About 72 km over seven days, four passes and a chain of high lakes. What the Kashmir Great Lakes trek asks of you, and how to get ready for it.
The Kashmir Great Lakes trek runs from Sonmarg to Naranag, roughly 72 km over seven trekking days, crossing the Nichnai, Gadsar, Zaj and Satsar passes. It is graded moderate, but that grade assumes you are properly fit.
When to go
The season runs from early July to mid September. July is the greenest month, with the most wildflowers and the most stream crossings. September is drier and clearer and better for photographs, but nights drop below freezing.
How hard is it?
Expect six to seven hours of walking a day, with a highest point of 4,200 m at the Gadsar pass. There are no technical sections and no rope work. The difficulty adds up: you spend a week at altitude, climbing and descending every day. Train with 5 km runs and stair repeats for at least six weeks beforehand.
Permits and logistics
Forest department permits are required, and your operator arranges them. Photo ID is checked at the army post before Satsar. There is no mobile signal after Sonmarg, apart from the odd patch near Gangabal.
The lakes
Vishansar and Krishansar sit as a pair below the Nichnai pass. Gadsar, the most photographed, lies directly under the pass of the same name. Satsar is a scatter of seven small lakes. Gangabal and Nundkol, the twin lakes under Mount Harmukh, make the best campsite of the whole trek.
