Challenging yet fulfilling, the Great Lakes trek in Ganderbal

Unforgettable, challenging and thrilling, is how Afzal Lara, 48, and his engineer friend Yasir Saraf, 44, describe the Kashmir Great Lakes trek. According to officials and tour operators, the trek comprises of small and big valleys, large pastures, prine meadows and dozens of streams and lakes. (HT Photo) They had embarked on the journey to explore the trek along with their guide-cum-horseman . It took them four days and three nights to cover the 85 km route, walking for 21 hours. They say that people normally finish the journey in approximately a week. These avid trekkers began their journey in the first week of September from the meadows of Sonmarg. When they reached Naranag after four days, they found it hard to hide their emotions. Of late, these lakes up in the Alpine forests and mountains in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal drict have been attracting domestic and foreign trekkers and tours alike. Even trekkers from near areas are seen spending days to explore these lakes. “It was not only thrilling, but also a challenging task which we accomplished,” said Lara, who is dributor of surgical devices and treks as a hob. “It becomes a more herculean task when the expedition is completed within four days. Usually, it takes seven days. We completed the entire trek in just 21 hours of walking,” he said, adding the that best time to visit the area is July and August. “On the way, we met foreign and local trekkers. Some had local guides with them, while many foreigners took help of maps and GPS.” Saraf called the trekking expedition as unforgettable. “Once in a life, every person should embark on this journey to look at the prine nature up close. In the last three years, we have trekked several places, but this was a completely different experience,” he said. According to officials and tour operators, the trek comprises of small and big valleys, large pastures, virgin meadows and dozens of streams and lakes. The journey takes at least one week to complete. However, some experienced trekkers complete it in four to five days. The famous virgin snow-fed lakes that are part of the journey are Kishansar, Vishansar, Gadsar, Satsar, Nundkul and Gangbal. Some of these lakes are home to famous trout species. Trekkers often take the opportunity to catch the fish in these lakes at altitudes between 3,500 to 3,800 metres and satisfy their taste buds. “The KGL is attracting foreign and domestic trekkers. Hopefully, in coming years, more people will visit these lakes,” said an officer of Jammu and Kashmir tourism department. “Few years ago, many places were out of bounds for tours and locals in the region. Now, restrictions have been eased out and people are exploring new destinations,” he said. Sadam Hussain of Gagangeer in Sonmarg, a young entrepreneur who runs a company that aids tours and trekkers in exploring the area, said locals also have started taking a keen interest in trekking. “We facilitate everything for trekkers, right from the beginning till the culmination of the journey. KGL is out of the most wonderful trekking experiences. Usually, most of our groups are from Pune, Maharastra, and near states. This year, we took around 13 to 14 groups, comprising over 100 people each,” he said, adding that there are around six to seven companies that arrange trekking logics. Recently, the adminration opened more than 75 trekking routes, some even in villages close to the Line of Control. Trekkers were allowed to move into area which otherwise used to be off-limits. Most of these are off-beat locations and trails deep inside forests are providing a thrilling experience to adventure seekers, trekkers and tours. Jalal Jeelani, a trekker from Kashmir who is part of Pathfinder trekking group, said the area through the Alpine forests is the best for regular trekkers.