NEVER SAY DIE: The Tchadar expedition entails everything from walking on solid ice to going into the water

I had been to Ladakh before but it was my trip there in 1998 that changed my entire outlook on the place. I went to Ladakh in winter, all alone. I stayed with a Ladakhi family. And the whole day I would just be walking around, soaking in the amazing experience of actually standing on the banks of the historical Indus. I had no one to talk to. I would just take my camera, a little food in my pocket and walk down to different villages. Walking has always been a passion for me.

Knowing your Zanskar

I had heard of the frozen river in the Zanskar Valley and seen glimpses of it on the BBC. I had also walked around the area where the Indus and the Zanskar meet and later flow down to Pakistan. One can go to the Zanskar Valley only when the river freezes in the winter; there’s no other way to go there. Even the natives of the Zanskar Valley make their trips to Leh around this time. I felt that I had to make this trip but I couldn’t find anyone who could help me plan it. I decided to make it on my own to see how I would react in a completely new environment.

I took notes from a photographer friend, Milan, who had been to Zanskar Valley. It took me two years to realise my dream because everytime I set out to Zanskar, something or the other turned up to stop me. Last year, the timing was wrong because when I went there the snow had started melting — which means being stuck in the valley till the river freezes again or a helicopter comes to your rescue. This time I made sure to complete shooting for my TV serial Muqammal and informed my producers that I would be away till mid-February.

Way to the valley

I reached Leh on January 9 this year and left for the valley on January 14. I was very sceptical. As an Indian woman you’re always sceptical because you are going alone and everybody looks at you as if you are weird. Even foreigners travel in groups of 10 and 15 people with ropes, tents and other climbing equipment. I had no tent or any such thing as I wanted to rough it like the locals.

I did have second thoughts a day before leaving, but with my two trustworthy local porters whom a friend, Tsering, had provided I was determined to make the trip. I had a few boxes of muesli, some sampa (a flower which can be cooked), rice and dry spinach, one thermos and a torch. The locals make a soup of this sampa powder and then add in all kinds of vegetables and other edible stuff. It’s a thick brew that seems to be very nutritious.

The porters were incidentally experts in the Tchadar expedition (that’s what it’s called) which entails everything — from walking on solid rock ice to going into the water. There are times when you have to crawl under rocks with just a little space between the rock cliff side and the melted river. It’s adventurous — all that crawling, ducking and climbing, tapping for soft ice — but it’s dangerous also.

The trek began early morning and ended every evening around 5 pm as it would then get dark. We then searched for niches in the rocks to spend the night and protect ourselves from wind, snow and wild animals like foxes, wolves and snow leopards.

I had to wear crampons under my shoes so that I get a grip on the ice. Surprisingly, I had a tough time getting special shoes — all that searching in the malls and roadside shops went in vain. Then a hotel owner advised me to buy shoes worn by the local Ladakhi women, and they turned out to be the best option for the terrain. Even the expensive jacket that I had bought myself in the US was rejected outright by Tsering. He bought a jacket from the local market for Rs 100, and the shoes for Rs 300!

The entire trek takes around 10 days. People usually go only upto the village called Lingshed — just to experience walking on a frozen river — and return. I, however, went to the point where the river reaches the villages, after which I started walking back and reached Leh on the sixth day.

However when we returned, it started snowing (which is the worst thing that could happen). Snowing makes trekking treacherous. Fortunately for us, we met with three Germans who were returning with some locals, and with their help I could climb over really steep cliffs. It would have been very difficult if I had to do it alone with just my two porters because we had no ropes or rock-climbing equipment. Also, I’m not good at climbing because of a bad knee from an old accident.

Homecoming

When I had first told Prakash (Jha) about my plans for this trip, he had been envious that he couldn’t take out time to join me. However, he never once rebuked me for taking on such a perilous trek. But a close friend of mine from Delhi was totally freaked out about me making this trip. When I called her on my return I was amused to hear her screaming with joy.

Unfortunately, most Indians especially women don’t try out such treks. A trek like that in freezing temperatures means no bath. Even worse than that is that you can’t change your innerwear. The only extra clothes I took were six pairs of socks. And I don’t know if most women would like to endure certain indignities that are part of such rough adventures.