The Great Lakes Trek is an alpine himalayan high-altitude trek in Kashmir Valley. The thundering silence of the Kashmir lakes and its virgin beauty is spell bound. Apart from the lakes, even the barren milky snow clad mountains stand out in might and proud. When you start the hike, you are amidst thick temperate forests of pine. You then gain altitude and enter jungles of morinda spruces, pindrow firs and deodar trees, which disappear as you reach altitudes of over 11000 feet. Here you are greeted by expansive meadows of lush grass and shrubs, and they are easy to trek through due to their comparatively flatter terrain. From these grasslands, you will be able to see crystal-clear lakes and snow-covered mountain peaks in the distance.
On arrival in Srinagar, travel to the beautiful ski resort of Sonamarg. The drive takes about three hours, and gives you amazing views of the mountains. After reaching Sonamarg, check-in at the hotel and relax. In the evening, relish a traditional Kashmiri dinner, and follow it up with overnight stay.
In the early morning our hike begins from the bank of Nallah Sindh, which is a tributary of the Jhelum River, and almost immediately you start gaining altitude. You will walk through a lush green alpine meadow, and then pretty forests of pine and maple trees, and from the top, a panoramic view of the hill station of Sonamarg will enthral you. Now the track descends to the bank of a scenic brook. You will start climbing again, and this section will take you through dense jungles of maple. For the following 1.5 hours, the path will be adjacent to the forest. Trek further, and as you reach Shekdur, look at the beautiful snow-covered peaks. Enjoy a nice lunch here, and then recommence your expedition towards Nichnai. After 2 hours, you reach a meadow with gentle gradient of slopes and here lies your camp site for the night.
Starting your day early to a long phase of this trek. From your camp site, you will see the Nichnai Pass, which you will need to cross. Following a walk of about roughly an hour, the track will start rising steeply through alpine grasslands. The next hour will be taken up in climbing to the summit of the pass, and you will encounter a clear blue lake on the way. From the summit of Nichnai Pass, the track will descend sharply. It is uneven, and is filled with rocks, providing you an exciting challenge. Following a descent of around one hour, you will enter another mountainous grassland. As you reach the end of the valley after roughly 30 minutes, you will see another beautiful stream. Just about 100 feet above this point lies Vishansar Lake, beside which you will camp for the night.
This day is reserved for you to acclimatize before heading upwards.
In the morning, start the next section of trekking, and proceed towards Gadsar. Hike first to Krishansar Lake, which is about half a kilometre away and roughly 500 feet higher from the camp site. You may stop to explore the area and click photos. There are a number of trails heading up, with varied gradients of ascent. The easiest way is to take the trail that heads up to a ridge, at the end of which is the Gadsar Pass. Almost immediately, the track becomes narrow and leads up to the summit of the pass in about two hours. From here, you will get beautiful views of Vishansar and Krishansar Lakes and here lies your camp site for the night.
Starting our trek early in the morning, our next camp site at Satsar is around 10 km away, and it lies at a rough altitude of 12000 feet. After crossing a gushing river, follow the trail that ascends through the mountains. Following a trek of roughly 1.5 hours, you now reach yet another mountainous grassland, encircled by towering mountains. Post a 15-minute trek, you reach the first of the seven lakes of Satsar. After reaching this breathtaking glacial water body, set up camps, light a bonfire and enjoy your overnight stay.
This section of our trek will keep you on the trail for about nine hours. Moving ahead from the widest part of the lake, you will need to dodge a horde of small and large boulders. After a trek for more than 1 hour, you will see huts of shepherds and two lakes lying next to each other. The next section of the trek involves descending more than 1400 feet to Gangabal Lake. After coming down from a meadow, fir, spruce and deodar trees appear again, and you reach the base of the Harmukh peak. You now reach Nundkhol Lake, and walk further for 30 minutes to reach Gangabal Lake. Set up tents on the bank of the tarn and enjoy an overnight stay.
Continue the trekking and meander along the river. Your path through the grassland will be dotted with yellow flowers. Now you walk through a dense forest, and gain a little elevation. At the end of the descent, the village of Naranag will be visible to you. On reaching the village, explore the region and afterwards, drive towards Srinagar.
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