The Great Kashmir Lakes Trek

I remember well that it was the mid calendar period of the year 2012. My hectic board exams as well as the competitive exams had been over by then and my family decided in unison to venture into a Trek to Kashmir.

And here follows what happened henceforward:

My father logged on to a trekking website and booked four seats for us in the earliest camp heading towards the Kashmir Great Lakes. And then we started the preparations. We all had a trio to complete- mental, physical and emotional. I also include emotional because mine was a kind of a family that enjoyed the residential comforts and security but it all soon faded away when we visited the Kashmir Great Lakes.

As the name suggests, it is evident that the location of our destination is in Kashmir and more precisely near Srinagar. It is more of a summer trek as it is always good to see the beauty of the nature in its original as well as the commonest state. So after paying some short visits here and there in the heaven of earth we began our trek from the Sonamarg town.

Rich in the greenery, the end of the Sonamarg town along with the nearby villages marked the beginning of the ever spreading meadows. I really found it a speciality of this trek that there were so many open meadows encircled by the dense forests that nurtured the struggling brooks along with the other flora and fauna. The maple and the pine trees were also an add-on.

On further ascent, we encountered Shekdur- another beauty standing face to face. The landscape of Shekdur was rich with the downpour of the Silver Birch trees and the snowy pinnacles of the little stony authorities with the roughly spread shepherd huts. All of these mingled in one to give this land a remote look that was solely its own.

After crossing the Nichnai Pass which was made wholesome of icy cold cascades of waterfalls, we came across Vishansar Lake and after 1.5 kms the Kishansar Lake. Both the lakes were alike with the only difference being in its volume which was probably more on the side of the Vishansar Lake. Both shared the similar tranquil look and carried the same meditative trance.

Much before coming on this trek I used to think that such places are confined to the stories cantering around fairy lands. But believe me Kashmir is a fairy land and it is in real. The Great Lakes is surely the best of all the fairies residing in Kashmir.

After we crossed the Gadsar Pass, the trail started descending. The trek seemed over but it had actually started. We were further hypnotised by the Yamsir Lake, a nameless lake, Gadsar Lake, Satsar lakes, the twin lakes- bigger one being Gangabal and the last one in this trek being the Nundkol.

They all seemed quite different from each other in the formation but were alike in their magnificence.

A Trek of 63 kms at a height of 15000 feet with Rs. 12000 at stake- I had not really lost anything but gained every moment of my life that I had spent on that trek.