Nothing calms your chaos better than the stillness of alpine lakes. Convincing my parents to allow me, a solo female from a small village, to go on such a tough trek, that too with a group of strangers, was in itself a Herculean task! But I somehow managed to do it - with lots of assurances and plenty of promises.
The journey begins:
For the trek, you first have to reach Poonch and then from Poonch to Noori Chamb waterfall.
With much enthusiasm, I embarked on my first alpine lake started from Noori Chamb waterfall (the fall is named after Mughal Queen Noor Jahan). After 5 hours of continuous hiking through rocky trails, we saw the gorgeous meadows called Girjan Dhoke inhabited by nomads, with their beautiful mud houses.
Post lunch, we resumed our hike, crossing another meadow called ‘Kafir Katha’ - which leads to a much steeper trail, although the beauty of nature keeps multiplying. After nearly three hours, we reached our base camp at this place called Godriyan Dhoke, where I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life! The nomadic people strolled with their cattle and sheep, soaking in that golden glow.
Unwinding after a long day in one of the mud houses, we had a chance to talk to the folks who shared stories and food. Needless to say, the tiredness of the day was blown away by the hospitality of these people.
The next day, we started our hike early in the morning. The trail started to get harder and harder, and there was a point where others started warning me that I possibly won’t be able to reach the lakes! But I was determined to go. So I mustered up my courage and caught up with others. We crossed a gigantic waterfall called Ghup Chamb and passed the meadows one after another, each one challenging the ethereal beauty of the previous one.
Further ahead, we crossed the scariest and wildly flowing rivers with the help of a wooden log which in itself was an adventure. It took the life out of my legs!
After 4 hours of all this, we could finally see the lakes. I can never forget the sense of serenity that the first glimpse brought to my soul. There was a sense of calmness and satisfaction - I felt overwhelmed that I did it - I made it to a point that has been a dream for me. It felt amazing!
There are seven lakes in this region, and all of them can be spotted in one go. These lakes are popularly known as - Neel sar, Bag sar, Katoria sar, Nandan sar, Gum sar, Sukh sar, and Kaldashni sar. Nandan sar is the biggest lake and Katoria sar is in the shape of a bowl and is the most beautiful of all.
Lake Kaldashni is unique because its water looks black in colour, and it's gorgeous.
More about the Seven Lakes of Poonch Trek:
It’s a three-day trek and unlike the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, it is not popular among tourists - however, it is filled with breathtaking views which makes it once in a lifetime experience!
The level is difficult to moderate. But there is another route to these lakes as well - via Pir ki Gali, that’s shorter and easier in comparison to this one.
If you'd like to go for this trek, drop me a comment below. I'll be happy to help you plan this. You can also follow me on Instagram.
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