Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

Sonmarg to Nichnai via Shekdur, Walk beside the Overlooking Waterfalls

Altitude: 11,500 ft

Distance: 11 kms

Duration: 6 hours approx.

• Day 2 trek begins right after breakfast and you embark on a trail that meanders through beautiful Kashmiri meadows, dense forests comprising trees like pine, maple, and Bhoj and offers magnificent views of the Sonamarg Valley and Thajiwas Glacier.

• Your trek will be alongside the Sindh River with exceptional views of the Sonmarg Valley and picturesque streams.

• After this, you will start a long trek of abot 2.5 hours through thick pine forests, right up to Shekdur.

• You can stop for a short noodle and tea break here and continue your trek to Nichnai along the Nichnai Stream.

• Dinner and overnight camping will be at the Nichnai Stream.

Nichnai to Vishansar Lake, The Color Changing Lake

Altitude: 12,000 ft

Distance: 13.5 kms

Duration: 6 hours

• Nichnai Pass is the last point in your trek that falls under mobile coverage. From here, you have to descend to Vishansar Berry where you will stop for lunch.

• The Vishansar Lake lies at a distance of just 15 minutes’ walk from the campsite, so you can visit the lake while here.

• This is the first of many lakes that you will come across in the course of your trek and also one of the most stunning.

• If the lake is not frozen, you can also go fishing here with permission from the Srinagar Fishing Department.

• From here the trek will take a steep descent up to a scenic meadow of colorful flowers.

Vishansar to Gadsar, The Mysterious Lake of Demon

Altitude: 13,800 ft

Distance: 16 kms

Duration: 5 hours

• Wake up to the sight of the Kishansar Peak with its reflection on the clear waters of the lake below.

• The trek commences by the lakeside all the way up to the Kishansar Peak around 500ft above the campsite.

• The trek will comprise of both easy and difficult stretches. Once you reach the Kishansar Lake and finally to the Gadsar Pass that is situated at a height of 13,800ft and is the highest point of this trek.

• You will cross scenic meadows and lakes including the famous Yamsar Lake.

• Start your descent after crossing Iris, and reach Gadsar Lake.

• Once here, you will have to report to the nearest Army Camp where you will have to provide the necessary documents and complete all formalities to pass Gadsar.

Gadsar to Satsar, Cross the First Glacier of your trek

Altitude: 12,000 ft

Distance: 11.3 kms

Duration: 6 hours approx.

• The trek starts early the next morning and you start off on a trail that will take you from the army camp towards the stream crossing a variety of terrains including terrains from super steep, flat, and even land.

• After a short break at Maengandob you will head towards the first of Satsar lakes, a group of seven different lakes.

• The campsite can be reached in about 2 hours from Gadsar Lake.

• Another army check post lies just before the campsite where your id proofs will again have to be shared.

Satsar to Gangabal Twin Lakes, The Serene Nature's Delight

Altitude: 11,500 ft

Distance: 9 kms

Duration: 6 hours approx.

• This leg of the trail is particularly spectacular around the months of July through August when the flowers are in full bloom.

• Yet another army check post lies en route where IDs will be checked again followed by two small lakes that you will come across before reaching the Satsar Twin Lakes.

• You will reach the twin lakes around afternoon when you can admire the beauty of the lakes that lie between the middle of the mountain.

• With rock and boulder-ridden terrain, this is a test of physical and mental acumen as you pass the last of the Satsar lakes, and start hiking downwards for half an hour till you reach the forest line.

• From here you will climb upwards to an altitude of 13,400ft till the summit. Witness the wonderful Gangabal and Nundkol lakes also popular for trout fishing.

• Head towards the Nundkol Lake and after trekking about 20 minutes from here, you will reach the next campsite at Gangabal Lake for dinner and overnight stay.

Gangabal to Naranag | Descend with the Traditional Nomadic Hamlets

Altitude: 7,500 ft

Distance: 13 kms

Duration: 6 hours approx

• This is the final day of your Kashmir Great Lakes Trek that commences from the Gangabal camp, and takes you through a grassy stretch dotted with yellow flowers and pine forests.

• Start a downward descent to reach Naranag which is the last leg of your trek.

• After reaching Naranag Village in Ganderbal District you can also go exploring the village and the famous Naranag Temple until you are driven back to Srinagar.

By Flight: You can reach Srinagar by air where you can stay for a day and then travel to Sonamarg. If you reach Srinagar in the morning, you can also go to Sonamarg on the same day. However, it is recommended that you stay back at Srinagar for a day to get the much-required rest as well as pack in some local sightseeing while here.

By Train/bus: You can also opt to take a train or bus to Jammu from where you can travel to Srinagar by a shared cab. If you are taking a bus to Jammu, you will get these scared cabs from either of the two gates outside Jammu ISBT. If you reach the railway station at Jammu, the share cabs from here to Srinagar will cost you approximately Rs. 700 to Rs. 1000 to cover the distance of 260 km. You can also take a train to Udhampur railway station which is 200 km away from Srinagar and takes about 6 hours to reach by bus.

From Srinagar you will be driven to the starting point of your trek on the morning of Day 1.

July to September: The best time to go on the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is from the beginning of July to the middle of September as this is the only time of the year when the trail is not covered with snow. July to September is essentially when the monsoons hit the rest of the country and it may puzzle you why this is a good time for the trek. Unlike other places like Uttarakhand where most treks are closed during the monsoons as trails tend to get slippery and dangerous, things are different when it comes to Kashmir.

The mighty Pir Panjal range that segregates Kashmir from the rest of the subcontinent stretches almost 288 kms in length and about 40 – 50 kms in width. This creates a rain-shadow area as it curtails most of the heavy rain clouds from passing over into the Kashmir Valley. Thus, when it comes to the nature of precipitation and the vegetation in this region, it stands in sharp contrast with the rest of the country.

Thus July to September in the Kashmir Valley is the period when summer slowly transitions into autumn making it the best time to trek here. Moreover, the entire landscape of the surrounding areas becomes vibrant which makes this one of the most picturesque treks in the country.