Tarsar Marsar Trek
Tarsar Marsar Trek Package Overview
Tarsar Marsar Trek is the prettiest summer trek in India. This is a classic trek that offers quite a variety and range in scenic beauty and landscape. The trek holds three beautiful alpine lakes, lush grasslands, shimmering river streams, and a chain of snow-peaked mountains. This is an easy to moderate trek which makes even a beginner to enjoy the natural bounties that this trek offers. Tarsar Marsar Trek best time is between August and mid-October.
Tarsar Marsar Trek Itinerary
Day 1: Srinagar – Aru
Altitude: 2,426m
Time taken:3.5 hours drive
The drive is around 4 hours. Pahalgam is around 100 km from Srinagar and then a further 12 km up is Aru Valley. Aru is arguably the best valley and hamlet in Kashmir. This village has remained the base camp for some of the fascinating treks that include the Tarsar Marsar Trek.
While driving towards Aru, you will see the breathtaking Kashmir valley. The ride goes via NH1 Highway and meets Lidder river before Pahalgam. You will be driving through the famous Pahalgam. You will take left towards Aru and it’s an easy uphill drive that drops down to the beautiful Lidder rives coming from Tarsar Lake which you will in the coming days trek to.
At Aru, our campsite will be fixed to welcome you with a welcome drink. You will meet your trek leader there who will give a brief about your trek and journey ahead. Around 7 you will be served dinner in the middle of this fascinating valley.
Day 2: Aru – Lidderwat
Altitude: 2,426 m to 2,780 m
Time taken:6 hours
Distance: 11km
The gradient of the day is easy, however, there is a long walk of around 11 km. For only the first 30 minutes there is a gradual ascend into the jungle.
The trail of the trek starts with the jungle for about 5 km. The jungle is thick and at a few places opens wide giving way to the shepherd houses and deep gorges in the distance towards your left. The jungle is full of birds, and you will see the trail frequented by shepherds and ponymen.
After the jungle walk, the trail opens onto a vast wavy meadow. The meadow is far stretching with a couple of river crossings. In the midway of this meadow walk, you will be walking just beside the river Lidder. The river dances and flows delightfully. The grass of the meadow just goes to the bank of the river. You can relax and rest for some time at any of these beautiful locations on the way. Fill your water bottles with this clean glacial water that comes right from Tarsar Lake. This Lidder river will be your travel partner until Tarsar Lake.
While walking for some time, you will see a triangular wooden hut towards your left. Cross the bridge that goes towards the meadow surrounding the hut. You will see your campsite ready for you. You will be welcomed with evening snacks and drinks. This camping site is called Lidderwat.
Day 3: Lidderwat – Shekwas
Altitude: 2,780 m 3,360 m
Time taken: 5 hours
Distance: 6km
The day starts with an ascend and takes you to the higher ground from where you get a wider view of the entire Lidderwat Valley. The grade of the day is easy. Shortly after your first climb, the trail merges into the forest. You will be walking through the jungle and parallel to the Lidder River.
The trail then opens out into the long stretches of meadow walk. You will have to cross the river over a log bridge. The valley is full of wildflowers and grass. You will reach a Homwas where the river meets the meadow, relax and enjoy the gorgeous beauty here. On your way, you will see shepherd houses and a cluster of Silver Birch
Just before you reach Shekwas there is a boulder section. Be careful with your steps. You will be traversing this section with care, the boulders and big and at times wet with the water the flows below them. Just after the boulder section is the campsite for the night.
Day 4: Shekwas – Tarsar Lake
Altitude: 3,360 m to 3,790 m
Time taken: 5 hours
Distance: 5km
Post breakfast, you will be heading towards Tarsar Lake. The gradient of the day is moderate. The trail is dominated by the boulder and rocky section. You will be walking on the boulders and in between the thin trail of boulders. The river runs beside you towards your right. The boulder section almost ends at the river crossing. The bride is of wood and slim, however, the crossing is short.
The trail then has a short ascend and you will meet the shepherd house. The family most of the time welcomes the trekkers. The shepherds roam around this place with their flock.
The trail is then a succession of small ascends and descends. The walk in the middle of the meadow is surrounded by mountains.
Once the meadows finish, you will see yourself walking towards the ever-gorgeous alpine lake of Kashmir. Tarsar Lake is almond-shaped and one of the prettiest lakes of Kashmir. You will feel the thrill of seeing this lake, it is so mesmerizing that you will not stop before thronging around this lake the moment you see it.
The campsite will be ready here for the night stay.
Day 5: Tarsar Lake – Sundersar
Altitude: 3,790 m to 3,945 m
Time taken: 5 hours
Distance: 5 km
The gradient of the day is moderate. The trail starts with a sharp ascend for around an hour. The ridge is just parallel to the lake which takes you to the other side of Tarsar Valley.
Once you have reached the top of the ridge, you get a fascinating view of Tarsar Lake. All the pics that you have seen of Tarsar Lake with a wider view are from this top. All the trekkers stop here for pictures and videos and rest for some time. The descend from this ridge is equally sharp, be careful with your steps and trail.
After you have descended there is a boulder crossing and thereafter you enter into a terrific, beautiful meadow that connects Shekiwas to Sundersar. The meadow has been named Silent Valley owing to its calmness. It has lush grass in between the two mountain stretches. The land is filled with small river streams and water ponds.
After the meadow, there is a short ascend and descend that will take you to your Sundersar campsite.
Day 6: Visit Sundersar & Marsar Lakes and then descend to Homwas
Altitude: 3,945 m to 3,505 m via Marsar Ridge 4020 m
Time taken:7 hours
Distance: 9km
From your campsite, you will reach within half an hour the stunning Sundersar Lake. The lake is small and exquisite with the small mountains surrounding it from three sides. The lake is glacial and circular.
To visit Marsar Lake, you will have to go round to the Sundersar lake and ascend a ridge. It takes half an hour to climb that till you reach a flat land and within minutes you are beholding the eternal Marsar Lake, place there in all the calmness and beauty. The lake is wide and enticing. You will see this lake from the vantage point where you get the view of an entire lake. Enjoy the view of the lake, take pictures and videos to capture this moment. This is also the highest altitude point of the entire trek. You will be standing at an altitude of around 4020m.
After seeing Marsar, you will take the same route back via sundersar lake and descend towards Homwas. The trail is through the meadow and boulder section.
Day 7: Homwas – Aru – Srinagar
This is the last day of the trek. The trail is long and that which you have already traversed in the first two days of your trek from Aru. The trail will go to Aru via Lidderwat and follow the same route. The trek ends at Aru, the way it starts. From Aru, take a cab that drops you at Srinagar.
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 apart from pick and drop
- Anything not specifically mentioned in the inclusion
Things to carry for Tarsar Marsar 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.
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