The Kolohai Glacier is Kashmir’s biggest glacier and the main water source of the Jhelum. Kolohai is Kashmir’s only perennial source of water. The Kolohai Glacier is a hanging glacier and is five kilometers long. Kolohai Glacier Trek is a crossover trek from Sind Valley into the Lidder Valley passing Basmai Pass (4300m). The trek passes through high altitude alpine lakes situated at the foothills of Mount Kolohai (5425m), the highest mountain peak of the Vale of Kashmir.
On arrival in Srinagar, travel to Aru, situated 12 km off Pahalgam. The drive takes about 3 hours drive to Pahalgam. Pahalgam is about 100 km from Srinagar. From Pahalgam, Aru is right across the Lidder River. It takes another half an hour to cover this distance. Today, after a 4 hour drive from Srinagar you reach Aru by evening. Aru is a very small village located on the banks of Lidder River and is surrounded by mountains on all sides. At Aru, the camp is already set up for you beside the Lidder River. Lidder River flows through Aru and this trek to Kolahoi glacier traverses along with this river to its origin.
Lidderwat is a valley situated at 11 kms from Aru. It is a gentle but long climb from Aru to Lidderwat completing the trek in about 6 hours. The trail to Lidderwat starts to climb straight out of the village, following the course of the Lidder River. The trail gets into a cluster of fir trees and continues to climb. The trail climbs over so gently that it is hardly noticeable. Across the forest are the superb meadows of Lidderwat. The Lidderwat camping site is a dream. Clear streams run across the meadows. Walk along the meadows for a delightful sight.
Early in the morning, we will start our trek towards the Dudhsar Lake. To get the trail to Dudhsar Lake, we will have to cross over to the right bank of the river. Here the entire area is surrounded by tall coniferous trees. The water of the gushy mountain stream is as white as milk. The route to the Kolahoi Base Camp is a gradual ascent. The Kolahoi Base camp is located at an altitude of 10,450 feet. The terrain is riddled with stones and minerals of various colors, brought down by the cascading mountain streams. The untouched beauty of the isolated Dudhsar Lake will leave you speechless. In this is the site for our camp tonight.
From Dudhsar Lake, retrace your steps to the valley below. The distance is not more than 600 metres. It’s a gentle climb for 1.5 kms and will take you only an hour to reach the Kolahoi Glacier Viewpoint. The insides of Kolahoi Glacier have hollowed out many years back and it’s extremely dangerous to walk on the glacier. So do not even try to walk on the glacier. From here, retrace 5 km trail which goes through grasslands, boulders and mountain streams. It is the same trail back to Satlunjan, which will be your campsite for tonight.
Now the Day4 will be the longest day of the entire trek. However, the trail does not pose too many challenges. You will be trekking along lush grasslands that wind through broad-open valleys covered with trees. The route is blessed with mountain streams, which is always a relief. The milky white stream water is fresh and rejuvenating. You will be losing an altitude of 2492 feet within a single day and that can be tricky if you don’t pace yourself well. Predominantly, it is a gentle climb. If you leave early in the morning, you will be reaching Aru in afternoon.
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