Kashmir Great Lakes
Overview
| Activity: | Himalaya Trek |
| Region: | Sonmarg (J & K) |
| Temperature: | Day 17°C to 20°C and Night 3°C to 4°C |
| Highest Altitude: | 3,684 M (13,800 ft.) |
| Endurance: | Moderate |
| Grade: | Difficult |
| Duration: | 8 Days/ 7 Nights |
| Cost: | ₹ 16,500/- + Insurance Charges |
| Batches: | 3rd – 10th Aug, 2024 |
A once-in-a-lifetime experience for trekking enthusiasts, the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek will truly take you to the heart of nature. The snow-clad Himalayas create the perfect backdrop for this enthralling escape into the wild! Verdant meadows form a lush and alluring pathway for trekkers making their way slowly and steadily across towards each of the surreal, turquoise blue lakes – a reward that awaits you at the end of each trail. It is no wonder that the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is one of the most sought-after trekking tours for adventure lovers.
The trek covers the pristine Vishansar Lake, the ethereal Kishansar Lake, the serene Gadsar Lake, the alpine flower haven Nundkol Lake, and the beautiful Gangabal Lake. Each of these shimmering water bodies in the Himalayas carries a charm of its own. Truly, the entire trail will offer you many opportunities for capturing images that fill your camera to the brim and delight your own eyes to no end! The perfect getaway from the chaos of city life.
Dense maple and pine forests, snow-clad mountain ranges, glacier-fed lakes, alpine flower beds, and emerald-green meadows…the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek may last only for a few days but will leave you with memories for life!
- Trek to multiple, pristine himalaya lakes on a single trail
- Hike to three high altitude Himalaya passes.
- Camp underneath the starry sky in Kashmir
- Witness the stunning contrast of white icebergs across the blue waters of the lakes
- Meet shepherds tending to their flock amid the lush green meadows and enjoy their regaling stories
Tour Plan
Report at base camp Shitkadi village (Sonamarg) (Altitude: 7,800 ft.; 4 hrs drive 90 km drive from Srinagar)
Meet our team member at Srinagar around 1pm. We will leave for base camp around 2 pm (drive about 3½ hours/ 100kms)
The campsite is near the Sindh river at Shitkadi Village.
Nichnai to Vishansar lake via Nichnai Pass (Altitude: 11,500 ft. to 12,000 ft. via 13100 ft.; 12 km trek duration about 8 hours)
The 1st Lake of the trek..... Trek from Nichnai camp to Nichnai Pass is of approx one and half hours ascent and then descend till Vishansar campsite.
Once you reach the campsite, the Vishansar lake is just a short walk away. A campsite is a unique place with open ground. Hordes of sheep and their shepherds are the regular visitors to the lake. The shepherds are well known for their interesting stories.
Fishing in the lake is allowed only with the permission from Srinagar Fishing Department. At the top of Nichnai Pass, you can get B.S.N.L and Airtel network, which is the last point under the mobile coverage area.
Vishansar lake to Gadsar via Gadsar Pass (Altitude: 12,000 ft. to 12,000 ft. via 13,750 ft.; 14 km trek duration about 10 hours)
The trail to Gadsar lake goes through Gadsar pass the highest point of the trek (13,750 ft). From Vishansar, the trail takes a steep ascent till Gadsar Pass. Visit Kishansar Lake on the way. From the Gadsar pass till the campsite it is a gradual descent. We can spot the Gadsar lake en route. If the weather is clear you might also spot the Glacier of Gadsar Lake. Our campsite is at 2 hrs walk from Gadsar lake.
Gadsar to Satsar (Altitude: 12,000 ft. to 12,000 ft.; 9 km trek duration about 6 hours)
The trail is laden in vibrant flowers. Satsar twin lakes are between the middle of the mountain and are also known as Mengen top, We will visit the Satsar twin lakes in the afternoon.
We need to share our IDs at another army check post en route.
Satsar to Gangabal twin lakes via Zaj Pass (Altitude: 12,000 ft. to 11,500 ft. via 13,400 ft.; 11 km trek duration about 7 hours)
The trail goes through the rocky patch and ascends to Jazz Pass. At the pass, you can enjoy views of the 4 lakes, Mt. Harmukh, and its glacier. From the pass, we descend to the Gangabal lake and camp at Nandkol lake. We visit Gangabal Lake, which is one of the largest lakes during the trek.
Gangabal to Naranag (Altitude: 11,500 ft. to 7,450 ft.; 15 km trek; duration about 7 hours)
After crossing the verdant meadows we need to stop at Army check post. Keep your original ID proofs for verification. Further trail is a complete descent through Pine tree forest till the last point of the trek – Naranag.
The trek ends at Narnag... From Narnag drive back to Srinagar...
Inclusion
- Travel from Srinagar to base camp and back to Srinagar
- Camp tents accommodation (triple sharing)
- Girls and Boys Separate Accommodation
- All Veg. / Non Veg (Eggs) Meals on trek days. (1st day Dinner to breakfast on 7th day)
- Trekking Permits
- First aid kit
- Qualified & Experienced Trek Leader
- Guide / Cook and other Professional support staff
Exclusion
- Last day accommodation and food at Srinagar.
- Any food/ meals during traveling to base camp and back to Srinagar.
- Any kind of Personal expenses viz. packaged water bottles, Soft drinks, Laundry, etc.
- Any kind of insurance.
- Porterage to carry personal backpack (offloading charges)
- Buffer day - In case a buffer day is used participant shall pay ₹ 2,000/- per day in cash. The amount will be collected only if buffer day is used.
- Tips, Local Sightseeing and anything which is not specifically mentioned in the cost inclusions.
- If participants do not want to continue Trek once arrived OR participant is not physically fit and want to stay in Hotel then participant shall bear all the cost of stay and food.
- Any additional Expenses/ cost incidental to any change in the itinerary / stay caused by reason beyond our control such as Natural Calamities (Landslides, Floods etc.), any accidents, medical evacuations, riots, strikes, evacuation costs, flight cancellation, etc.
- Participants who return in the middle of trek for any kind of reason whatsoever once we leave for the same from base camp, shall bear all the cost including transportation, stay, food etc.
- Any kind of refund for unutilised tour plan services.
- Any other tax or service charge, stay charge that could be enforced during this period will be extra and need to be borne by Participants.
- Any service not specifically mentioned in the Includes sections.
Important Note
- All travelers are advised to purchase travel insurance that provides care and services for sickness, Accidents, emergency rescue, etc. We shall not be responsible for the loss of personal assets and belongings of the travelers due to unavoidable reasons or mishaps.
- Carry appropriate substitution medicines for individuals allergic to any of above
- Avoid medication such as sleeping tablets, sedatives, strong painkillers, and antihistamines which depress the respiration and increase the risk of (AMS – Active Mountain Sickness) especially while sleeping
- Offloading charges shall be paid in cash before start of the trek. Offloading charges will be non refundable and non transferable at any circumstances.
Cancellation & Refund Policy:
If for some reason you wish to cancel your trek/ event then an email intimation needs to be sent to “info@wanderingexplorers.in”. Cancellation requests are not taken over phone, however you can phone to check whether your cancellation has been processed.
- Insurance charges are non refundable.
- In case if participant cancelled booking before 31 days in advance from the date of joining, then participant will get a refund of 75%.
- In case if participant cancelled booking between 30 to 21 days in advance from the date of joining, then participant will get a refund of 50%.
- In case if a participant is unable to join a trek/event at last moment or cancelled booking in less than 21 days in advance from the date of joining, then participant will not get any refund.
- No Refund or Compensation for any changes on the ongoing event.
- No Refund of any kind for unutilised tour plan services.
- A refund will be given after 15 days of completion of the trek /event.
- We owns (or reserve) the right to apply cancellation charges; if the trek/ event cancelled before leaving for the trek/ event by any reason beyond our control such as Natural Calamities (Heavy Rains, Storms, Landslides, Floods, and Pandemic, etc.) or any unforeseen incidents like road accidents, public transport cancellation/ failure, Government declared restrictions, strikes and Bandhs, etc. We shall not be liable for any other kind of loss.
Things to Carry
- A strongly built Backpack (50 to 60 liters) with good support and Rain cover.
- Sturdy Trekking Shoes with good support and grip suitable for Himalayan trek.
- The Clothes You Should Bring On a Trek
- Trek Pants – 2
- Double layer fleece trek pant suitable for Himalayan trek – 1
- Fleece Jacket suitable for Himalayan trek
- Down feather jacket suitable Himalayan trek.
- Thermals – vest and lower.
- Trekking T- Shirts 3 to 4 (Quick dry T-shirts preferably full sleeves)
- Poncho
- Beanie/ monkey cap and Balaclava
- Buffs – 2
- Sun cap
- Tw0 water Bottles (1 lit. each)
- Plate, Bowl, Lunch/ Tiffin box, Cup and spoon
- Hiking Pole
- Sun protection cream suitable for high altitude trek
- Cold Cream and Lip balm
- Sunglasses suitable for high altitude trek
- Slippers/ floaters
- Pair of each – Woolen Gloves and Waterproof Gloves
- Woolen socks 1 pair and trekking socks 8 pairs
- Head Lamp with extra set of batteries.
- Dry fruits, Dates, ready to eat snacks, Enerzal/ Glucon D and chocolate bars/ energy bars.
- Face Masks and hand sanitizer in enough quantities for entire days of the event.
- Pancha/ quick dry towel
- Personal Toiletry Items (toothpaste, toothbrush, toilet paper, soap, etc.)
- Medicines those you require usually, with your doctor’s consultation.
- Candid powder, Volini spray, Crepe bandage, Band Aids, Cotton, Bandage, etc. as a personal first Aid kit
- Carry Personal Medical Kit with consultation of your doctor.
Mandatory Documents
Please carry the documents given below
- Original and photocopy of government photo identity card- (Aadhar Card, Driving License, Voters ID, etc.)
- Medical Certificate (First part should be filled by the Doctor and Second part by the Trekker) – Medical Certificate Download Link
- Declaration Form – Declaration Form Download Link
- Photographs – 3