The Kashmir Great Lakes Trek takes us to a beautiful, hitherto unexplored Kashmir region that evokes the phrase “Heaven on Earth.” Only this journey inside the Himalaya has three high-altitude passes, 5 valley crossings, and seven mountain lakes, all of which are stunning hues of green, azure, and teal. This is all accomplished in an incredible 1 week!
You are met with luxury that is limitless, magnificent, and achingly gorgeous every day. The KGL trip spoils you for choices with its infinite clear skies, bigger backdrop of craggy peaks, flamboyant meadows abounding with spring flowers, crossings, and rock jumping. The track, which rises to a height of 4,206 M, alternates among ascents and descents many days, making it comparatively simple to follow. The main difficulty is developing the stamina required to travel the considerable distances (10 km or more) one must go each day. The 69-kilometer journey is a great option for those wishing to enhance their Himalayan trekking skills. Even for seasoned hikers, we recommend this walk because of its breathtaking beauty and grandeur rather than its difficulties.
How to Access Kashmir’s Great Lakes Trek:
By Air
The major cities in the nation may be reached easily from Srinagar Airport. from Bangaluru Delhi, Mumbai, Jammu, Kolkata and , Chandigarh,. there are frequent flights. Sonamarg is roughly 70 kilometres from Airport.
By Road
Sonamarg is reachable via road from those other regions of the nation via National Highway 1D. Sonamarg is roughly 87 kilometres from the Srinagar bus stop, and there are plenty of regular buses that travel from Srinagar to Sonamarg. There are frequent bus connections between Srinagar and Jammu, Chandigarh, and Delhi.
Rail
The most convenient stop is the Jammu Tawi Railway Station, from which numerous buses and taxis are accessible for Srinagar and later Sonamarg.
Kashmir Great Lakes Trek – Day To Day
Day 1: Land at Shitkadi to begin the journey to base camp
Day 2: Trek via Shekdur from Sonamarg to Nichnai.
Hike via Nichnai to Vishnusar Lake on Day 3
Day 4: Kishansar Lake & Gadsar Pass Hiking from Vishnusar to Gadsar
Day 5: Gadsar to Satsar Trek
Travel from Satsar to the twin lakes of Gangabal : Day 6
Day 7: Drive to Srinagar after a journey from Gangabal to Naranag
What to anticipate
It takes six days to complete the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek. You will pass through three high peaks Nichnai, Gadsar, and Zaj—over the course of the day. The climb up to the peaks, which makes up around 25–35% of the trek, is the most difficult section of the journey. The majority of the topography is level with lengthy, steady downhills through verdant fields, with the exception of the hills. As you travel beyond the forest canopy on first day and drop back on day seven, you will be traversing magnificent scrub oak, pine, and deciduous trees forests. The majority of the journey will take you across expansive fields flanked by magnificent snow-capped peaks. Their glaciers thaw, supplying lakes with water. It will take 7 to 8 hrs of walking.
The trek’s three mountain passes
The Nichnai Pass, the Gadsar Pass, and the Zaj Pass are the three peaks you’ll be traversing. The trek’s greatest challenging section is the ascent to the passes, which you should approach cautiously. Since Day 4, you will hit the top peak of the walk, which is at a height of about 4,200 metres, called Gadsar pass.
Ideal Season for Visiting Kashmir Great Lakes
The finest months to walk the Kashmir Great Lakes trek are mid July and mid August whenever the flowers are in bloom and the vegetation is at its lushest. In June, the ice melt, leaving a vibrant blanket vivid colour in its wake. Additionally, the weather is pretty agreeable throughout this time. But the difficulties are rewarding. Every day is picture-perfect because there is a new mountain lake to explore. The ice patches that supply the waters enhance the beauty of these lakes.
They are visible descending the hills to the lakes. The river’s deep blue water occasionally has icebergs drifting on it in creamy white.Lakes can be found in Kashmiri as well. There are many different types of these meadows, some of which can be discovered in one day.The first day, these grasslands turn into a haven for clusters of pine and maples. They make their way down to a meadow were horses and sheep can graze. Just over the Gadsar pass, in these fields, wildflowers bloom in profusion on the second day.
