A group of Indian Army personnel have completed an arduous trek to the snowbound and cut-off Zanskar valley in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region.

 An ancient route was used to reach the Zanskar valley as the area was cut off from the rest of India due to heavy snow. The 18 member team of the Ladakh scouts, including 3 officers, completed the trek along the Zanskar river to Padam in a week. 

Formidable route

The route used by the Ladakh scouts, is travelled and used by locals when the snow blocks the Zanskar valley. This is known as the Chader trek -- famous for the formidable terrain as well as extreme cold during winter.

The Chader trek is said to be the shortest walking route to reach Leh in the harsh winter.  The route follows the Zanskar river which originates from Brandy Nala in Sarchu, Himachal Pradesh.  The Ladakh scouts, also known as "snow warriors" are an infantry regiment of the Indian Army whose primary role is of guarding the high altitude areas of Ladakh. 

"The aim of this expedition was to conquer the most inaccessible and impassable route during winter to infuse a spirit of adventure amongst the rank and file of the Ladakh scouts and boost the morale of people living in harsh wintry conditions,” said the spokesman of the army's Northern Command.

The men of the Ladakh scouts are proficient in ice and mountain craft. They are also physically fit to undertake any challenging task," the spokesman added. Zanskar is situated at about 5,500 meters above sea level.