Dudipatsar Lake - The Virgin Beauty

If we gather all the philosophers and thinkers of the universe and ask them to agree on a single definition of Natural Beauty, it might still remain undefined. From the Smile of an Innocent child, to blossoming flowers, trees, rivers, oceans, birds and animals, all of them demonstrate their Natural beauty in their unique ways. Among all this Natural beauty, I strongly believe that mountains were created by the Almighty with extra love and care and were given some extra share. White Snow clad peaks, grey hard rocks, curvy slopes covered with green carpet of grass, thick pine forests, cool fresh breeze, crystal clear fresh water springs, raging rivers and serene lakes, all of these come together sometimes in a single frame leaving you wondering, can natural beauty get better than that!!

Whenever I visit a new spot or explore another trek, I ask this question to myself and every single time that I have asked this, nature has answered with a no and presented me with a place even more beautiful than the previous one. As my quest to explore and witness the natural beauty in world’s tallest mountains (Hindukush, Himalayas & the Karakorum) continues, my memories however keep drifting back to some astoundingly wonderful scenes I have witnessed so far.

One such scene that always stays fresh in my eyes happens to be located deep in the Himalayas, away from the Urban buzz, nestled between two of the most popular tourist destinations in Pakistan, i.e. Neelum Valley and Kaghan/ Naran Valley. The environment here is so dramatic and peaceful that you tend to lose yourself in this absolute peace. The tranquil grasslands of Mullah ki Basti, the high mountain passes of Saral and Noori, and the stunningly beautiful lakes from Ratti Gali to Hans Raj to Saral to Dudipatsar, this Valley has it all. Talking of the lakes, Dudipatsar lake still holds the top position in my personal ranking of the lakes, beating Chitta Katha lake, Katora lake and Hans Raj lake by narrow margins.

There is something to Dudipatsar that you will not find elsewhere. Yes, the lake itself is a beauty to behold, but the trek to this wonderful lake is something to be experienced. If you are interested in trespassing a rocky terrain, or fancy crossing a Glacier, or wading through chilled water streams is your thing, or you love to test your endurance through a strenuous day hike, this trek has got it all.

Dudipatsar lake in all its glory

Trek for the lake starts from Besar, a small village just a couple of miles shy of Lulusar Lake – another stunning beauty. The first test of your thirst for adventure lies right there at the start of the trek, when you must cross the raging river Kunhar, sitting in a human-powered hanging cart (hanging from a rope) – locals call it ‘doli’. It is easier to cross if you have people on both sides who will pull you. If you ain’t that lucky, then hang on – I mean literally – sit in it hanging, and while you grab for your dear life and pull to get to the other side as well. Once you have crossed this obstacle, better buckle up and get ready for ‘a long walk home’. Mules and horses are available on the other side of the river along with guides and porters. Since it is quiet a long walk to Mullah ki basti from here, it is recommended to hire a mule or a couple of porters for your camps and food supplies. Don’t forget your camping gear, there are no accommodation options available in Mullah ki Basti. Keep the food and stove handy too, although there is a small camp restaurant option available in mullah ki basti, but it only opens for a couple of months.

Okay, so you have crossed the river safely, and got yourself ready for this wonderful hike. As soon as you begin walking, you will enter a narrow valley alongside the stream and will get fascinated by presence of glaciers. However, fascination can turn to fear as soon as you approach the first one and realize that you will be walking on the glacier to cross the raging stream that flows underneath it. To top it off, the glacier feels soft during the day and you feel as if it is going to melt underneath you, throwing you in the stream, but that never happens. Once you get through this test, the third test of your endurance on a rocky ascent awaits you. A 500-600 meters ascent in raging sun, with very little wind in that narrow valley can test you. However, as you cover this patch, a freshwater spring with chilled sweet water awaits you as your reward. Another hour of trekking in this rocky terrain, the valley finally opens and takes you to the lush green slopes. Abundance of springs and streams starts to multiply, with you having to wade through or play a puzzle game on the rocks to cross those millions of mini-streams.

As the terrain widens up further, the Central Stream (or the mini river) starts to become a bit gentle, the landscape gets more colorful with flowers, butterflies and lush green grass. Walking through this valley, you tend to lose the sense of time. Any tiredness from the trek is already gone, thanks to the wonderful scenes. Walking another couple of hours, and crossing half a dozen streams, and keeping yourself safe from getting stuck or slipping in soft marshy land, you will come across a narrow wooden bridge – another test for the nerves of the faint hearted. The bridge is held by heavy rocks on both sides of the wooden planks, which somehow balance each other in the middle. Once you step on it, you realize its oscillation is far from normal and even the best and the most fearless cross it carefully.

Once you have crossed the bridge, turn right you will be welcomed by the one of the most scenic and prolific Meadows. The calmness of the meadow instills tranquility into the waters of the stream that now flows quietly across a vast green grassland where thousands of Animals graze at will. Mullah ki basti, a small village comprising of a dozen homes, seems to be at a stone throw away from you. However, don’t get optimistic as yet, it is still quite a walk to the village. After walking for another half an hour, you will realize there are hundreds of boulders between you and mullah ki basti in the middle of this beautiful grassland. Once you get to Mullah Ki Basti, get your camps ready and make it your home for the night. Make sure you have fixed your camps real tight as it can get windy (storm like windy) here in a matter of minutes.

Claude Debussy, a French music composer once said, ‘there is nothing more musical than a sunset’. If you don’t believe in his words, wait until you spend an evening in Mullah ki basti and witness the sunset. There is some magic in the evening air of Mullah Ki Basti. You are camped right outside the village, next to a the gently flowing stream. Sun sets exactly on opposite side from the village, at the edge of the open space between two mountains. As sun readies itself for a final see off, it lights up the winding stream that looks like a long wide loop of fire leading to the sun. From a distance you can hear the herds returning to their homes after grazing whole day. As villagers begin preparing dinner, you will see smoke coming out of the chimneys of the homes, while the air fills itself with the fragrance of freshly cooked bread. The whole setting is so wonderful that it gets embossed on your mind forever.

The Frozen Beauty - Dudipatsar in snow

After spending the night in the camps, you wake up to a fresh and cold Mullah Ki Basti. The legendary lake is still another 2 hours hike from you. As you start walking towards the lake, your heart starts to pump more blood into your veins as you get excited to witness the beauty. Every time you feel that it will be next to this ridge and climb it, you realize there is another one to climb before you can have its glimpse. Once you get there and lay your eyes on this wonder of nature, only then you realize that it was truly worth the effort and wait. At the far end of the lake lies a large glacier, which transcends seamlessly into the crystal-clear waters of the lake. Water is so clear that you can actually see the rocks in its bed and if you are lucky you can get a glimpse of the shrewd cold-water swimmer – the trout. The calmness is so deep, that you could hear the squeak of a Himalayan Marmot from at-least a Kilometer. If you are visiting in August, the bed of flowers and groups of butterflies will greet you with passion and if you are visiting early in the season, then enjoy the pure white beauty of the lake as seen in the shot.

Dudipatsar, The queen of lakes

It is advisable to break your hike into parts, i.e. hike to mullah ki basti on one day and then go for the lake on the next, taking the return hike on the third day. This will give you enough time to enjoy the natural beauty of the valley on display – something you would never regret spending your time on.

Once you have completed this trek, you will realize how complete a package this trek is. If you want to experience a long hike on a rocky terrain, pockets of sharp ascent, a walk over the glaciers, crossing water streams, managing marshy patches, and above all witness one of the most scenic freshwater lake, then this is the trek for you.

Trip Details:

It is recommended to spare 4 days if you are travelling from Islamabad / Lahore.

Drive:

Islamabad – Abbotabad – Balakot – Naran – Besar (3+1+3+2 = 9 hours)

Trekking: (Trekking level: Mild)

Besar to Mullah ki basti: 4-7 hours (depending on your speed and endurance)

Mullah ki basti to Dudipatsar Lake: 1.5 – 2.5 hours

Elevation: Mullah ki basti – 3,600 meters, Dudipatsar lake- 3,800 meters

Best time to Visit:

1st July to 31st August

Weather: Mild in Days and cold to extremely cold at nights, so go prepared.

Equipment Required:

· Trekking / Hiking Boots

· Warm Socks

· A warm Jacket

· Hat / Cap

· Sunblock / sunscreen

· Sunshades

· Search light / torch

· Raincoat / rain suit

· Trekking poles

· Camps with rain covers

· Sleeping bags with comfort level temperatures of 0 degrees or lower

· Sleeping mats

· Food

· Gasoline / LPG stove

· Cooking utensils