Kashmir Great Lakes Trek One of the best monsoon treks in India

This article is a detailed guide. For bookings, visit our Kashmir Great Lakes Trek page

When I started writing about the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek on this blog, I was in a dilemma about how to encapsulate the extreme beauty of this trek. Initially, I had two options: to write day-wise informative content, which I thought would resemble an ordinary day-wise itinerary stuffed merely with information about the trek and nothing else. Apparently, it was going to be a boring article for my readers. Hence, I chose the second option, which was to write the blog in such a poetic way that it doesn't feel like a boring itinerary. Rather, the one who reads this blog on the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek feels as if they are also embarking on this supremely beautiful Himalayan trek with us in the heavenly place called Jammu and Kashmir.

So, here the journey begins from the city with beautiful gardens and lakes, and, of course, the houseboats, Srinagar. The easiest (but slightly expensive) way to get there is by flight. Otherwise, you can reach there by train or bus. To acclimatize well, it is advisable to arrive here 1 or 2 days before the starting date of your trek (if your corporate job allows you to take that many leaves).

Day 1: Drive from Shrinagar to Sonmarg

The first day of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, AKA the KGL trek, will indeed be a soothing and enriching experience.

From Srinagar, our vehicle picks you up, and you embark on one of the most beautiful road trips of your life through the Himalayas, from Srinagar to Sonmarg. This will be a short journey of 2-3 hours. Despite being a short road trip, it is full of scenic views.

Undoubtedly, the whole Himalayan mountain range is full of natural beauty, and this stunning beauty always elevates our consciousness to higher dimensions. However, when you embark on the journey, you will feel as if Kashmir is specially blessed by Mother Nature and the Himalayas. The incomparable beauty will leave you awestruck. Make sure you breathe in the clean, fragrant, and soothing air as much as possible. Feel the cold breezes of the wind; they are invitations from the Himalayas to their children.

Upon reaching Sonmarg, our trek guide will greet you and lead you to the campsite—your very first campsite of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek.

It will hardly take 30 to 45 minutes for you to reach the campsite, where you will be introduced to our other staff members who will accompany you and take care of your well-being throughout the Great Lakes trek. All our staff members are trained professionals and masters of their respective fields.

After freshening up, you can explore the nearby areas if time and weather permit. The weather in the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek mostly remains pleasant. While other Himalayan states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand get flooded with water, the Kashmir Valley, due to its unique geography (it falls into a rain shadow area), remains open for adventure enthusiasts. Hence, during the monsoon months, when other well-known treks are closed, Kashmir offers many beautiful treks that can be done. This is why treks like the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, Tosa Maidan Trek, Gurez Valley Trek, and other Kashmir treks like the Tarsar Marsar Lakes Trek remain open throughout the monsoon season. Let's come back to the point now...

At night, after having a wholesome and delicious dinner at the campsite, retire for the day. (You can surely spend some time clicking photos of the Milky Way.) At night, get ample rest so that your body can acclimatize properly, and you can get ready for the upcoming trek, where you will be walking for long distances and crossing some of the highest passes of Kashmir."

Day 2: Sonmarg to Nichinai

The next day, wake up with the golden rays of the rising sun. Soak in the immense positivity that Mother Nature offers. Life doesn't always seem this beautiful. Having a cup of tea in the cold weather and looking at the distant snow-capped mountains... what else can someone ask for? Isn't this enough for anyone's soul to be lit up?

After having breakfast, we will start the 1st day of the trek, which will be around 11 km long, passing through beautiful meadows and water streams. You will probably be given a packed lunch today (In fact, on most days, due to the longer distances of the trek, you will be given a packed lunch that you can enjoy sitting beneath the canopy of Himalayan trees or sitting on the lush green meadows). We can guarantee that the vastness of the meadows will leave you spellbound. Hardly anywhere else in the country will you find such open, vast meadows.

Hiking through the meadows, you will reach a place called Table Top. It is called this because of its flat, surface-like shape resembling a table top. The view from here is mesmerizing. Sit there for a while and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you—the distant Himalayan mountains and the sight of Himalayan glaciers. Here at Table Top, you will find a few "Dhabas" where you can purchase and enjoy the "Pahado Wali Maggie."

Though the trek is long, there is not much elevation gain today. Today's campsite will be located near a mountain stream. The astonishing view from there and the soothing sound of the water will take away all your exhaustion. Spend your day chilling out with your friends. If the weather is clear, you will be able to see a "sky full of stars," the twinkling lights of which will "guide you home" to the deep calm of your consciousness.

Day 3: Nichinai to Vishansar (Vishnusar)

Aren't you all excited? Today, we will be able to witness the first lake of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek circuit, and that is the famous Vishansar (or Vishnusar) lake. Although you will cross one mountain pass in today's trek, today is easier than yesterday.

In this 10 km trek, you will cross one of the three mountain passes, the Nichinai Pass (4139 m). Whenever we have to cross a high mountain pass, we have to traverse through some rocky sections. The same applies to this pass as well. Initially, the trail will take us through meadows, which will later lead us through some rocky sections. Once you cross the Nichinai Pass, there is only descending.

Soon after crossing the Nichinai Pass, you will get your first glance of the magnificent Vishansar (Vishnusar) lake. It is when you first see the lake that you will realize why Kashmir is called heaven on earth. Walk for a few more kilometers and soon you will find yourself beside the lake. Spend some time there, contemplating the beauty and magnificence of the first lake of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek.

The name of Vishansar Lake is derived from the name of Lord Vishnu. The Vishnusar lake, dedicated to Bhagwan Vishnu, holds great importance and is considered very holy for the Kashmiri Pandits.

Due to some restrictions, we cannot pitch our campsite right beside the lake, and this applies to all the lakes of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek. Hence, we will set up our campsite a little farther from the lake and retire for the day.

Today's trek was very easy, but tomorrow is going to be the toughest day of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek. Tomorrow, we will cross the highest mountain pass of this trek and witness the spectacular beauty of two more mountain lakes. Get ample rest. See you tomorrow.

Day 4: Vishansar (Vishnusar) to Gadaar lake via Gadsar Pass

Today we will start our trek from Vishansar Lake. The trail will lead us to Kishansar Lake, then to the Gadsar Pass, and finally to Gadsar Lake. At the end of the day, we will pitch our campsite somewhere after Gadsar Lake.

As we discussed earlier, today's trek is the longest and most challenging of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek circuit. However, you need not worry. We are sure that with your willpower, curiosity, and the support of Himalaya Shelter's experienced trek leaders and supporting staff, you will easily be able to complete today's trek.

Today, let's pray to all the elements of Mother Nature to bless us and fill our bodies with their divine powers so that we can realize that without the support of Mother Nature, we are nothing. It is by Her will that we are here, and only by Her will will we be able to complete this spectacular Himalayan trek.

So, after having a healthy breakfast, we will embark on today's trek, which is 18 km long.

Soon after we start our trek, we will come across the second beautiful lake of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek: Kishansar Lake. It is hardly 500 meters away from Vishnusar Lake. Both Vishansar (3658 m) and Kishansar (3710 m) lakes are connected through a small water channel.

As we pass by Kishansar Lake, the trail will start taking us into the high-altitude Himalayas, as today we need to cross the Gadsar Pass. Gadsar Pass is the highest pass in the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, located at an altitude of 4200 m. Due to its high altitude, it is mostly covered with snow.

From Gadsar Pass, we will be able to view both Kishansar and Vishansar lakes together. It will be a stunning sight to behold and a wonderful memory to cherish. Sit there for a while, enjoy the view, and continue your trek towards Gadsar Lake. On the other side of the Gadsar Pass, you will get your first glimpse of the distant Gadsar Lake.

We will start descending, and after a hike of 2-3 km, we will reach Gadsar Lake (3810 m), but this is not our destination. We will have to walk a few more kilometers to reach today's campsite.

During today's trek and throughout the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, you will come across many water streams from which you can fill up your water bottles.

Upon reaching today's campsite, freshen up and get ample rest so that your body can recover from the exhaustion of today's trek. Congratulations on completing the toughest day of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek.

Day 5: Gadsar to Satsar

What a beautiful world this is... isn't it? Well, that is always true whenever we are in the Himalayas.

Upon waking up, greet the rising sun and soak in the divine vibes and positivity to start today's trek.

Today is the 5th day of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, and we will begin our journey from the Gadsar Lake campsite to the Satsar Lake campsite.

Now, you might wonder that Satsar is not a single lake. "Sat" means seven, and "Sar" means lake in Urdu, so Satsar is actually a group of seven big and small lakes lying near each other (though they are not that close to each other!).

In the initial part of the trek, we will ascend for a while, and then it is mostly descending. The trail will take you through some of the most beautiful landscapes. You will meet many shepherds who will be there with their hundreds of sheep.

To relive the memories of your childhood, you are allowed to play with the baby sheep for a while. That’s why we are here, right? To put off the burdens of modern life and to feel like a carefree child in his mother’s lap. Here, we are all in the lap of Mother Nature. It is up to us to become humble enough to feel her embrace so deeply that it takes away all our worries.

Let's come back to the point... Although there are seven lakes in Satsar (3658 m), we will not cover all of them, as a few are located at high altitudes and farther distances. However, we will see most of them. If the weather remains clear today, we will be able to spot the gigantic Nanga Parbat, which is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth, with an altitude of 8126 m.

Hopefully, by the late afternoon, we will reach today's campsite, and you will get enough time to rest and/or explore the place.

Day 6: Satsar to Gangbal

Today, we will start our trek from the Satsar Lake campsite and cross the 3rd mountain pass of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, the Zaj Pass (3952 m) (also known as Zojibal Pass), and descend to the Gangbal Lake campsite. We will experience the divine beauty of two more mountain lakes: Gangbal Lake and Nandkul Lake.

Today's trek is the shortest of all, but not the easiest. From the very beginning, we will have to walk through moraines. Walking through moraines is always challenging. Once you reach Zaj Pass, you will be able to see the spectacular view of Gangbal and Nandkul lakes. Just like Kishansar and Vishansar lakes, Gangbal and Nandkul are very close to each other. Gangbal is comparatively a little bigger than Nandkul Lake. Both lakes are located beneath the Great Harmukh Mountain (5142 m).

The Harmukh Glacier is the main source of water for both Gangbal and Nandkul lakes. Mt. Harmukh, also known as Mount Satmukh, is very holy for Hindus around the world, especially for Kashmiri Pandits. The word Harmukh is a corruption of the word Harmukut. "Har" means Lord Shiva, and "Mukut" means crown. Mt. Harmukh is considered the crown of Bhagwan Shiva, and hence, it is very holy. So are the lakes. Gangbal is the longest lake of all the lakes in the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek. The water of Gangbal Lake is considered as holy as the water of the Mother River Ganga.

Every year, on the day of Ganga Ashtami, Kashmiri Pandits come here to Gangbal Lake for a pilgrimage. This pilgrimage is called the "Harmukh Gangbal Yatra."

If you are spiritually minded, take the chance to take a holy dip in the chilling waters of Gangbal or Nandkul lakes. It will be an enlightening experience.

Day 7: Gangbal to Naranag and Drive to Srinagar

Today is the last day of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek. We will start our trek after breakfast. Today's trek is mostly descending. Though it is easy, descending can be very difficult if there is rainfall and the trail is wet and slippery. So always pay utmost attention while descending.

In the initial part of today's trek, we will start moving from the meadows, possibly crossing one or two water streams. As we continue our descent, we will slowly enter the tree line. Gradually, as we move further, you will get a sight of civilization. Buildings, roads, and vehicles will gradually come closer (because we are moving towards them), and the mountains will be left behind. But if you have spent the previous 7/8 days with utter respect for Mother Nature and the Himalayan mountains, you will realize that Mother Nature has placed a small part of the Himalayas in your heart. Whenever you feel lost in the chaos of city life, you can delve into that corner of your heart, consult with your own Himalaya, and come back refreshed. May we all be desperate and sincere enough to reach that corner of our heart where the divine, mighty Himalayas reside.

From Naranag, our vehicle will pick you up and take you into the heart of Srinagar, from where you can take your own route to reach your respective destinations.

See you on the next Himalayan Adventure Trek 🌄

Here, it is important to note that generally, the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek lasts for 7 days, but you can add one buffer day to it (if your schedule allows). This will enable you to explore the beautiful Himalayan terrain and majestic Himalayan mountain lakes.

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