Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, things to know before you go

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What the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is like

In one word – beautiful. The alpine meadows dotted with flowers of various hues extend as far as the eye can see. I did the trek in September, and I got to see lush green slopes full of flower beds. People who have done the trek in the months of July and August said that they saw a riot of colors as that is the peak flowering season.
In late September, the meadows start turning brown and is not the best time to go for this trek.

Terrain, altitude and difficulty level of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

During the trek, you’ll walk across varied terrain consisting of boulders, rocks, loose gravel and grasslands. That said, the route follows a well defined path for most of the trek.

You will cross 3 passes (on separate days) during the KGL trek (details below). On these 3 days, you will climb during the first half of the trek and then descend in the second half. Some of the climbs are long and can be tough if your fitness level is low. The descends are not easy on your knees either. You need to be careful so as not to injure yourself while descending.

Day wise distances and elevation gains

Mountain passes on the KGL Trek

Nichnai Pass (Day2) lies at an altitude of roughly 3,969 meters. You’ll get to the pass after trekking for a distance of 3.5 kms from the Nichnai campsite. You’ll gain roughly 444 meters to the pass.

Gadsar Pass (Day 3) lies at roughly 4,090 meters. The elevation gain to reach the pass from the Vishansar campsite is roughly 500 meters which you’ll gain over 5 kms.

Zaj Pass (Day 5) lies at roughly 3927 meters. The pass is roughly 3.3 kms from the Satsar campsite and you’ll gain roughly 400 meters to get to the pass.

Rain, fog, sheep and horse shit

As all treks go, this trek is susceptible to bad weather. Ensure that you carry a rain jacket or poncho with you.

When the weather becomes foggy and rainy, certain sections of the trek can become difficult as you’ll have to cross slippery rocks, boulders, mud and slush. If there is a large herd of sheep crossing the section at the same time, it will make matters worst. In such a situation, stand aside, let the sheep pass and then continue.

It goes without saying, there will be tons of horse and sheep shit on the trail. Watch your step!

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Junk food on the trek

On multiple days of the trek, you’ll get dhabas selling the epitome of junk food – Maggi! At the dhabas you’ll also get Kashmiri Kahwa, bread omelets, biscuits, chips etc. Several people who had the Kahwa at these dhabas didn’t like it. I didn’t try any of these things, so I can’t say first hand how they were. But yes, you’ll get them at the following points:

Sonmarg to Nichnai – there is a dhaba roughly 4 – 4.5 kms after starting the trek

Nichnai to Vishansar – there is a dhaba at the Nichnai pass. This is roughly 3.5 to 4 km after the start of the trek, depending on where you camped the previous night

Gangbal to Naranag – There is a dhaba at the (roughly) 10 km mark from the Gangbal campsite

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Things to carry on the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

Apart from the usual packing list which your trekking company will provide you, I found the following items super helpful during this trek.

• A power bank for your devices – I carried a 20000 MaH one which was sufficient for my phone and watch. Power banks drain out faster in the cold, so I kept it rolled inside a few layers of clothes
• Spare batteries for your camera – They run out fast in the cold, so carry some spare. And the trek is picturesque, so you’ll definitely click a lot of pictures
• For women – Pee buddy or equivalent – There may not be too many shelters/ rocks/ trees behind which you can go. The pee buddy might be a good solution in these times
• Swimwear – several campsites are near the lakes of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek – we decided to jump in the lakes. Even though it was freezing, it was an incredible experience. If you’re the kind who can’t resist the water, carry a swimsuit
• Something to munch – I carry a mix of dry fruits (almonds, raisins, cashews), peanuts and chanas. I call it my ghoda mix (horse mix). It helps me go on for a long time and it’s a nice snack
• Rehydration salts – You’ll lose salts during the trek without realizing it. So carry either this or something equivalent which gives you adequate salts to prevent your muscles from cramping. Needless to say, drink a lot of water. It will help you acclimatize well

Making your life easier in terms of luggage

A factor to consider is your rucksack – If you don’t have a high level of fitness, you will have a tough time in the 7-8 days of the trek. Most trekking companies offer backpack offloading facility for an extra charge. I find it worth paying for this service, if it isn’t already included. It helps me stop when I feel like, soak in and click a lot more pictures during treks.

While trekking, carry a small day pack (30L should be enough) which contains your rain wear, a warm layer, your camera, batteries, something to munch and two bottles of water. I usually add add honey, lemon, salt in one of the bottles and plain water in the other.

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Phone signal

In Kashmir, pre-paid sim cards do not work. Carry a post paid sim card for your trip to Kashmir.

During the trek, you’ll get erratic signal at the base camp and for some distance on day 1. You’ll once again get a mobile signal on the last day of the trek when you’re close to Naranag.

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Overall impression

The trek is gorgeous and is a must do for mountain lovers. It is considered to be a moderate trek, however, several people in the group said it is more difficult than moderate.

However, the difficulty level of the trek is a function of your fitness. A couple of people on the trek said that this is an easy trek. I guess you’ll just have to make your own estimate of the trek after reading the information presented here.

Do you still have questions, do post them in the comments below and I’ll try my best to answer them. Best of luck, and I hope you’ll have an incredible time on the trek.