Kandol Lake - the Jewel of Swat

‘In every walk in Nature, one receives far more than he seeks’, John Muir

It is early in the morning; the sun is coming out of the Eastern Horizon. You wake up in your camp and as you unzip the camp you are presented with a stunningly amber lake. The misty fog adds more drama to the scene, and air oozes freshness. You take a couple of deep breaths and walk to the edge of the lake. Sitting on the side, you throw stones causing ripples in water and let the freshness of the lake and the surroundings calm your mind and soul. This all might sound like a fairytale, but it is not. Visit Kandol Lake in Swat and experience this for yourself.

The Mesmerizing Kandol Lake

Swat, a vast and beautiful valley in North East of Peshawar, is one of the most scenic regions of Pakistan. Swat has seen many ups and downs in its past. At the time of the partition of sub-continent, it was an independent princely state, which later decided to accede to Pakistan. It had been a famous tourist destination, until a Terrorists overtook the valley during the US-Afghan war and turned it into an active war zone. Swat has seen one of the fiercest episodes of Pakistan’s war on terror in 2007-2009. Many valiant soldiers of Pakistan Army laid their lives - a price the nation had to pay to restore peace in the beautiful valley. After the war was over, it took another half a decade to restore the lost infrastructure and confidence of tourists in Swat. In last 2-3 years, tourism has finally started booming again in this picturesque valley.

Swat has been ‘gifted’ with beautiful pine forests, exotic lakes, stunning waterfalls, and amazing grasslands. If you are into moderate level hiking and backpacking, then Swat is the destination for you. A decade and a half long unrest in the valley has had a positive impact on the environment though. Since, locals too had fled the area because of the terrorists, lack of human intervention into the environment for some years has had a positive impact on the forest density and environment at large. The environment here is comparatively much better preserved than the valleys of Naran and Kaghan which are perhaps the most visited tourist spots in last decade or so.

Utror is a small and peaceful village upstream of Kalaam. Once the under-construction road to Utror is completed, it will hardly be an hour’s drive from Kalaam. The Village has abundance of fruit orchards and corn fields. A jeep-track passes through the village and then part of pine forest and ends at the base camp (starting point) of the trek. There is a small tuck-shop in case you need any last-minute supplies. Trek for two stunning lakes start from this point. Spin-Khwar lake and Kandol lake. Spin-Khwar lake is at about 2-2.5 hours trek from this point, while Kandol is at about 3 hours trek. Both the lakes are marvels of nature and worth visiting.

Trek to Kandol Passes through a soul soothing thick pine forest before entering a vast rocky meadow. The lake itself is located just at the edge of the tree-line, thanks to its elevation. Best time to visit the lake is between Mid-June to Mid-September. When you get to the lake, you are generally tempted to camp on your side of the lake. Part of the temptation is sheer size of the lake as the other edge seems too distant. However, do not lose your patience, and get over the rocky terrain on the left to get to the opposite side. Meadow on that side provides a wonderful view of the lake and is perfect camping site for spending a day or two in bliss. If your thirst for Hiking is not satisfied yet, there are couple of more lakes nearby, try those treks but make sure you take a local guide with you as the terrain is tricky.

Recently, there have been news of Jeep trek being built all the way up to Kandol lake, which surely will make it much easier to get to the lake.

Trip Details:

It is recommended to spare 3-4 days if you are travelling from Islamabad / Lahore.

Drive:

Islamabad – Mingora – Kalam– Utror (4+4+1=9 hours)

Trekking: (Trekking level: Mild)

Utror to Kandol Lake 2 hours

Elevation: 3,000 meters

Best time to Visit:

15th June to 30th September

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