Gangbal Lake Trek

Drive Distance: 45 Kms
Trek Distance: 10 kms
Drive Duration: 2 hrs
Trek Duration: 5-6 hrs
LogOut Kashmir representative will pick you up from Srinagar early in the morning & head towards Naranag. You are recommended to reach Srinagar at least 1 day before the trek so that you won’t miss the scheduled time of pick up. At an elevation of almost 7000 ft Naranag is a village 45 kms away from Srinagar known for its ancient temple ruins. On the way to Naranag you will drive alongside Sind river flowing besides picturesque paddy fields & beautiful small villages. About 2 hrs later you will reach Naranag where you will be joined by your trek leader & trek guides. You will have a 30 mins tea break here after which there will be a briefing session by your trek leader where he will explain each & everything about the trek. This is the time to clear your doubts if you have any regarding the trek. You will begin your trek from Naranag & move uphill towards Butsheri Top. This is the most difficult part of the trek as the trail constitutes a steep ascent & you will gain elevation in every step. This stretch tests the strength & stamina of your body & the 7km ascent till Butsheri Top will take you more than 2 hours. Although the gradient is initially difficult but you will be trekking through some beautiful maple & pine forests that will also provide you a natural shade during a hot summer day. As you reach Butsheri Top you will find a small Dhaba where you can have Tea, Snacks, juices etc. You are allowed to have some rest here & this is the last spot where you will find a mobile network signal. By now you would have gained an elevation of around 900 mtrs. You resume your trek & start moving towards Trundkol. Now the trail eases out a little bit. You would still be gaining some elevation but the ascent is less steep now. You will continue for another couple of hours & the trail doesn’t change much until it suddenly opens up into a beautiful set of meadows of Trundkol. This is also a natural grassland particularly used by shepherds from across the valley for cattle grazing. You will walk a little further into the Trundkol meadows towards your campsite. On the way you would also see some beautifully made gujjar mud houses . As you reach your campsite LogOut Kashmir representatives will be waiting for you & will welcome you with some refreshments. As you look around you could see snow covered peak of Mount Harmukh where from Gangbal & Nundkol Lakes originate. You will have your dinner later after which you will retire to your tents for a well deserved rest for the night. 

Trek Distance: 4 kms
Trek Duration: 2 hrs
Max Altitude: 11,800 ft
Today is a short & easy day of trek. So you can take your time packing up & relax in the morning sun in the meadows of  Trundkol. Trundkol is the last place on this trek where you will find some trees. There will be no sign of any trees for the rest of the trek. After having your breakfast you will move towards Nundkol & Gangbal lake. You will go through an army check post where your ID’s & trek permissions will be checked. As you cross the check post, you could see the peak of Mt. Harmukh getting closer. Half an hour later the lush green meadows present a poster worthy landscape that will mesmerize your eyes. 20 minutes further you can hear the sound of the stream flowing out of Nundkol lake. Now you are close. 10 mins later you can see a part of Nundkol lake appear in front of you & the rest of the lake hiding behind a small ridge. The excitement will start to grow & few minutes later you will cross the ridge & there it would be. A turquoise blue alpine lake hidden in the lap of Himalayas boasting of its beauty.  There are very few moments in your life that are going to take your breath away & this will certainly be one of those moments. This will be your campsite for today as well. You will have your lunch at Nundkol & spend rest of the day here. Gangbal lake is only 30 mins away from Nundkol but you will go there the next day. Today you will explore Nundkol, click some pictures, make some videos & relax in the lap of nature. Gangbal & Nundkol trek is very popular amongst the locals. So don’t be surprised to see some crowd here. Lot of people come here for fishing as well to catch some brown & rainbow trout which are found here in abundance. Later you will have your dinner & return to your tents for a good nights’ sleep.

Trek Duration: 30 mins
Trek Distance: 1 km
Max Elevation: 12,000 ft
After having your breakfast by the Nundkol lake you would head out towards Gangbal lake. You can leave your backpack at the camp if you want & take just your phone or camera & a bottle of water with you. You would follow the stream flowing out of Gangbal into the Nundkol. You need to cross the stream over a wall of boulders laid out by the locals. Just half an hour later you will arrive at the mighty Gabgbal lake. The pristine blue waters of the lake fed by the glaciers of Mount Harmukh will stun your senses for a moment. This is the largest alpine lake of Kashmir spanning over a length of 2.5 kms & a width of 1 km. It is almost thrice as big as the Nundkol lake but most people prefer to camp at Nundkol than Gangbal. You will start exploring the lake circling which will take you around 45 mins. Take some pictures here, make some videos & relax . You will return to Nundkol for lunch & spend rest of your day there. You are likely to see some big flock of sheep accompanied by the shepherds grazing on the lush green grass of Gangbal valley. You will also see some anglers fishing in the lake & if you are lucky you may see some of them catching some trout. You will spend tonight at Nundkol as well & return to Naranag tomorrow. 

Trek Duration: 6 hours
Trek Distance: 14 kms
Max Elevation: 11,800 ft
Today is the last day of your trek & you have a long drive ahead of you as well. So you will wake up early in the morning, have your breakfast, pack your bags & start trekking down to Naranag. Before you  leave, look around yourself, take a minute & save the moment in your memory. As you leave Naranag, you would follow the same trail that you had come from. The return trail begins with a gentle walk across the meadows with no trees around. The trail is a gradual descent with an occasionally ascent & is easy on your knees & body. The pattern remains the same for about 4kms until you reach Trundkol where your permissions will be checked at the army check post once again. As you reach Trundkol you would begin to see some trees on your trail. Now the pattern of the trail changes. Some steep upward slopes, some downward slopes through the forests, there will be some ups & downs  on the trail until you reach Butsheri Top. The mobile network signal will return here. So you can contact your friends & family here. You will also have some refreshments here at the Dhaba. Now rest of the trail is a little tricky.  It is a steep descent all the way till Naranag. You need to be careful going down the trail here. Watch your steps & control your pace as a mistake here could lead to an accident. From Butsheri Top, It will take you around 2 hours to reach Naranag. As you reach Naranag, look back once & be proud of what you have achieved. You w have some lunch at Naranag after which our driver will take you back to Srinagar.