Two of Kashmir’s Most Popular Treks: Kashmir Great Lakes Trek and Kang Yatse Trek

 Kashmir, the epitome of beauty, is one of the best places for trekking in India. With so many pristine lakes, robust mountains and enticing landscapes in its ambit, Kashmir opens innumerable opportunities for travelling and witnessing the revering, unfiltered beauty of nature. The aesthetic landscapes in Kashmir are other-wordly and truly make you drool over them. With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow down a choice of place that can best suit your interests, so, here is our pitch for trekking enthusiasts interested in moderate to difficult grade trekking expeditions in Kashmir — The Kashmir Great Lakes Trek and The Kang Yatse Trek

KASHMIR GREAT LAKES TREK

Stretched over 8 days, the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is an exciting, moderate grade expedition of lake-hopping in Kashmir. It begins with a soul-stirring, 3-hour long drive from Srinagar to Sonmarg which remains the actual starting point of the trek. Next to Sonmarg is Nichnai; the second stop on the itinerary, perched at an altitude of 11,500 ft and distanced approximately 11 kms from Sonmarg.

The trek from Sonmarg to Nichnai is refreshing and adorable with dense forests of Pine, Maple and Oak Trees regularly entering and exiting the frame.The trail between the two stops introduces you to majestic views of the Sonmarg Valley and the sprawling Thajiwas Glacier. You will have to traverse the beautiful and enchanting village of Shekdur and trek in parallel to the Nichnai River to reach the serene campsite at Nichnai where you will retire for the night. Distanced approximately 12 kms away from Nichnai is the gorgeous, emerald green Vishansar Lake located at a height of 12,000 ft which is to be reached next via the Nichnai Pass perched at a height of 13,100 ft. The trek from Nichnai to Vishansar Lake via Nichnai Pass is exhilarating, peace-bringing and subtly magical with inexplicably mesmerizing snow clad mountain peaks, lush green meadows and herds of sheep all around.

It will take nearly 6–7 hours of steady trekking for you to trek along a not-so steep ascent to reach the Nichnai Pass, first and to gradually descend to the Vishansar Lake, second. The Vishansar Lake is astonishingly beautiful and induces goosebumps at the very first sight. Ideally, an additional day is spent at Vishansar Lake to facilitate acclimatization and ensure sufficient rest to the body, however the call to stay back at Vishansar Lake for another day usually depends on the overall weather condition of that time. In most cases, trekkers stay back at Vishansar to rest and use the day to visit the Kishansar Lake which lies just 1.5 kms away from the Vishansar Lake. Gadsar; a pleasant and enticing site which lies approximately 14 kms away from the Vishansar Lake, remains next on the itinerary.

The trail from Vishansar to Gadsar passes through the Gadsar Pass which lies at an altitude of 13,750 ft. The trek from Vishansar to Gadsar Pass is steep and quite taxing; however, the latter part of the trek is just a gradual descent to the campsite at Gadsar. During the ascent, you can steal glimpses of the Kishansar Lake and during the descent, you can steal glimpses of the spectacular Gadsar Lake. A 9km trek from Gadsar will take you to Satsar, perched at the same height of 12,000 ft.

The trek from Gadsar to Satsar is thrilling with ascents, descents and flat walking as well. The trail along this route traverses exceptionally fascinating landscapes offering glorious views of unfiltered and raw wilderness. The Satsar Twin Lakes are cradled by vast snow-smeared mountain peaks which are reflected in the quaint and serene Twin Lakes painting awe-inspiring, picturesque views of the valley. A trek to Gangabal Twin Lakes from here marks the next step on the itinerary. Distanced 11 kms away from Satsar are the enchanting Gangabal Twin Lakes situated at an altitude of 11,500 ft.

However, the trail to Gangabal Lakes passes through Zaj Pass which rests at a height of 13,000 ft approximately. The trek from Satsar to Zaj Pass is rousing, electric and almost utopian. The views of four enchanting, teal-stained, relentlessly beautiful lakes from the top of the Zaj Pass are mind-boggling and overwhelming. At the foothills of Mt Harmukh and a few kms away from Zaj Pass are the Gangabal Lakes encapsulated by exotic and spine-chilling landscapes. A 15km long trek from Gangabal to Naranag brings the Kashmir Great Lakes trek to a bright and satisfying end. Approximately 7 hours of gradual descent will bring you down to an altitude of 7,450 ft at Naranag which further lies around 70 kms away from Srinagar.

KANG YATSE TREK

Encapsulated by the Markha Valley, the Kang Yatse Peak stands tall reaching a whopping height of approximately 12,500 ft. Juggling between Leh and Kargil areas of the valley of Ladakh, the Kang Yatse Trek spans over 11 days covering approximately 80 kms of distance. Lesser hyped sibling of the Stok Kangri Trek, the Kang Yatse Trek is a relatively easier and preferred trekking expedition than the Stok Kangri Trek yet is also an exceptionally challenging, daunting and difficult grade trek in itself.

The Kang Yatse Trek begins at Leh where trekkers are made to stay back for an additional day to facilitate acclimatisation. Leh rests at an altitude of 11,500 ft which is extremely high altitude for anyone from lower heights and so facilitating gradual acclimatization becomes crucial to avoid healthcare issues. During the acclimatization day, you can visit a few monasteries and hike to nearby areas for local sightseeing, however it is advised to not overindulge in energy-consuming activities.

The third day of the expedition kick-starts some action with a splendid 3 hour-long drive from Leh to Chilling via the iconic magnetic hills, which is followed by a 9 kms trek from Chilling to Skiu. The trek from Chilling to Skiu is enticing and lasts for approximately 5 hours. Distanced approximately 20 kms from Skiu is the charming village of Markha. The stretch between Skiu and Markha is extremely long but easy to trek over; most part of it is simply a flat and easy slope. There are quite a few river crossings, exotic villages and heartwarming sceneries along this route that make this 20 km long stretch less daunting and draining.

Thachungtse which lies approximately 13 kms away from Skiu remains the next stop on the itinerary. The trail to Thachungtse which rests at a height of 15,400 ft crosses paths with the fiercely gurgling Markha River a few times and traverses the eye-catching Umlung and Hankar Villages to lead you to the lush green pasture lands of Tachungtse. As you gain height to reach Tachungtse, the Kang Yatse Peak begins to appear visibly arousing and encourages you to reach closer and closer at the earliest.

7 kms away from Tachungtse is Nimaling, the trek to which cuts paths with the thrilling and curiosity generating Mani Stones as well as the Twin Tigu Lakes. 3 hours of steady trekking will easily lead you to the surreal and thought-provoking site of Nimaling, 2 kms away from which lies the Base Camp at an estimated altitude of 16,700 ft. The trek from Nimaling to the Base Camp is covered on a fresh day to facilitate gradual mounting as well as easy acclimatization.

The trail from Nimaling to Base Camp is rocky and slightly tricky. Upon reaching the Base Camp relish the transfixing views of the valley and buckle up for the upcoming adventures of the expedition. The 8th day of the expedition is when you are trained for the final leg of the summit. Pay close attention to the instructions and be prepared to witness surges of adrenaline rushes, the next day. The final trek to the summit begins early in the morning.

Distanced nearly 5kms from the Base Camp, the summit of Kang Yatse is reached in approximately 6 hours. A daunting and challenging trek along steep ascents, through moraines, rocks and loose scree will lead you to the top of the summit. Admire the unbelievably bewitching eagle’s eye views of the Zaskar Range, Tibetan Mountains and the K2 Peak from the Kang Yatse Peak and carefully descend to return to the Base camp. The last day of the Kang Yatse Trek is adventure-filled and begins with a strenuous 2 hour-long climb to Kongmaru La Pass perched at a height of 17,100 ft which unfold into devastatingly beautiful, wide-screen views of the exhilarating K2 Peak and the spectacular Karakoram Range. Gradual descending of nearly 5 hours through the arid and cold desert valleys of Indus will then lead you to the Chokdo Village; the last trekkable stop on the itinerary. Finally a pleasant drive from Chokdo through the staggering Ladakh valley to Leh will bring the electric Kang Yatse Trek to a full circle.