Prelude : Chadar Trek

Exactly 20 days from now I shall leave for Ladakh to finally do the Chadar trek.

I'm doing this trek with my friends agency - Himalayan Explorers.

Itinerary :

Day 1: Arrive in leh by morning flight (Day for acclimatization)
Day 2: Leh to Tilat Sumdo (Private jeeps)
Day 3: Trek from Tilat Sumdo to Shingra Koma
Day 4: Trek from Shingra Koma to Tibb
Day 5: Trek from Tibb to Nerak, 12 kms, 7 hrs.
Day 6: Return from Nerak to Tibb, 7 hrs.
Day 7: Trek from Tibb to Shingra Kogma.
Day 8: Trek from Shingra Koma to Tilat Sumdo and drive back to Leh
Day 9 : Return flight from Leh (early morning)

This is the first time I'm going for a trek with an agency, most of my earlier Himalayan treks have been solo.

Physical prep :

Although from what I've heard, the trek isn't physically taxing but rather mentally due to the extreme cold, I've been working out on improving my cardiovascular performance.
I believe the mind and body are connected. When you train your body, you also train your mind to endure great adversity.

As a result, I've mellowed down the weight training regime and increased the following :

1. Cardio
2. Core strengthening
3. Stretching

What used to be "Rest" days earlier are now dedicated to the above mentioned training.

I've been having consistent back ache since the last few weeks, primarily due to bad posture while sitting and my long gaming sessions.
I'm hoping to resolve that from stretching in the next few weeks.

Equipment Prep :

Not much required equipment wise since I'm going with an agency and hoping they would take care of most of the camping gear.

That being said, For personal requirements, I would be carrying the following :

  • Down jacket (-4 degree Celsius rated)
  • Fleece jacket
  • Thermals
  • 3 Track pants
  • 3 Cotton full sleeve t shirts
  • Woolens - Cap, Gloves, socks
  • Sun protection - Sunglasses, Hat, Sunscreen (50 SPF, gel based)
  • Hiking stick
  • Food - Trail mix (dry fruits, nuts, crackers)
  • 2 Litre hydration bladder 
  • Camera with spare batteries/power bank
  • Toilet paper
  • Slippers
  • Basic medicines (in case I get separated from the group and need to patch myself up)
    • Betadine
    • Bandages
    • Antibiotics
    • Diamox (In case I need to give it to someone)
    • Avomin
    • Antacids

Mental Prep

I'm very relaxed right now, as opposed to the usual anxiousness prior to a big trek.
This is mostly because I'm going through an agency, that agency is run by my friend, a guy who I've known for almost 15 years.


But being a slave of my habits, I have some contingencies in mind.
I will carry a map of the area and download GPS trails.

To prepare for the cold, I'm wearing just a T shirt in the Delhi winter. It is nowhere close to the cold I'll face there but something is better than nothing, I guess.

This seems too easy, no wonder so many people trek through agencies and not do their own research.

___________________________________________________________________________________


As usual, I would be writing journals on a daily basis of how my day went, what all trouble I ran into, yada yada..
Not carrying a physical notebook this time, Its useless weight and I'll choose writing on my cellphone to make my life a tad bit easier. 

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