Chadar Trek: Day 3

After the experience during the first night, I stop drinking water during the dinner time, and also make sure I went to toilet before I squeeze myself into the warm sleeping bag. However, still I not really have a nice sleep as well as the camp was not setup flat on the ground which cause some body ache, and to make the situation worsen, the outer wind proof layer of my sleeping bag was stuck and not able to zip completely. It was a super freezing long night for me, and the greatest joy was again when our guide approaching our camp and asking 'Black coffee or tea?', which mark the warmer day approaching!

My condition was not good at all today, as I start to feel dizzy and weak even just during the start of the trek. Angla observed my condition, and immediately offering help to carry my bag. Not only Angla, but all of the guides including the porters were very attentive and sensitive to each and everyone of us along the trek without us even start to voice out, they are truly professional in this field, and they did caring like one too! At time, I was too weak and start to lose focus while walking, which nearly slip for many times but luckily still manage to control it before the fatal injury. Hence not to over stress myself, I rather walk slower by catching my own comfortable tempo, and try to stay on track with the team, by continuing my walk with minimal rest time to reduce the gap. The reason being, I have the strong desire to continue with the trek no matter how tough it was for me, but on another point of view, I don't want myself being the burden to the team by slowing down overall progress. That did drive me to push myself further and harder on the trek, although I have to be honest that there were many times that the devil within trigger the mind to give up the tough trek, but I am glad mentally, the angel within manage to stop that mindset and keep finding way to move slowly, step by a step without giving up. Something I should be proud of myself.

It was a freezing morning, using blue tone more to strengthen the coldness feel, but I seem over use it. >.<

Tough surface along the way for today trek since the start.

Enjoy every moment from the trek to its fullness!

Beautiful floating ice on the edge of the platform.

Tough terrain here, everyone stop by to wait and help others to pass safely.

Me, Hybrid, Mandy, Andy, and CT make it pass the zone safely.

Soon and Andrew the next two.

Next, who was that crawling on the floor?

Oh, it was princess Su Jin, and Fabian follow the BKM as well, great trick!

Keep up my speed at my best to catch up with the team, slow but moving.

Another narrow path, luckily the surface was not slippery, manageable after few days trek experience here.

Oh sunlight, need you badly, wise spot for a break!

How amazing these ice to stay frozen despite these sunlight!

The silent heroes along the trek, salute!

Great jumping platform toward the river, who want to try?

From another point of view, walk slower mean more time to witness these beauty surrounding. Always think positively.

Some one was laying on the ice for a rest there!

I don't want to leave the sunlight!

Passenger please fasten your seat belt, else you might down travelling on a sledge! Full of laughter along the trek.

Some preparation on going there....

Angla was running with his sledge toward us!

Some one seem to be sitting on the sledge?

It was Mandy again! Not falling down this time, probably because the seat belt was fasten now!

Wave like a queen in a parade!

Looks like frozen tears.

Lunch spot was fairly early today, around 15 KM after we start our trek today, which was a pretty good new for me to have an official rest time recovering myself before the second half of the trek today. Today terrain was quite challenging and adventurous, with some icy surface condition was not really solid, hence we need to be extra caution on each of our step in certain area, with some slight careless we might fall into the frozen river. We did came across some intense moment and some minor incident, but overall we are glad that everyone was safe.

One of the happiest moment during the trek, seeing our porters mean that was a lunch spot!

Sometime, a simple bowl of noodles like this was the only thing you need, forget about all the meaningless luxury stuff.

Cracking ice.

Love all the random surface along the trek.

Playful and humorous Gawa!

Sometimes the ice condition was not solid, we have to take the stony path.

Probably trapped air frozen in between the ice.

The surface was so clear that you can look directly toward the bottom of the river.

The initial planners of this wonderful adventure, thanks!

Caring and brave Chozang!

This frozen waterfall was stunning!

Reach campsite zone but it wasn't ours, probably we are quite close it by now.

Rarely saw trees along the trek.

When we almost exhausted with today trek, we suddenly realize that we have reached the highlight spot of the day, the 50 feet high gigantic Frozen Nerak Waterfall! We have came across so many different frozen waterfall along the way, but this one was super unique, easiest the biggest and highest one here in Chadar Trek! However as a hot spot for the trek, expect there were whole bunch of tourists gather here to take a shot or two, solo or group photo as a memory, this was understandable as it was truly not easy to make it all the way here! But the thing that annoyed us very much was people don't give chances for each and other to take a good photo as they keep on moving them self into your framing, and even cutting queue for the central hot spot. This was quite irritating when normal queuing manners was not followed by most of them here. However, we still with full cooperation to snap some great photo here, mostly just ignore the rest of the crowd, and of course the group photo with Malaysia flag was the favorite here! Malaysia Boleh!

What a magnificent view!

The stunning frozen Nerak Waterfall! Only in winter!

Here come our national flag group photo!

Hello sir, can let us took the photo first?

Seem that he don't care, we don't either! Malaysia Boleh!

Gawa with Malaysia flag!

Soon with super stunning frozen Nerak Waterfall!

Princess Su Jin with super stunning frozen Nerak Waterfall!

Minion with super stunning frozen Nerak Waterfall!

Mandy with super stunning frozen Nerak Waterfall!

The TravTones with super stunning frozen Nerak Waterfall!

Fabian with super stunning frozen Nerak Waterfall!

Andrew with super stunning frozen Nerak Waterfall!

CT with super stunning frozen Nerak Waterfall!

Hybrid with super stunning frozen Nerak Waterfall!

Andy with super stunning frozen Nerak Waterfall!

The amazing piece of art by the nature.

From Nerak Waterfall, it was just another 15 minutes of walk we reach our campsite, but it was another steep hike before reaching the spot. The spot was great as it have a pretty good view over the frozen Zanskar river from high, and surround by magnificent snow mountain. The tougher the trek, the more we appreciate the success by far, and celebrating by having hot tea, snacks, and chit chat around with the rest of the teammates, and of course fellow guides and porters as well. My bad when I am trying to charge my Garmin Fenix 3 watch for the trekking records, accidentally let the session terminated by itself and ended on day 3 only. That was a serious limitation with the watch as even I already tag RESUME LATER for my session while we have the rest, it will be activated back to RESUME when the charging happened, and if you did not take close monitoring to keep changing the status from RESUME to RESUME LATER, the session will end by itself if it stay idle in RESUME state. Hope they will have a fix for this major problem especially during long trekking adventure.

Scenery just next to Nerak Waterfall.

Just a short walk and we are finally at our campsite for tonight, close to Nerak village.

The view on the frozen river from high ground.

Our campsite area.

Neighbor campsite area.

We have a great dinner with mainly curry mutton and rice, and while wandering around we realize that the sky was super clear and full of shining bright stars! When the night still not that frozen, we spend some fun time snapping stargazing photo, and accidentally we also spot a fox wandering around our campsite! Slowly then it move higher to the mountain, not forgetting stare on us few time, before it went disappear from our sight as it was too dark some how, what an experience to meet a fox from the wild! Today was super fun and tired at the same time, I was so exhausted luckily Andrew was there to help me setup my sleeping bag properly, and hopefully I can get a nice sleep tonight. Another 27 KM of trek completed today!