Had an amazing experience on the first two days of Kashmir Great Lakes trekking. Day 3 is a more moderate climb, consisting of a few hours of gentle elevation going beside the towering razor-sharp peaks and rockfall region. This is followed by a level walk until we make a sharp left turn and discover the magnificent Vishnusar lake, which is at a somewhat higher elevation than the campground. The stream you’d been following all day comes from Vishnusar Lake. We set up our tent directly in front of the lake and spent the evening exploring the area.
Check out these links to know more about the first two days:
Hike from Nichnai
It was the second night we’d spent in our tent. We couldn’t sleep due to the intense rain, lightning, and thunderstorm. But I still had a good time that night since I went out with my camera and tripod shortly as the rain stopped. It was a clear day, and I was able to capture a couple of low-light images.
Day 3 begins with a stream passing over a snow patch/bridge that is only a few minutes away from our campground. The gentle ascent to the Nachnai pass, which is a simple forty-degree ascent, follows. This was the only location where I could call home, and there was only one stick of signal strength on my network (only post-paid works and not prepaid), and it was just in one spot. It’s a long trek across the fields. Enjoy the snow-covered peaks, never-before-seen mountain slopes, and breathtaking scenery. There are a couple of shepherd’s cottages along the path.
Crossing the Nachnai Pass
Even though this is only the third day of your hike, you may feel the altitude as you reach Nachnai pass. This pass is 13500 feet above sea level. Glaciers can be found to the left. Not one, but three of them, one after the other, with sharp-edged isosceles triangle-shaped mountain peaks in between.
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— Ravindra Joisa (@ravindrajoisa) October 18, 2014
Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, India. pic.twitter.com/5tSsobyzYG
Continue walking through the meadows rich in pink and purple flowers, with little streams running alongside. You may get up and personal with these glaciers for added excitement. It’s dangerous to get too near to these dangling glaciers. You can hear the snow melting and run beneath the glacier, and you can also see the stream flowing beneath the glacier. The path here may not be perfect for hiking, but the stones seem really unusual, constructed of layers like graphite. Continue walking. There is a bridge across a stream. Simply turn around and you’ll see a waterfall. I’m not sure whether these waterfalls have names, but they’re not small.
Arrival at Vishnusar lake
Continue walking down the valley. There are a few shepherd’s cottages here and there. As you continue walking, you will see that the valley has split to the right and left. Take a left here, and you’ll have to cross another stream. This is more akin to crossing a river. It’s not too difficult to manage, and it’s not too deep. The water in this picture comes from Vishnusar Lake. The Vishnusar campsite is located after crossing this stream.
Exploring Vishnusar lake
You may spend your evening simply walking around the lake with your camera. I would recommend just sleeping inside a tent. Spend as much time as you can away from the camp. It’s also not simply the lake that has to be seen. Just look back at sunset to view the golden-colored mountain summits. This is where you will actually feel the temperature dip close to zero. There are no campfires allowed in this area, but there are other ways to spend the evening. You may attempt to grab some galaxy photos.
Camping at Vishnusar lake
You may camp immediately before Vishnusar Lake or continue climbing for another hour to Krishnasar Lake. Vishnusar Lake is not visible from the campground and requires a 5-minute trek up to see it. It’s one of the most gorgeous lakes in the world. Don’t forget to look for the Gadsar mountain and pass from the left side of Vishnusar lake. On the next day, we continued our hike from Vishnusar lake to Gadsar pass and lake. Also, you might want to check all of the outdoor activities that I have completed to date.
Related and useful articles:
YouTube video – Hike from Nachnai to Vishnusar
You may find the complete details on all days of Kashmir Great Lakes here. There are many trekking groups like Indiahikes, Trek the Himalayas, Youth Hostels (which is for Indian nationals and is cheaper) who can organize the trek or you can go on your own with locals. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Buy me a coffee to support my work or you can go to my store to buy some of my images. Also, do not forget to join my FriendZone by signing up for my newsletter. Consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.