The Great Lakes Trek - Most Beautiful Trek in Kashmir

 

The Great Lakes is the only trek in the Himalayas that covers three high altitude passes, five river valley crossings, sporting seven alpine lakes, each an astonishing shade of green, blue and turquoise all usually completed in 6-7 days. The trek is rated as moderate-difficult in terms of terrain and trail difficulty. The Great Lakes Trek commercially known as Sonamarg-Vishansar-Naranag Trek is an alpine himalayan high-altitude trek in the Kashmir Valley in the Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir. The trek is an absolute treat and worth every effort as one gets to see new alpine lakes, mountain peaks, passes, meadows and glaciers almost every subsequent day.

 

The trek can be started from both, Sonmarg and Naranag but is generally considered to be easier if started from Sonamarg. If started from Srinagar, one does a base camp at a place called table top or 'Shaukdari'. It is a good spot for a base camp as its inhabited by the local Gujjar-Bakarwal population and there is plenty of firewood available.

 

 

The trek is 69 kms long and is an excellent choice for beginners looking to step up their trekking game in the Himalayas. We recommend this trail for experienced trekkers as well, not for the challenges but for the sheer beauty and extravagance it houses. Climbing up to an altitude of 4,206 M, the trail switches between ascents and descents on most days making it relatively easy to navigate. The only challenge is needed to tackle the long distances (10 kms or more) one needs to cover each day.

 

The best time to visit the Great Lakes Kashmir trek is from July to September. The trek is popular in Indian Himalayas and probably the most covered trek during monsoon.

 

The most convenient way to reach Srinagar is via flight. Airport in Srinagar is around 10 Km away from the city centre. Arrange a car from the airport/city centre to trek base Sitkari. A Tata Sumo type vehicle charge is ₹ 3000 one way. It can accommodate up to 6 persons and you pay directly to the driver sharing equally. Otherwise, the nearest railway station is in Jammu and it takes around 10 hours to reach Srinagar, covering 280 Km. Srinagar is linked by the National Highway 1A to the rest of the country. J & K state road transport operates comfortable buses from Jammu.