Kashmir Great Lake Trek

Depart to Sonamarg in the afternoon. It is 3 hrs drive from Srinagar.

On this day, you will start your trek from Sonamarg. You will reach Nichnai in about 6-8 hours by traveling 11km. It is at about 7,800 ft to 11,500 ft. After traveling some distance you will see a Dhaba where you can get some necessary items like packages of water, biscuits and many more. Remember that this dhaba is the last one to buy necessary eatables. You will find the next one only at Narang which is at the end of the trek. You will face ascent as well as descent while trekking.

You will see green meadows in the middle of the trek which will fulfill you with freshness and provide immense satisfaction. After crossing meadows, you will see dense forests with Pine and Mapple trees. You will be surrounded by mountains, some covered with snow while some not. As you go higher, you will see various villages with small dwellings. There you will experience some traditional ways of living, dressing, speaking and many more. Once you reach the top height of the ridge, you can capture pictures of the beautiful and serene nature for a lifelong memory. After this height, you will have to walk down the downslope into a meadow. In between, you can see water streams. You will feel like you are walking on the green carpet as several leaves will be lying there.

Before reaching Nichnai, you will stay at Shekdur for some time. This campsite is beautifully surrounded by Bhoj Trees and looks tremendously beautiful. You will have lunch over here and then will move towards Nichnai which is approx 2 hours away. After you reach Nichnai, you will see a wide green meadow between two mountains. You will end your first-day trek here only by living in tents on flat grounds.

On day third, your goal is to reach Vishansar lake which is at 12000 ft. It will take 7 hours to cover the 12km trek. You will begin your day at 8 am and then will have enough time to enjoy the trek. You will cross Nichnai Pass to reach Vishansar Lake. You will see snow-covered peaks around you. You will walk along the river. At first, you will walk down the meadows and after some time you will have to climb up to the pass. Slowly you will come closer to the lake and will see deep blue color water in the lake. Here you will truly feel that choosing Kashmir Great Lake Trek was your best decision.

Here you may find BSNL networks and probably this is the last place where you can get a network. You may find the next point of the network after crossing Gangabal. After moving forward you will see many ascents and descents. You will see red flowers blooming in the region. You can take pictures of the beautiful scenery. You will also see the waterfall on your left. After the waterfall, you will have to walk through the flat meadows. These flat meadows are in between the two mountain ranges. On one side you will see snowy mountains and on the other side, you will see barren and rocky mountains.

After reaching the end of the valley, you can pitch your tents anywhere on the campsite. From here you will head towards Vishansar lake which is really big in size. You can even see the reflection of the Kishansar peak in the lake. The color of the water in the lake seems colorless early in the morning. After the sun shines, it starts changing its colors. It will become deep blue on a sunny day. You can enjoy nature before going to bed.

On your 4th day, you will have a full day to explore Vishansar and Kishansar. You can enjoy yourself in the valley and can feel nature. Do take proper rest so as to regain your energy for the trek of the following days.

You will have to trek for Gadsar from Vishansar. It will take 10 hours to travel the 14 km trek. You will first reach Kishansar lake from the campsite. This lake is also blue in color and is big in size. On its right, there is a huge meadow located. The lake and the meadow are bordered by a ridgeline that increases sharply. You have to travel to this ridge to reach Gadsar as it is located on the top of the ridge.

You will see beautiful views in between the track. After reaching Gadsar Lake you will see various small lakes around. You will also see many snow peaks. But these peaks lie outside LOC. You will see blue color flowers blooming near the lake. You can make Gadsar your campsite but you must keep the area clean after leaving it. In fact, you must promise yourself to keep the entire lake clean and beautiful as it is.

From Gadsar you will have to head towards Satsar. The trek is if 9 km and will take around 6 hours to complete. From the Gadsar army camp, you will step towards the trek. You can follow the bridge to avoid contact with icy cold water.

You will see trees and a river valley. After crossing 11,500 ft you will soon walk on the flat trail which is surrounded by mountains. The place is known as Maengandob. After moving ahead you will a mesmerizing landscape. It's a flat green bed with a natural stream flowing between it. You can choose this place as your campsite. Satsar is a collection of seven lakes. You can spend quality time with your trek mates around the lake and can stay overnight here.

From Satsar you will move towards Gangabal twin lakes. The trek is 11 km and takes 6 hours. You will find ups and downs during the trek. You will soon reach the biggest Satsar lake. You will see forests in between treks. At first, you have to go down and soon after that you will have to begin climbing. While climbing you will face rocky and barren mountains.

Soon you will reach the top of the 3rd ridge. You will see two more lakes from the ridge which are blue in the colour. Take pictures of the surroundings and enjoy the beauty. After crossing a stream over a bridge, you will reach Nundol lake. The Nundol lake is located at the base of the Harmukh peak. Nundkol and Gangabal are famous for trout fishing. From Nundol, Gangabal is about 20km away. Gangabal is huge in size.

This is the last day of your trek. On this day you will move towards Narang from Gangabal. And after that, you will drive to Srinagar. It's a 15 km trek and will take 7 hours. At first, you will follow gradual descent, and after that steep descent. From Gangabal you will move towards the tree line. You will need to walk along the ridge. After covering some distance you may find a network for a short period of time. At the end of the ridge, you will reach a green meadow. You will see many yellow flowers on the green meadow which looks amazing.

It is possible that you may not spot many people along the trek. You will cover many ascents and steep descents. Soon you will come across a stone-paved village and you will enter the main road of Narang. From here you will drive towards Srinagar and will take so many memories of this beautiful trek with you for a lifetime.