Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek – KGL which became increasingly popular and endorses Kashmir’s famous title as heaven on earth. The trails will be taken through stunning Alpine and snow-capped mountains, and the trek will be surrounded by beautiful green meadows, rugged terrains, and mountains.

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is fascinating due to the numerous high-altitude lakes, such as – Vishansar lake, Krishnasar lake, Gadsar lake, Satsar lake, Nundkol lake, and Gangabal lake and alpine meadows scattered with tiny wildflowers, and beautiful campsites. It’s the only trek in the Himalayas that includes three high-altitude passes, 5 river valley crossings, and seven alpine lakes in stunning shades of green, blue, and turquoise.
Every day, you are confronted with boundless, extravagant, and impossibly beautiful lavishness: endless blue skies larger-than-life panoramas of rugged mountains, vibrant meadows brimming with wildflowers, river crossings, and boulder hopping.

The trail climbs to an elevation of 4,2060 mt and toggles between ascents and descents on most days, making it relatively simple to traverse. The only challenge is enhancing the endurance required to cover the long distances (10 km average) required each day.

Best Time to Visit Kashmir Great Lakes

The Kashmir Great Lakes trek is accessible to trekkers from June to September. The reason for this is that during the other months, Kashmir is engulfed in snow due to extreme weather conditions, making snow trekking difficult.
In fact, June to September is considered peak summer months as they transition into autumn. This is also one of the reasons Kashmir looks so beautiful during these months. The colors you see and the landscape change over the course of three months as Kashmir gets ready to welcome Autumn.

Difficulty level

You will trek for seven days, with one day off for rest. Every day, the average distance traveled will be between 12 Km. This also means that you will be climbing for 5 to 8 hours during the day. This can vary depending on your fitness level and the group’s pace. Because the climbs are steep, People who wish to participate in this trek must be physically fit. Every day of the trek, there is a combination of ascending and descending 1500 ft.

We observed three different challenging – difficult sections that you will encounter on this trek:

1. The ascent to Nichnai Pass
2. The ascent to Gadsar Pass
3. Difficult boulder section following Satsar

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

Detailed Itinerary
  • Srinagar city is known as the Venice of the East for its unique aquatic culture. The Numerous Lakes and Rivers are all interconnected through canal ways giving rise to a unique city known for its Lavish Houseboats which are intricately designed of pine wood. You will be hosted in these houseboats which are found nowhere else, Once you arrive you will be taken for a ride around the lake exploring floating vegetable gardens and islands on the Dal Lake. Overnight at Houseboat.

  • After breakfast, we will drive to Sonamarg “the meadow of gold’ along the picturesque Sind river. At Shitkari we pack our load on horses and start our trek. Our trail a slightly steep passes through the meadows and enters a pine/birch forest at Shokdari before the vast and long Nichnai meadow which is our camping ground for an overnight stay. (Camp)

  • We leave Nichnai meadow and immediately start ascending one of the three passes of the trek the Nichnai Pass (4000m). We ascend through beautiful Alpine meadows which are full of wild sheep, grazing on these endless pastures. After crossing the pass we enter the Vishansar Valley “the valley of medicinal plants”, we descend gradually through the alpine flower valley and camp at Vishansar Lake for an overnight stay. (Camp)

  • After discovering Vishansar Lake we head towards its sibling the Krishansar Lake which lies just over a ridge. We take its eastern shore to ascend the second and the highest pass of the trek the Gadsar Pass (4200m). On the top of the pass, we have an aerial view of the whole Vishansar valley among it are situated the twin lakes of Vishansar and Krishansar “the source of Neelam River”. We descend through Gadsar valley and lakes and camp at Kustoor Kout for an overnight stay. (Camp)

  • We ascend Kostur Kout leaving Gadsar valley and enter the meadow of Rasbal. It’s the Rasbal where a flowing river disappears underground. We continue our trek through seven small lakes of Satsar and camp at Megandoab at the foothills of the third pass of Zajibal for an overnight stay. (Camp)

  • We ascend the last pass of our trek ‘Zajibal Pass (4180m)’. We forget all our tiredness when reaching atop because of the views, and scenery it provides. We see Mount Haramukh (5300m) just standing at our face and at its footsteps lie the twin beautiful alpine lakes of Gangabal and Nundkol. We descend the pass and reach Gangabal Lake for an overnight stay. (Camp)

  • Explore the twin lakes of Gangabal and the surrounding of Mount Harmukh which are famous for their picturesque setting. Enjoy the day around and have lunch at the bank around Gangabal lake even return back to camp. (Camp)

  • We leave Gangabal and Nundkol Lakes trek through the meadows of Trunkhun and descend to Naranag village through the pine forest of Bodpathri. Here ends our walking. We take our car and drive back to Srinagar for an overnight stay at Houseboat.

Your trek includes

Price Inclusions

  • Accommodation in tents/homestays on twin sharing basis
  • Meals – All meals from dinner at Sonamarg on Day 1 to lunch at Naranag on Day 7 are included.
  • Camping Charges ( All permission and Permits )
  • Trekking Equipment – Sleeping bags, Sleeping Mattresses, Toilet Tents & Kitchen Tents.
  • Staff – Trek Leaders, Cooks, and Helpers
  • Safety equipment – First Aid Kit, Oxygen Cylinders, etc

Price Exclusions

  • Accommodation at Srinagar
  • Transportation to and fro from Srinagar – Additional ( Rs 1000 – 1200/person would be charged )
  • Offloading Charges – Rs 2000/person in case you wish to offload for the entire duration of the trek
  • Travel Insurance or any kind of insurance
  • Any kind of personal expenses
  • Any expenses arising due to unforeseen contingencies landslides, curfew, government orders, or natural disasters.
Things to Carry
  • Trekking Shoes (Do not carry sneakers/ sports shoes. Carry shoes that have good grip and ankle support)
  • Backpack (40 -60 liters): A backpack with sturdy straps and a supporting frame. Rain cover for a backpack is essential.
  • Daypack 20 liters: On the summit day, you’ll need a smaller backpack to carry water, snacks, and your medical kit. Bring a foldable backpack.
  • Layers/Warm Clothes/Thermals
  • Trek pants, T-shirts, and undergarments, as per your convenience. Carry the actual number required and stay light: Sunglasses, a Sun Cap, and sunscreen.
  • Hand gloves, socks 2 pairs and woolen socks
  • Headlamp/LED Torch is mandatory
  • Trekking Pole
  • Poncho/Raincoat
  • Cutlery: Carry a spoon, coffee mug, and a lunch box. (Mandatory)
  • Personal Medikit
  • Toiletries: moisturiser, light towel, lip balm, toilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, and hand sanitizer. Do not carry wet wipes. One 1-litre water bottle.
  • Plastic covers: Carry a few extra plastic bags for wet clothes. Make sure you take them back and do not litter the mountains.