The Pearl of Neelum Valley, Chitta Katha Lake

Yaraan e Jahan Kehte hain k Kashmir hai Jannat..

Kashmir is often termed as a piece of heaven on earth. To me, it was nothing more than an anecdote, until I went there and realized that the anecdote was more than true. The mesmerizing Neelum Valley is located in the North east of Muzaffarabad, the capital of the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Nature has gifted this Valley with utmost natural beauty. Tall pine trees, amber coloured water of the Neelum river (which keeps on changing moods from raging fast through the rocks at some places to calm and serene at others), abundant fresh water springs, eye-soothing waterfalls, fresh fruit trees, corn fields, its stunning lakes and wooden cottages. All of these make Neelum Valley a spectacularly amazing and exotic place to visit. Each year in the summer season, thousands of visitors visit this amazing valley to brace themselves with the beauty this valley has on offer.

The village of Keil serves as a centre point for Neelum Valley’s exploration trips. Arang Keil, undoubtedly the most stunning of the Villages in Pakistan, is also located right across the river from Keil. Keil is where Shauntar River carrying waters of the shauntar valley meets Neelum River. Trek for Chitta Katha lake starts from a small village of Domail in Shauntar Valley. You have to take a jeep ride of approximately 3 hours to get to Domail. Camping options are available at Domail if you wish to stay the night there before hitting the trail.

Trek begins with a sharp descent to the river, where you cross a wooden bridge and that is where the test begins, because once you have crossed the river, the trek is all ascent, sharp at some places and gentle at some other. Half an hour of climbing up you will come across a bunch of households with tiny fields surrounding them. If you visit in the right season, you can find real organic vegetables there. Moving ahead, trail takes you upwards though a thick forest alongside a raging stream that turns into waterfalls at many places, and standing close to it, you can experience nature’s mist fan throwing a mist of chilly waters on you. You might have to watch your steps and stay sharp as terrain can be slick and slippery. Better brace your feet with sturdy trekking boots that offer lot of traction to make maneuvering through the terrain much easier and comfortable. Use of trekking poles is highly recommended. Trekking for another couple of hours, will get you to a steep climb over slick rocks. Once you get through that, you get to Deck 1 of the trek – a perfect camping site for you if you leave keil early in the morning and want to take the hike at a slow gentle pace. Deck 1 is a small meadow at the base of sky scrapping mountains with abundance of fresh-water springs and a whole bunch of flower species.

Follow the stream for about an hour and you come across a narrow waterfall. Climb that and make sure you don’t forget to breath. The view from the top is so stunning that you tend to forget everything, even breathing. At the top of waterfall, you are standing at the edge of a meadow, perhaps sent from heaven. You can see two gigantic waterfalls coming down a steep rock cliff at the far end of the meadow. The waterfalls join the stream of clear waters that winds through the meadow. Lush green meadow is called deck 2 and is decorated with beds of flowers of every color there is. As you start walking, slowly the vastness of the meadow will start to sink in. You will have to walk through the meadow for at-least a couple of hours, after which you get to the foot of the waterfalls.

Tall and beautiful waterfall on Deck 2

Next challenge is climbing the rock face alongside that waterfall. A sharp trail zigzags alongside the waterfall that takes you to the top. After about an hour of a strenuous climb, you get to the top of one of the legs of the waterfall. To continue for the lake, you take a right turn. If your guide told you that trek ahead of this point is 'seedha seedha', don't trust him, because you ain't getting a glimpse of the lake as yet. There is one final obstacle between you and the lake, you have to cross a few hundred huge boulders that lie between you and the lake. Half hour of maneuvering though these boulders, you finally see the glimpse of the lake. Don’t get excited and watch your speed. You are standing at 4,000 metres above sea level and any sprint in excitement will leave you breathless.

The Mesmerizing Chitta Katha Lake

No words can do justice to the beauty of the lake, niether can a picture. It is like an amber cup of water nestled at the foot of sky scrapping mountain cliffs covered with snow and glaciers. The view is so beautiful that you tend to lose the sense of time. If you come prepared with right gear, you can camp on the side of the lake here. Mornings and evenings are a spectacle on this awe-inspiring lake.

According to the guides if you take the left turn alongside the lake and cross the mountain pass that climbs further up on the other side only to climb down later and you will end up in Astore in another 4-6 hours. That is a trek I intend to take some day.

If you have started from Deck 1 and intend to get back to Deck 1 after visiting the lake, better start early and keep an eye on the watch, as climbing down in the dark is not an option. Starting from deck 1, you can easily take upwards of 6 hours to get to lake. Since the trek is surrounded by sky-scrapping mountains, sun goes down too early in the valley. Springs carrying drinkable fresh water are abundant on the trek, just carry a small bottle to fill up from those strings and you can stay well hydrated. Unless you are visiting in mid to late August, expect many small glaciers coming your way on deck 2, so stay prepared for them. It won’t be a bad idea to pack gaiters, as they can come handy if you encounter soft snow.

Trip Details:

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

Drive:

Islamabad – Muzaffarabad – Ath Maqam – Keil – Shauntar (Keil to Shauntar on Jeep) (4+2+4+3 = 13 hours)

Trekking: (Trekking level: Hard)

Domail to Deck 1: 3-4 hours (depending on your speed and endurance)

Deck 1 to Deck 2: 2 - 3 hours

Deck 2 to lake: 3 - 5 hours

Elevation: Deck 1 – 3,400 meters, Chitta Katha lake- 4,100 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