These lines can be simply translated as, “If there is a heaven on earth, It is here, it is here, it is here.”
Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is undoubtedly India’s most breathtaking journey. It has all the traits of a typical Himalayan journey, including beautiful alpine lakes, vast colorful meadows, and steep rocky climbs. In all honesty, I don’t think there is any hike in India as stunning as Great Lakes. I was in awe of the beauty of this planet as a result of the spectacularly blue lakes combined with the magnificent Greater Himalayan mountain ranges. It is one of the most scenic hiking trails in the Himalayas to travel from Sonamag to Naranag across Nichnai and Gadsar Pass in nine days.
Sonamarg is a major tourist location in Kashmir, where my trip began. The four-hour trip from Srinagar to Sonamarg was magnificent. I stayed at Gagangir, which is a bit before Sonmarag and close to the Sindh Nallah river.
7 Long Days of my Journey to the Heaven on Earth – Kashmir Great Lakes
Table of Contents
Day One :
It was a sunny, clear morning. After a large breakfast, I got dressed while carrying my backpack. I drove to the starting location of Shitkadi. To avoid the crowd, I made a decision to spend a couple of hours at the meadow. I started my hike toward Shekdur after lunch. For the first few hours, there was a gentle climb. From the summit, I could see all of Sonamarg, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It was a short journey along winding paths that eventually led to a lovely grove of maple and pine trees.
Day Two :
The sound of the horses rushing around the meadow woke me up. A magnificent sunrise emerged. Around ten o’clock after breakfast, I departed from the campsite. The trail, which descended for a half-hour, led to the Bhoj forest. The whole trek in the woodland was quite relaxing. On my right, I could see a wide river valley. I had to cross certain areas that were covered with snow and pebbles. As I made my way toward the Nichnai Pass, the landscape got progressively rough. The journey was hard and long. I enjoyed a stunning sunset from the campsite.
Day Three :
The valley was drenched in sunlight the following day. I had a wonderful breakfast before getting ready to hike to Krishnasar Lake. A lovely stream was flowing close to my camp, so I had to cross it. My feet began going numb, but after a little while, the water felt comfortable. Continuing my journey to Vishnusar, the first of the great lakes! , the terrain was flat with a slight climb. Vishnusar was gigantic! The blue lake was surrounded by stunning scenery and is tucked beneath four mountains. I spent about an hour admiring this enchanted location’s splendour afterwards I led the way to Krishnasar, which was another 50 minutes distant.
Day Four :
The following day, I traveled across Gadsar Pass, the highest point of the hike at 13,800 feet. It was fascinating to witness Krishnasar Lake’s crystal-clear water cast a golden shadow by the sun’s first rays. I took my time moving along the steep, narrow slopes after breakfast. I went down until I reached a wide meadow. I ate my lunch near Gadsar Lake. The most beautiful and pristine lake of them all was this one. The snow slabs dropping from the cliffs inside the lake astounded me. It was extremely pleasant to ascend to Gadsar camp on a descending trail that ran parallel to the lake.
Day Five :
After breakfast, I left the Gadsar Camp. I walked across a frozen pond and began ascending a rocky path. The trail was steep for an hour before I made it through the hills. I spent about an hour hiking through a large meadow when the trail flattened out. I quickly arrived at the first Satsar lake. The name Satsar means Seven Lakes.
Day Six :
Since I had to cross the Zaj Pass today, I set out on the hike early. The trail took me to a boulder area after passing through a small rock field and across a wooden bridge that crossed the river. The river was flowing parallel to the trail and there was a lot of snow in the valley. The entire valley was suddenly covered in fog. I continued to move on in almost complete darkness until, after a difficult ascent, I arrived at the pass’s summit. From the top, one could see Gangabal and Nandakol, the twin lakes. I soon arrived at Nandkol, my final campsite, after descending to a wide-open region.
Day Seven :
The journey came to an end today. After taking a tonne of photos, I finally said goodbye to my camp. It was challenging to walk on the dusty trail because of the intense heat. The thought of returning to civilization after a week drove me on, and I soon arrived at the last destination, Naranag. Before heading home, I spent the night in the well-known Dal Lake.
Conclusion
Despite visiting many locations in Ladakh, Nepal, and Sikkim, I have never witnessed anything as breathtaking as the Great Lakes. This hike offered me lifelong memories of the Kashmir Great Lakes that we will love forever.
