Day three of the Tarsar trek is a gradual climb from Lidderwat to Shekwas campsite. You gain about 1600 feet on this day, from 9100 feet at Lidderwat to 10700 feet at Shekwas. Following an hour of a steep climb, there is another hour of a flat walk. There is a place where you need to cross the stream, walk along the stream for a while, and then gradually climb till you reach a place full of boulders. Once you cross these huge boulders, you are at the Shekwas camp site.
If you have not gone through my previous two days of the Tarsar trek, then check these out:
Tarsar Trek – Day 1 – Srinagar to Aru drive
Tarsar Trek – Day 2 – Aru to Lidderwat
Lidderwat, a lovely campsite
Lidderwat is a famous local place. Many visit this place as it is a one-day trek and is considered an ideal place for a nice weekend hike. There is enough space to camp here, and the water source is not a problem at Lidderwat campsite. There are PDA (Pahalgam District Authority) guesthouses where you can stay. You can even request and stay in local Gujjar huts, maybe for a small fee, but it is nice to stay in their hut to get that unique experience. This is a lovely campsite with stunning mountain peaks on all sides and streams on both sides. Sunrise and sunset at this place make it an ideal place for some time-lapse photography.
Exploring the wilderness on the way to Shekwas
Soon after having breakfast, we packed our bags and were ready to go. It starts with a zig-zag climb up the hill right behind the PDA guest house. As you climb up, don't forget to turn around and see your campsite from above. The shadows on the nearby mountains fall on the mountain opposite that, and the sun's rays, or godly rays of light, are truly magical. As you climb further, you enter the pine forest. Continue further until you see the stream far below.
Walk all the way down and continue right next to the stream for another kilometer or two. You get to see a few huts of local Bhakarwals, Gujjars, and shepherd's houses. Right next to this is a place where you can cross the stream. It is ice cold, and you can get yourself refreshed and have your packed lunch as well. Continue further parallel to the stream, and the trail next is a gradual climb right next to the stream.
The view from Homwas - Kalahoi Peaks
This place is known by the name Homvas. As you continue further, turn around to see the beautiful mountain peaks and the glacier. The peak that you see in the above image is Kolahoi Peak, which is 17,799 feet high. Right next to or below is the Kolahoi glacier, which is the source of the Lidder River.
If you have a telephoto lens, then it's a must to capture this peak. It's far away, and the view that you get to see is visible only for 10 to 15 minutes during your trekking trail. Many are not even aware of this as it is too far away or always cloudy, and people also don't turn around to see the beautiful landscape around them.
Enjoying the hike and the beautiful landscape
I'm not sure why people are in a hurry to reach the destination or the camp site. Instead, I would say to take your time, be with your group, and enjoy the beautiful nature and landscape around you. Photograph, if possible, so that you can always remember and see these places for the rest of your life.
Continue the trail, which is a gradual climb, till you reach a place full of boulders. To the right is the stream, and to the left are the Silver Birch or Bhoj trees. Here, you can either cross this river of boulders or take a different trail. These are huge boulders and can be difficult to cross. It takes longer to cross, and you have to be careful. You can avoid this crossing of boulders by climbing further. There is a Gujjar hut and a single lonely tree next to the hut. The view from this place is just awesome.
The final stretch before Shekwas
It's all green meadows, multiple streams, valleys, and huge snow-covered mountain peaks. Spend some time enjoying the beautiful landscape next to the hut. Continue to walk down for a while until you reach Shekwas. The weather can be very cold at night, with a cold breeze. Ideal place to get some galaxy shots at night. The campsite is next to the stream again, but the stream is a few feet below your campsite, so do not venture out at night.
Crossing the dangerous Crevasse
The fifth day of hiking begins with a crossing of an ice patch bridge over a very cold creek. The water force/current was excessively strong, maybe because it had poured for two days straight. We were fortunate to notice the massive crevasse in the show patch bridge, which may be really dangerous. I made it around this massive crevasse and into the opposite side of the creek.
Ops! Wrong turn and trail
This is followed by a difficult hour-long ascent. There is a tiny route, and one false move on a rainy day with a slippery trail can be disastrous. We resumed our trek. There was some debate over whether to go farther up or stay on the same path. We just kept going for another half kilometre before realising it wasn't the path and having to go back and climb up on a separate track. The incorrect route, on the other hand, was worth the walk because of the scenery we could see from there.
The magnificent view
Beautiful landscape with mountains all around covered in meadows, and in the Himalayan mountain slopes, you will discover many little houses and a few pine trees, with smoke rising out of these huts, making this spot even more attractive. That would have been a fantastic shot for a photographer. Even though it was pouring, I managed to grab a few images. The streams on the opposite side of the mountains resembled waterfalls.
We returned to our original track and proceeded on our journey. On the slopes, you could see a few shepherds with their sheep and goats. We paused for a few minutes at one point, more like a viewpoint. This is when the valley below divided in two, one to the right and one to the left, where we needed to go. The scenery from here was breathtaking; I'd never seen such massive mountain ranges as the Himalayas before.
Stream cuts through the mountain with no exit
After then, it was more of a level trek up the mountain slopes. We went further, and there was another stream where the water entered the mountain, with no idea where the exit is. The water penetrates the mountain more like a train entering a tunnel, but there is no way out. I inquired with locals about the location of the exit, and each had their own storey. I wish I had more time to spend exploring this location. It was pouring severely outside, so I kept my cameras inside.
The enormous Satsar Lake
We pushed on, it continued to rain severely, and we were eager for some form of cover. We ate our packed lunch at an abandoned hut before continuing our journey. The Satsar lake comes next, which is made up of more than five lakes yet looks to be an one enormous lake. We resumed our journey in the rain, using a level path and hiking up and down the massive rocks. Satsar lake may seem better from above, and a drone photo would have been great. Unfortunately, this is a no-fly zone for drones. So, if you're going on the KGL hike, don't even think about getting a drone.
Satsar Campsite
After navigating all of these stones, we arrived at a little spot of ground near the Satsar lake and camped close to the stream. On three sides, the campground is surrounded by mountain peaks, and on one side, you can see the depth and the mountains below. This is the most magnificent vista since you can see the peaks hiding in the clouds below. We were seated on top of a flat stone, a bit distant from our campground, with a hot cup of soup. A wonderful spot to unwind and see nature's splendour.
Wonderful evening spent outside
We were fortunate that the rain stopped and our cameras could be used again. Most of the time, shortly after the rain, you can anticipate a clear sky for a short period of time, and I wanted to take advantage of this. We ate supper early since it was around four degrees outside at night. We spent some time outside our campground, capturing some long exposure night images. In majority of the long exposure images, the moon seemed to be the sun.
Satsar camp site at night.http://t.co/lhxmMJiaVLpic.twitter.com/22kyfL43wQ
— Ravindra Joisa (@ravindrajoisa) December 17, 2014
Even though it was pouring fiercely, it was another great day. Almost every minute of the Kashmir Great Lakes trek was enjoyable for me. The Great Lakes Trekking is something that everyone should undertake at least once in their lives. It is well-known for its stunning scenery and is an ideal location for professional photography. Consider viewing the video below to get a visual tour of the entire trail as well as the lovely campsites. The next day, we went on a trek from Satsar to Gangbal, which included some breathtaking scenery and a great perspective of the twin lakes.
You may find the complete details on all days of Kashmir Great Lakes here. 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.
