Lake Time - Ranking of lakes in Pakistan

Water might be a mere 5 letter word but the life revolves around it. Presence of water is the very reason for life to thrive here on Planet Earth, while other planets cannot support life. The biggest source of fresh-water on our planet are our Rivers. If one ever wonders how rivers are formed, they will have to follow the river upstream against its flow. Keep following it upstream and soon you will find out that it is made up of many small and medium branches. Follow any one of them, and it will lead you to the mountains, straight into the rapids. Follow it a bit more, and you will most likely end up in a calm and beautiful fresh water lake nested somewhere in the mountains. This is the story of most rivers at-least here in the sub-continent where melting glaciers in the Karakorams and Himalayas feed these ice-cold, serene and beautiful glacial lakes which then serve as a consistent source of fresh water for anything or anyone downstream.

These Lakes not only serve as a source of water but each of them is a marvel in natural beauty. Nestled in the Valleys high up in the mountains, these lakes add color and vibrance to the landscape around them. Hundreds of such lakes can be found in the northern parts of Pakistan and each one of them, more beautiful than the other. As more and more people have started to head north and explore these natural beauties, there have been a lot of talks about how these lakes rank against each other.

In this blog I have tried to come up with an objective methodology to rank the lakes against each other on a set criterion. This will be an interactive blog and will keep on updating as we explore more and more lakes. Comments and suggestions aimed at improvements are always welcome.

10. Ratti Gali Lake:

This famous lake has been featuring on the bucket list of a majority of tourists recently (while many have already struck it off), specially the ones who love to explore natural beauty. Until 2017, only seasoned trekkers and hikers got to explore this lake as a grueling 6-8 hours hike was the only way to get there. However, in 2018 the jeep trek was completed that reaches within 500 meters of the lake, from where you could simply walk for 20 odd minutes and get to the lake. The end point of the jeep trek also serves as a camping site, with many restaurants and overnight camping options available. However, this ease of access for the lake has made it lose a couple of points on our grid for remoteness. More remote the lake, more preserved it will be and hence it gets more points. Lake is located at a decent elevation of 3,600 meters. The scenic beauty of the lake is unmatched with crystal clear waters and a stunning mountain backdrop. However, thanks to its easy access, the cleanliness has been compromised. I hope we as a nation become civilized enough and start focusing on cleanliness of these invaluable assets. All these factors combined, the combined sum of rating points of the lake is 24, keeping it in the top 10 for now.

9. Kalasar 2:

This lake is a cup shaped body of crystal-clear waters surrounded by humongous Boulders. Water of this lake is so clear that you can easily see underneath it. It takes about 4 hours from Ratti gali lake's base camp to get to this beauty through one of the most scenic and stunning meadows of Kashmir. Every patch of land, every drop of spring water, every twist in the clouds hanging in the skies of this Valley just oozes perfection. Such is the beauty of this piece of land between Ratti Gali Lake and Beser that 5 lakes situated in this zone have made it to this list of top 10 lakes. Kalasar 2 trumps Ratti Gali lake in remoteness and cleanliness ratings but lags behind in the scenic beauty department, just edging past it at 25 rating points to sit on number 9.

The clear waters of Kalasar 2 and the Boulders around it..

8. Sheosar Lake:

Located at an altitude of over 4,100 meters, this lake is a jewel in the crown of GB, the crown being Deosai plains. The lake stands second to none in terms of scenic beauty, Color of water and elevation but thanks to the easy access, it lags behind in accessibility, preservation and cleanliness ratings. Overall Rating points for Sheosar lake end up in a tie with Kalasar 2, but since its scenic beauty is more pleasing to the eyes, Sheosar sits at # 8.

Sheosar Lake, the jewel of Deosai

7. Hans Raj Lake:

Locals Kashmiris call it Shabnam or Ansoo lake as well, though Hans Raj is the most common name used for this lake. Like Kalasar 2, this too is located in the same stunning valley between Kashmir and KPK and offers incredibly beautiful landscape. With 26 Rating points it sits at number 7, beating Sheosar and Kalasar 2 with a very small margin, thanks to its accessibility – a 2-3 hour hike from Ratti Gali Base Camp is good enough to keep it safe from a barrage of tourists, thus preserving it.

Hans Raj lake and the drama of clouds in the backdrop

6. Daral Lake:

Located in Matta Tehsil of Swat, this hidden beauty is a treat to behold. The trek for the lake starts from Gabin Jabba and takes a decent hiker to the lake in about 6-8 hours. The terrain is rocky and tough, but once you get there, you realize it was well worth the effort. Thanks to its remoteness, cleanliness and scenic beauty, Daral lake has managed to earn 29 rating points. The biggest downside of the lake is the fact that reliable guides and porters are not available in the area, which is a huge roadblock towards exploration in this region. There are at-least half a dozen lakes within a few Kilometres of this lake (including Sadogai lake), but unavailability of guides is keeping this region vastly unexplored.

The Mesmerizing Daral Lake - the first glimpse you get after a grueling hike of 6-8 hours

5. Katora Lake:

If you search on Google Maps, you will find out that both Katora lake and Daral lake are within a radius of 50 KMs. However, trek for Daral starts from Gabin Jabba in Swat, while the one for Katora Lake begins from Jandrai Village in Kumrat Valley of District Dir. With clear waters and a backdrop of towering mountains, the scenic beauty of the lake is just plush. The lake has managed to Gather 30 rating points owing to its remoteness, scenic beauty and cleanliness.

Frozen Katora Lake in all its glory

4. Chitta Katha lake:

Another one from the 4,000+ club, this glorious lake is located in Shauntar Valley of Kashmir. Trek to this lake from the starting point in the Village of Komaili takes about 8-10 hours, so it is advisable to have at-least a couple of days for this trek. The trek to the lake is tough but is ripe with natural beauty with many waterfalls, fresh water streams and beds of wild flowers. All of this keeps inspiring you as you challenge yourself on this rather tough hike. The scenes at the lake are simply mesmerizing, with Amber waters in the backdrop of grey rocky terrain. Based on its remoteness, cleanliness and scenic aura, the lake has managed to gather 31 Rating points.

Chitta Katha Lake

3. Dudipatsar Lake

Dudipatsar is often referred to as the Queen of Lakes, a title worthy of this beauty. Located on the borders of Kashmir, KPK and GB, this wonder of nature lies on the other extreme end of the Valley that begins from Ratti Gali Lake. Starting from a small town of Beser, an 8-10 hours trek takes you to Dudipatsar lake. Since the trek is long, it is advisable to camp at Mullah ki basti, about an hour and a half shy of the lake. Mullah ki basti, a small village inhabited in summers by a handful of Shepherds and their families is story of romanticism with nature. There are a very few places on the planet which are more soothing and relaxing than Mullah ki Basti. On the ratings table, Dudipatsar ends up in a tie with Chitta Katha lake on 31 Points, however, thanks to its superior scenic beauty, it is ranked above Chitta Katha at # 3.

Half frozen Dudipatsar Lake

2. Saral Lake:

Saral Lake is another lake situated in the same Valley between Ratti Gali and Beser and is perhaps most scenic, preserved and picturesque of them all. If you start at Mullah ki Basti, it takes about 4-5 hours to climb up on Saral Pass. You can see the lake from here at the far bottom end of the valley, but climbing down to the lake takes another couple of hours. You can camp next to the lake and can wake up to witness perhaps the most stunning morning of your life. Saral Lake has beaten Dudipatsar and Chitta Katha lake by 1 rating point, thanks to its remoteness and stunning scenic beauty. With aggregate rating points of 32, Saral lake sits at # 2 in our list.

Saral Lake as seen from the top of Saral Pass

1. Pamir Lake(s):

Shimshal is perhaps the most Northern Town in Pakistan. The town itself is so remote that you need at-least two days to get there by road from Islamabad. The jeep track that takes you to Shimshal from Passu is a nerve wrecking affair. However, the story of Pamir Lake doesn’t end here. Once you get to Shimshal, get a good night’s sleep and gear up for a week of adventure – a testing hike over the infamous Shimshal Pass. It takes about 2-4 days to cross the Shimshal pass and reach Pamir Meadows. Average trekkers like me taking 3 days to get there, while locals take about two days. Beginning in the town of Shimshal this trek is a complete Package. You will cross water streams, experience extreme heat in barren and dry rocky terrain of Ghar e Sar, Past Furzin & Paryam Sar before having to bear sub-zero temperature and icy cold winds of Shuijerab and Pamir Meadows to get to this lake. All these hardships are paid back with interest however, once you lay your eyes on this beautiful lake. Pamir Lakes are actually a pair of lakes, located right next to each other, connected to each other by a tiny stream. Lakes are so close to each other that locals never thought of naming them separately.

The mesmerizing waters of Pamir Lake

The terrain beyond the lake is a fairy land of the Giant Mountains of Karakorams. Pamir Meadows serve as last patch of green as mountain passes ahead of it take you on a startling traverse for the Legendary Snow lake. K2, the king in the north is not too far from there, however, you have to climb a 6,000-meter beast, aka Minglik Sar next to the lake to get a glimpse of K2. Even if you do not plan to climb it, just take an evening stroll to Manglik Sar's base camp and enjoy the inspiring view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. The lake is situated at a staggering elevation of 4,500 meters and stays frozen for about 8-9 months of the year.

Pamir Lakes and the surrounding Karakorams, as seen from Minglik Sar Base Camp

On the ratings scale, this lake trumps every single measure, i.e. remoteness, cleanliness, preservation, availability of excellent guides (Shimshalis are amazingly loving people) and its stunningly awesome scenic beauty. Thanks to all these, the lake has gathered 35 Rating points and sits at the top of this list so far.