Gangabal Lake Trek
Gangabal Lake Trek Package Overview
Gangabal lake is the biggest alpine lake in Kashmir. This is the best highlight of the Gangabal Lake Trek. Hence the trek is given its name after this gorgeous lake. The lake stands at an altitude of 3587m. The lake is situated at the base of Harmukh Mountain.The lake is considered the Ganges of Kashmir. Every year a lot of Kashmir Hindus visit this lake for prayers and blessings. Gangabal Lake is also one of the high-altitude lakes here in Kashmir which is very much famous for trout fishing. There needs to have proper permission from the fisheries department for fishing.
Gangabal Lake Trek Itinerary
Day 1: Srinagar – Naranag
Altitude: 2,130m
Time taken: 3 hours drive
A three-hour drive from Srinagar to Naranag base camp. The drive will take you through villages, orchards, and rice plantating. Once you reach Naranga village, after evening snacks at the homestay, you will be taken on a walk in the evening towards the Dhumail region. The walk has the ancient ruins of a Shiv temple. The site is an archeological site in India. You will see the best stone-cut temple here with the basic structure of the temple still intact. The temple has a short flight of stairs and one can offer prayers here in this open temple. Beside it, there is a spring which also has small Shivlings near the opening of it. One can drink its water. It is the main water source for the local population. Walk further towards the Dhumail area. The walk goes through the jungle and then ends at a confluence of two rivers. This is an easy acclimatization walk of around 3km. Return in the evening and spend the night at a homestay. You will be provided with a delicious dinn
Day 2: Naranag – Trunkhol Meadow
Altitude: 3,200 m
Time taken:5 hours
So this day will start early after a hearty breakfast. The trail starts with an ascent and becomes a sharp ascent toward the top of butshree mountain. The entire trail of this ascent is in the jungle. On the way, one can see towards the other side, the towering snow-capped mountains. Butshree top is at an altitude of 3200m. You will have to ascend an altitude of 1000m until this top. From Butshree top there is a gradual ascent of around 200m more along the wavy meadows. Take your lunch break at the butshree top and then head further towards the campsite. Trunkhol meadow is situated at an altitude of 3400m. We camp at Trunkhol meadow that cozily sits in the forest beside a bakerwal house made of mud and logs. The place gives a view of the surrounding thick mountains of pine.
Day 3: Trunkhol – Gangabal
Altitude: 3,400 m
Time taken: 3 hours drive
On this day we start with a mild trek that winds further into the Gangabal Valley. The gradient of the day is easy. You will be walking through the lush grasslands of Gangabal valley. The walk starts with a fresh breeze that is mostly passing here in this meadow. After crossing a couple of mounds of grasslands one sees the breathtaking Nundkol Lake. The lake is calm and fascinating. The river streams come out of this lake dancing and go towards the Trunkhol meadow. It is just at the base of Mount Harmukh. You will see the campsite situated just in the vicinity of the lake. Once you reach the campsite, explore the Nundkol lake. The lake has a variety of trout fish. Take a tour around the lake and reach the base of Mount Harmukh where you will see the glacier from where the water comes down to the lake. After the hot lunch at the campsite, walk towards Gangabal Lake. The lake is just half an hour’s walk from the campsite. You will have to cross a small ridge and on the other side of this ridge is Gangabal Lake. This lake is the largest alpine lake in Kashmir. One of the best lakes in Kashmir. This lake is wide and long and is full of colorful trout fish. One can do fishing in this lake. However one needs to have permission from the fisheries department before doing any fishing activity here. The altitude of the lake is 3587m. This lake is also at the base of Mount Harmukh. It is from the glaciers of Harmukh that this lake gets its water. The water is cold and clean. One can drink its water. You will see a large water stream coming from this lake.
After exploring this lake, return to the campsite at Nundkol lake. Spend the night here at this beautiful campsite.
Day 4: Gangabal – Naranag – Srinagar
Altitude: 2,130 m
Time taken: 6 hours
So this is the last day of the trek. On this day descend to Naranga village. The trail follows the same route as you took for ascending. The trail first goes to Trunkhol meadow, then to Butshree top, and then to Naranag village. The gradient of the day is easy to moderate. It has a sharp descent from the Butshree top to the Naranag. From Naranag village drive to Srinagar. This ends our Gangabal Lake Trek.
Inclusions
- All veg meals during the trek. Breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, dinner.
- Camp accommodation on all the nights in high high-quality tents on a triple-sharing basis.
- Sleeping bags, sleeping mattresses, dining tents, and cutlery included.
- Mountaineering qualified and experienced trek leaders, guides, and experienced cooks.
- All the necessary mountain medicine includes first aid, oxygen cylinder, etc.
- Passes and permits.
Exclusions
- Lunch on the first day.
- Personal expenses.
- Offloading
- Transportation
- Anything not specifically mentioned in the inclusion
Additional Services:
- If you wish to avail of our transportation service, then the extra cost will be 1500 per person(for group more than 8 adults). The transportation cost is to and fro. The pickup and drop place will be Srinagar
- Offloading charges: In case you want us to carry your backpack, the cost per bag is Rs 2500/ per bag. The maximum weight allowed is 10kg. Please note that only a proper trekking backpack will be allowed to offload. No trolly or suitcase will be allowed to offload. We strictly follow to adequately place the load on our ponies. The maximum weight on each pony will be 40kg as recommended by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department.
Things to carry for Gangabal Trek
Backpack
Shoes
You need to have trekking shoes. The shoes must be sturdy and high-ankle. You can buy trekking shoes preferably from Decathlon which has a good MH series for a good market price.
Clothes
Three T-shirts
sun will be out most of the day while you are trekking so carry one full sleeve dry-fit T-shirt, and at least two other T-shirts. The full sleeves will prevent your arms from sun heat and sunburn. You can choose a T-shirt with a collar. Dry fit is essential as they dry quickly and are easy to wash. The material for the T-shirts can be synthetic.
- Three insulation layers:
- One Outer layer:
- Two trek pants
Trekking poles
This is one of the essentials of trekking. Trekking poles are very much helpful in giving you balance and stability while you trek. As in the mountains, there is no flat walk, you will have to traverse ascends and descends so you need poles to balance your walk. They also help you in descending and let you have less stress on your knees. Two trekking poles are always better than a single trekking pole.
Raingear
It can rain anytime. You need to carry one good rain gear that can at least hold the rainfall of about 7 hours. A poncho is a good choice over jacket type rain gear, as the poncho covers your entire body till knees down and you can keep your daypack bag inside it too.
Rain cover for your backpack
Backpack carries all the personal essentials of the trek. You either give your backpack to ponies to carry, or you carry it yourself. In both situations, you would not want your belongings to get wet and drip in rain. Buy a good rain cover for your backpack to keep it dry and safe. It also helps to keep your backpack from wear and tear.
Daypack
In case you offload your backpack, you need to carry the daypack – a small bag of around 20 to 30 liters to carry your essentials like water bottle, rainwear, headlamp, snacks, etc that you will consume while walking on the trail.
Sunglasses
You need sunglasses for all kinds of treks. So do carry one to protect your eyes from glaring and UV radiation. You can drop wearing sunglasses on the days when the sun is not out and the weather is gloomy.
Suncap
A sun cap prevents you from getting sunstrokes, headaches, and dehydration. It also prevents you from losing stamina for trekking. You can either get the normal suncap or sun cap with flaps which is preferred by most of the trekkers and is advisable by the experts.
Synthetic hand gloves
Most of the time they won’t be used. However, in case the temperature drops sharply they come handy to keep your hands warm. You can wear them during the evenings and mornings.
Woollen cap or Balaclava
Woolen caps are mostly used during winter treks. However, you can carry one in case the temperature drops and you feel cold during the evening or morning. The cap covers your ears, neck, and some parts of your face.
Three pairs of Socks
Take two pairs of sports socks and one pair of woolen socks. Depending upon the cold you feel, wear the type of socks accordingly. You need to get good quality socks as they will form a cushion to your feet and will make a lot more difference in your trekking experience. If you get comfy socks, they will help you in trekking smoothly.
Headlamp
You should always carry one headlamp, and always choose a headlamp over a hand torch. The headlamp gives you the freedom to keep your hands free. You will not be trekking during the night or in darkness, however, in your camping, you will need a headlamp. You might want to go to the loo during the night, or just sit and relax outside the camps, you need the headlamp
A toilet kit
Carry your toilet kit as per your requirement and hygiene. It should include things like a toothbrush, toothpaste, small soap, toilet tissue roll, a small moisturizer, lip balm, deodorant, etc. Women should carry their sanitary pads.
Water Bottle
Kashmir Great Lakes Trek has long walks every day. You will be trekking for around 6 hours every day, so carrying a water bottle is a must.
Plastic covers
Carry a few plastic bags to keep your used clothes. Sometimes when it rains your clothes get wet, you can’t mix the wet clothes with new and dry ones. So carry the plastic bag to keep the wet or used clothes in it.
Personal medical kit
Please carry all the essential medicine. If you are on any medicine, don’t skip that during the trek unless your doctor advises. Always consult your doctor if you have any diseases that can worsen in mountains or by altitude gain.
Our trek leader will be carrying the essential mountain medicine which will include an oxygen cylinder, oximeter etc.
Mandatory Documents
Carry your original Aadhar card or Passport or Driver’s license. Also, keep the photocopy of any of them with you always.
For Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, the tourism department of Kashmir has made a medical certificate necessary. You need to get one medical certificate from the registered doctor mentioning that you are fit for the trek and that you have no ailments that can turn worse or fatal with the gain in altitude or in mountains. The certificate should be stamped and signed by the doctor.
Note: You need to provide your Aadhaar or other registered ID along with a medical fitness certificate copy before the three days of the commencement of the trek.
Lunch Box
Everyday you will reach the campsite only in the afternoon, so there will be no hot lunch but packed lunch. You must buy and carry one small lunch box. Every day after breakfast, the cook will fill the lunch box with your lunch.
Faq Gangabal Trek
How do I get to Gangabal Lake?
To reach Gangabal lake one has to reach the Naranag base camp first. It is a drive of around 2 hours from Srinagar. From Naranag it is a trek to Gangabal lake which takes around 3 days to reach a moderate pace.
How do I get from Sonamarg to Gangabal Lake?
From Sonamarg to Gangabal lake one has to get a cab from Sonamarg which will drop you at Naranag base camp. From Naranag base camp it is a trek of around 3 days to reach the Gangabal lake.
Gangabal Lake Trek Distance?
Gangabal Lake trek distance is around 30 km to and fro. The trek has a sharp ascend on the first day of the trek and one covers a distance of over 11 km on the first day. The last day of the trek is tiring which one covers around 13 km from Gangabal to Naranag.
Whats the Meal offered during Gangabal Lake Trek?
In every meal plan, we try to provide different varieties, trying not to repeat the dishes, particularly in dinner and lunch. Here is the list of dishes and items from which we serve the clients.
Breakfast: eggs, paratha, chana, poha, dalia, upma, cornflakes, bread toast, butter, jam, roti, coffee, tea, kehwa, etc.
Lunch and dinner: we make a variety of dishes and try to serve the varied dishes. On all trek days, there will be different dishes served. We try not to repeat our dishes unless the clients say otherwise.
We serve veg dishes like veg biryani, veg pulaw, muttar paneer, palak paneer, aloo gobi, rajma chawal, rajma kadhai, mix veg, chana masala, kadhi chawal, dal makhni, bhindi masala, dal fry, veg korma, Kashmiri nadru, Kashmiri haakh, aloo matar, bhaingan ka bharta, dam aloo, andaburji, etc. We have both roti and rice available for dinner and lunch. We serve them with different pickles and salad.
For evening snacks we have tea, pakoda, soup, noodles, maggie, veg rolls, biscuits, etc.
For dessert we serve gulab jamun, phirni, halwa, custard, sewaya, fruit chaat, fruit cake, almond cake, etc.
Best time to do Gangabal Lake Trek
The best time to do Gangabal Lake Trek is from May to December. If you want to explore this lake in the snow then December and November are the best months. In summer the best months are July, August, and September.
How to reach the Gangabal Lake Trek ?
After landing in Srinagar, the cab from Cliffhangers India will ferry you to the base camp situated near Naranag.
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