedition, 14 days: shared acclimatisation, the short Chadar section and five working windows for wildlife observation. The Chadar module, approximately 7 days: Leh, the 48 hours of rest, the checks and a short ice route; the final length depends on the access granted and on the actual starting point. The snow leopard module, approximately 8 days: Leh, the compulsory acclimatisation, the transfer to the base and four full days with the trackers. Separate pages are not created for the modules: they are variants of one winter purchase, not three products competing with each other.

Who the trip suits. Participants need endurance, experience of long walks, a readiness for severe cold and discipline within the group. No mountaineering qualification is required for the Chadar, but movement on ice, winter camp life and low temperatures make the trip markedly harder than an ordinary sightseeing tour.

For the photographic expedition it matters that you can wait for long periods in the cold and cope with short but sometimes steep approaches to viewpoints. The quantity of photographic equipment is discussed in advance: it must not interfere with safe movement.

Documents and access. A valid passport; an India visa where one is required for the participant's nationality; insurance that states winter trekking, the maximum altitude and evacuation; copies of documents for the local permits; and the medical documents and checks required by the Chadar rules in force. Before any non-refundable service is paid for, the rules are checked on the official India portal and with the registered Ladakh operator. Old permits and last year's rules do not count as confirmation of access for a new season.

Season and conditions. The working period for the combined trip is late winter. That is when the Chadar forms and when the chances of finding snow leopard tracks in the lower part of its range increase. Even so, neither the stability of the ice nor a sighting of the animal can be guaranteed by the calendar. Temperature depends on the area, the altitude, the wind and the time of day; severe frost is possible at night. The state of the river changes even within a single day. The plan is built on current information from the local authorities, the guides and the trackers, not on last year's scheme.

Accommodation, meals and communications. In Leh a heated hotel or guest house is used, with whatever services are actually available in winter. On the Chadar, tents and simple winter camps are possible. In the observation area the format depends on the base chosen: a guest house, a cottage or an equipped camp. On route days the local team provides the meals; in Leh what is provided depends on the package chosen. Allergies and strict dietary restrictions must be notified before booking. Mobile coverage, internet, electricity and hot water outside Leh may be intermittent. Cameras and phones need spare batteries and insulated storage.

Main equipment. Warm layered clothing for long periods in the cold; an expedition down jacket and insulated trousers; winter trekking boots compatible with the crampons or ice traction devices issued; two pairs of gloves and warm mittens; a warm hat, a balaclava and face protection against the wind; sunglasses and goggles; a sleeping bag of the temperature rating confirmed by the partner; a flask, a head torch and a personal first-aid kit; trekking poles with winter baskets; a day pack and a soft holdall; binoculars, and for photographers a camera, a long lens and a stable tripod; spare batteries, memory cards and insulated cases for equipment. The final list is issued once a module has been chosen. Do not buy crampons, a sleeping bag or specialised winter equipment before the local team has confirmed the requirements.

Private groups and separate modules. A private group can take the full 14 days, the Chadar alone or the snow leopard observation alone. The compulsory 48 hours of acclimatisation are never shortened, and no ice route is promised when the river is closed. To prepare a quote the manager needs the preferred format, the size of the group, ages, winter and altitude experience, accommodation requirements and the photographic equipment involved. An enquiry is confirmed only after the local team, the permits and the price have been agreed.

Day 1. Delhi — Leh. First full day of acclimatisation.

Flight to Leh, meeting and transfer to the hotel. After such a rapid gain in altitude participants rest completely: no high passes, no long walks and no training. Night in Leh.

Day 2. Second day of rest in Leh.

The compulsory 48 hours of quiet adaptation continue. The team monitors how everyone is feeling and checks clothing and equipment, but does not take the group onto any high-altitude route. Night in Leh.

Day 3. Medical check, briefing and preparation for the winter route.

Once the 48 hours are complete there is the health check required by local rules, the processing of permits and a practical review of clothing, crampons or ice traction devices, insurance, camp life and how to act in the cold. A short walk is possible only if everyone is feeling well. Night in Leh.

Day 4. Transfer to the open section of the Chadar and a first short stage.

The local team confirms access only on the morning itself, after checking the official permission, the ice and the road. The group drives to the actual starting point, walks a short practice section and sets up camp. If the Chadar is closed, no one goes onto the ice.

Day 5. Stage along the confirmed section of the frozen Zanskar river.

The local winter guide sets the pace and the line. The ice is not uniform and changes daily: participants do not overtake the guide, do not approach open water and do not leave the checked line of travel. Night in camp or in an available winter shelter.

Day 6. Second day on the Chadar route.

We continue only along the section the team considers safe. The day may be out-and-back or may lead to the next camp, depending on the state of the ice, the temperature and the official restrictions in force. This is not a promise to reach any particular waterfall or village at any cost.

Day 7. Leaving the route and returning to Leh.

We finish the ice section, return to the vehicles and drive to Leh. Rest, drying clothing and preparing photographic equipment. If the Chadar was closed, the winter land route agreed in advance also finishes by this day.

Day 8. Transfer to the wildlife observation base.

The trackers choose the area from fresh signs of animal activity. Working bases may be Ulley, Saspochey, Hemis Shukpachan or another permitted area of Ladakh; the exact place cannot honestly be fixed many months ahead. Settling in and a first reconnaissance of the surroundings.

Days 9–12. Searching and observing with the trackers.

Four full days that begin before dawn. The team checks tracks and vantage points, keeps in contact between observers and moves on foot or by local transport along permitted roads. The main objective is the snow leopard, but the route also introduces the winter ecosystem of Ladakh. Seeing any particular animal is not guaranteed.

Day 13. Observation reserve and the return to Leh.

The morning is held as an additional window for observation or for work in another permitted sector. The group then returns to Leh, rests and prepares to fly out.

Day 14. Leh — Delhi.

Transfer to the airport and departure. Plan any onward international connection with time in hand, because of winter weather and the way a mountain airport operates.

• Meeting and transfers at Leh airport on the trip days
• Accommodation in Leh and at the winter bases along the confirmed route
• Tented or basic winter accommodation on the Chadar, if the route is open
• Ground transport according to the itinerary
• The work of a registered local tourism team
• A winter guide and a camp team on the ice module
• Local trackers on the wildlife observation module
• Meals on route days and at the observation base
• The necessary local permits and conservation fees
• The local team's group emergency and first-aid equipment

The exact composition of the included services and accommodation is fixed once the full route or a module has been chosen and the partner's quote has been received.

• The international flight
• The domestic flight Delhi — Leh — Delhi
• The India visa
• Medical insurance covering winter trekking, altitude and evacuation
• Personal winter equipment, clothing and photographic equipment
• Single-room accommodation
• Meals not stated in the confirmed package
• Tips, personal expenses and additional excursions
• Costs arising from the weather, the state of the ice, decisions by the authorities, participants' health and other circumstances outside the organiser's control

A private group can take the full 14 days, the Chadar alone, or the snow leopard watching alone. We do not shorten the compulsory 48 hours of acclimatisation, and we do not promise the ice route if the river is closed.

To prepare a quote the manager needs the format you want, the size of the group, participants' ages, their winter and altitude experience, your accommodation requirements and your photographic equipment. A request is confirmed only once the local team, the permits and the price have been agreed.

• A valid passport
• An Indian visa, where one is required for your nationality
• Insurance that names winter trekking, the maximum altitude and evacuation
• Copies of your documents for the local permits
• The medical documents and checks required by the Chadar rules in force

Before you pay for anything non-refundable we check the rules on the official Indian portal and with the registered Ladakh operator. Old permits and last year's rules are not proof of clearance for a new season.

The working period for the combined trip is late January and February. It is in winter that the Chadar forms, and that snow leopard tracks become more likely to be found in the lower part of its range. Neither the stability of the ice nor a sighting of the animal can be guaranteed by the calendar.

The temperature depends on the area, the altitude, the wind and the time of day; hard frost is possible at night. The state of the river changes even within a single day. The plan is built on current information from the local authorities, guides and trackers, not on last year's pattern.

In Leh you stay in a heated hotel or guest house, with whatever services are actually available in winter. On the Chadar you may be in tents and simple winter camps. In the wildlife-watching area the arrangement depends on the base chosen: a guest house, a cottage or an equipped camp.

On the route days the local team provides the meals. In Leh, which meals are included depends on the package chosen. Allergies and strict dietary requirements are notified before booking.

Mobile signal, internet, electricity and hot water outside Leh can be intermittent. Cameras and phones need spare batteries and insulated storage.

• Warm layered clothing for long spells in the cold
• Expedition down jacket and insulated trousers
• Winter trekking boots compatible with the crampons or ice grips issued
• Two pairs of gloves and warm mittens
• Warm hat, balaclava and face protection against the wind
• Sunglasses and goggles
• A sleeping bag of the required rating, once the partner has confirmed it
• Vacuum flask, head torch and a personal first-aid kit
• Trekking poles with winter baskets
• A day pack and a soft holdall
• Binoculars; for photographers, a camera, a long lens and a stable tripod
• Spare batteries, memory cards and insulated cases for your equipment

The final list is issued once you have chosen a module. Do not buy crampons, a sleeping bag or specialist winter equipment before the local team has confirmed its requirements.