Leh, Jan 28: Around 1,325 tourists including 62 foreigners took part in this year’s Chadar Trek-2023 organised by the Union Territory of Ladakh administration.

An official told Rising Kashmir that the trek opened earlier this month after a break of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that from January 8 to 26, around 16 trekkers were rescued and safely evacuated by the team UT-Disaster Response Force, Ladakh and LGMA Mountaineering Group of Ladakh at different instances.

“They usually carry out rescue operations whenever the trekkers face unavoidable medical emergencies and cannot complete this extreme weather trek,” the official said.

The Chadar Trek is an annual winter event in Ladakh, popular among adventure tourists, wherein the trek is undertaken on the frozen Zanskar river over a period of 4 to 5 days, with halts in between.