Beautiful High Altitude Lake Treks in India

Everyone usually goes on a trek where one would get to see the beauty of mountains and hills. But trekking to reach a lake is a different experience and is interesting as they are at a high altitude. Here is a list of high altitude lake treks in India. 

Bhrigu lake trek –

This is a trek to a lake at an altitude of 14,000 ft with moderate difficulty. The trek is only 20 km away from Manali. A famous belief is that Maharishi Bhrigu sat here to meditate. The main attraction of this trek is actually not the lake itself but the surrounding grasslands that you will say on the way. The fields on this trek are spread across a huge area, where while trekking you can see horse’s galloping and sheep’s grazing. If you like to see wildflowers all around you then the right time to go for the trek would be July,

August and September. To reach the top you start from the base that is Gulaba and go to Jonker Thatch. Jonker Thatch to Rola Kholi in about 4 hours and then to Bhrigu lake and back to Rola Kholi in only 6-7 hours. The next day you return back to the base Gulaba. On these four days you will get an experience on how it feels like to stay in tents in natural surroundings. The trek starts from Gulaba, to reach there you can take buses from Manali which would take you about 2 hours to reach. There is also an option of going by share taxi and if that is not available you will have to take a cab which would be quite costly. 

Great lakes trek –

The Great Lakes Trek is in Kashmir and it is a seven Day trek. The trek is not an easy one and the highest altitude is almost 14,000 ft. Kashmir is considered as heaven on earth and this trek just proves it. On the trek you have a chance to pass through almost 6-7 valleys. The Great Lakes Trek has more than 7 lakes. The base point is Shitkadi which is about 3 hours away from Srinagar.

The distance of the trek from Shitkadi to Nichnai is around 11.5 km. The next part of the trek is to reach Vishnusar from Nichnai which will take around 7 hours as the distance is about 13 km. Then from  Vishnusar to Gadsar you will trek for 16 km. The next day you trek till Satsar and then go ahead to Gangabal. On the last day from Gangabal you go to Narang. The trek is not very difficult but you have to trek for longer hours each day. The best time would be from the month of  July till the month of September. 

Beas Kund trek –

The final destination on this trek is where you will be able to witness the source of the river that flows across the town. This trek is an easy one and can be completed in four days. The things that the trek is famous for other than the lake is the the fields of Bakarthach and Dhundi, deodar forests and the various mountains that can be seen. The trek starts from Dhundi and the first stop is taken after two hours at Palchhani Thatch. The next day you continue from Palchhani Thatch to reach Lohali.

The third day you visit Beas Kund and then come back to Lohali on the same day. On the last day to trek back to Dhundi. To reach Dhundi you can take buses from the Manali bus stop. The trek is not difficult but it is still recommended that you prepare yourself well before you go for the trek.  A few essential things you need to take on the trek are trekking shoes, sturdy backpack, clothes and medical kit. Since there are high chances you will get snow on the trek it is advisable you carry gloves, socks, trekking pole, woolen cap and jacket. 

Chandratal Lake trek –

This trek is in the Spiti valley at an altitude of 16240 ft. This trek again is an easy one and can be done in four days. The name is Chandratal because the lake looks like a crescent shaped moon. It is believed that the place where Yudhishthira was picked up in Lord Indra’s chariot is very close to this lake. The ideal time for trekking here is July to August, the levels of water in the lake is quite high during this time.

To reach Chandratal you can come till Kunzum Pass by your car or bike and you will have to park it in the parking space. The other option is to take a bus and get down at Batal from where you will have to trek for 15 km to reach Chandratal lake. You should carry a torch, walking stick, jacket, appropriate clothing, medical kit, water and food. 

If you are interested in visiting any of these lakes then go and start planning and packing for the trek.