This trek is less famous than other treks. It has now become one of the most talked about treks in the Pir Panjal Range of Kashmir. The trek starts from the famous tourist place Doodhpathri of Kashmir. It ends in the long wavy meadows of Tosamaidan. This trek is dominated by the multiple alpine lakes and the lush meadows. It is also called the meadow trek.
- Location: Kashmir.
- Duration: 6 Days
- Difficulty level: Challenging
- Best Season: July to September.
Bodpathri Lakes Trek is the fantastic meadow and alpine lake trek of Kashmir. This trek is quite unique in its landscape and vast meadows which are unparallel. Even the meadows of the Great Lakes trek fall short before the pristine and huge meadows of this trek. The trek falls in the Pir Panjal Range of Kashmir. It is the first Pir Panjal Range trek that we have been doing for a decade now. The entire trail was under army surveillance and was quite a restricted area.
However, the trail and the entire Pir Panjal Range is now thrown open to trekkers. The trek starts from the famous offbeat destination of Kashmir called Doodhpathri.
Bodpathri Lakes Trek is an easy to moderate trek which promises to mesmerize you with its utter breathtaking serenity and beauty. The trek is finished in 6 days and goes via lush carpets of grass, has an abundance of alpine lakes and the shade of forest cover.
The trek gives you a wide view of the Pir Panjal range and you get to see the lofty peaks of this range from Sunset peak to Trattakoti peak. A trekker gets to see six alpine lakes on the trail of this trek and the two lakes of them are Bodsar and Pamsar lakes. Another lake called Damamsar lake is at par in beauty with other alpine lakes of Kashmir.
Bodpathri trek is a Himalayan traverse across the lush carpet of grass and along the fresh alpine lakes under the towering peaks of the Pir Panjal range. Imagine yourself in the middle of the meadow and they stretch as far as the eye goes and they seem to merge with the mountain range.
Another feature of this trek is the serenity. This trek is still offbeat, and you will rarely see people around you. This makes this trek special in the time of crowded trails of Uttrakhand and other treks of Kashmir.
Why is Bodpathri Lakes Trek Famous
Unending Meadows
One of the major attractions of Bodpathri Lakes is the unending meadows that it has. The meadows are vast stretching as far as you could see. They seem to be merging and blending into the Pir Panjal Range. You must have been to treks where there are meadows. But we bet you are yet to see as large meadows as you will see on this trek.
On these meadows, you will see flocks of sheep and goats grazing calmly. The shepherd settlements are sparsely present all across the trek.
The trek itself starts from the fantastic meadow of Doodhpthir which has the shimmering river called Dhoodhganga river flowing through it. Towards the end of the trek, the trail merges with the meadows of Tosamaidan. Tosamaidan is famous for its meadows only.
The Alpine Lakes
The name of Bodpathri lakes derives from the lakes that you will see on the way on this trek. There are many lakes in the entire region of this trek, however, you will see around 6 of those best alpine lakes. The best feature of this trek is you will be camping beside these alpine lakes.
When we talk about trekking, the lakes of Kashmir are always something to look out for. The alpine lakes in the Pir Panjal valley are another treat for trekkers.
Bodpathri Lakes Trek Itinerary
Day 1: Srinagar – Doodhpathri
- Drive Distance: 55km
- Drive Time: 2.5 hours
Day 2: Doodhpathri – Ashtaar Valley
- Trek Distance: 11km
- Trek Duration: 7 hours
- Altitude Gain: 2700m to 3500m
This is the first trekking day. The gradient of the day is easy. You will start from the Doodhpathri meadow and after crossing the dhoodhganga river you start ascending the forest cover. The ascend will take around 2 to 3 hours of mild-paced walking. The trail is definite and winds up until you reach above the tree line in the clearing called Diskal meadow. This is from where the meadows start and will be your company until the end of the trek.
Here at Diskal meadow, you will be welcomed by a small settlement of Shepherd. The walk will then take you via some short ascends and descends until you find the mountain ridge. Start ascending this mountain ridge and once you reach the highest point of this ridge, you will see the vast Ashtaar valley in front of you spread in beauty and charm.
You will have to descend from the ridge towards your campsite. The descent is via boulder section and river crossing. You will be camping beside the river stream and in the vicinity of the shepherd huts.
Day 3: Ashtaar Valley – Gurwaansar
- Trek Distance: 7km
- Trek Duration: 6 hours
- Altitude Gain: 3500m to 3810m
The gradient of the day is again easy. You will be ascending around 300m today. The day will be of gradual ascents and will have some river crossings. The trek will start with a short ascend and then a descent. The descent will have boulder patches and then there is a short ascend and then a vast meadow opening on which you will walk. This flat meadow will last for around 2 km until you will have to ascend again. Shortly afterward you will have to cross the river stream and after which is your Gurwansar campsite.
Day 4: Gurwansar – Duriem
- Trek Distance: 9km
- Trek Duration: 7 hours
- Altitude Gain: 3810m to 3850m via 3980m
The gradient of the day is moderate to difficult. This is the day you will see the Pamsar Lake – the vast lake tucked away in the middle of nature. This trekking day is long. It will take around 7 hours of moderate-paced trekking to reach the next campsite.
The day starts with an ascend on a ridge which is followed by a descent into the clearing. This day is the succession of valleys and ridges. After almost every ridge you will be seen a beautiful valley. After the descent, you will trek on a ledge for a few kilometers. Shortly afterward you will reach Pamsar Lake after ascending for around a kilometer. As the length of this lake is huge, you will have to explore it by walking along its banks to see it fully.
From the lake, there is again ascent and descent and some boulder section until you reach your campsite at Duriem.
Day 5: Duriem – Gadtar
- Trek Distance: 11km
- Trek Duration: 8 hours
- Altitude Gain: 3850m to 3820 via 3962m
Today is the toughest day of the trek. It is a long day of trekking where you will have to ascend many ridges to explore the different lakes of the trek.
Post breakfast, start early with the proper trekking gear. Fill your water bottles and start ascending for around 3km. From here you will go to explore Bodsar Lake. You will have to come back to the point where you started going towards Bodsar Lake. From the viewpoint where you see Bodsar Lake, you will also see another lake called Lokutsar Lake.
After this, you will come down to the same spot where you took a trail to Bodsar Lake. From here start ascending in the boulder patch and a steep ascend. Shortly you will get to see the lake.
After a few ascends and descends you will walk on the ridge. And from there you will see the gorgeous Damamsar Lake, Navkansar I, and Navkansar II. These are all glacier-fed lakes. The campsite is then a complete descent from this point. The campiste is at Gadtar.
Day 6: Dadtar – Tosamaidan – Srinagar
- Trek Distance: 11km
- Trek Duration: 5 hours
- Altitude Loss: 3820m to 3070m
- Drive Distance: 80km
- Drive Duration: 3.5 hours
This is the last day of the trek. The grade of the day is moderate. It has descents and river crossing. You will be losing altitude on this day. There is no ascent.
The day starts with the river crossing and then a continuous descent along the wavy landscape. Towards the end of your descent, you will be in the famous Tosamidan valley. This is unmatched in its beauty. Shortly afterward you will reach the road and the cab waiting there will take you to Srinagar.
Inclusion
- All veg meals during the trek. Breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, dinner.
- Camp accommodation on all the nights in high high-quality tents on a double-sharing basis. Sleeping bags, sleeping mattresses, dining tents, and cutlery included.
- Mountaineering qualified and experienced trek leaders, guides, and experienced cooks.
- All the necessary mountain medicine includes first aid, oxygen cylinder, etc.
- Passes and permits.
Meal plan: In every meal plan, we try to provide different varieties, trying not to repeat the dishes, particularly in dinner and lunch. Here is the list of dishes and items from which we serve the clients.
- Breakfast: eggs, paratha, chana, poha, dalia, upma, cornflakes, bread toast, butter, jam, roti, coffee, tea, kehwa, etc.
- Lunch and dinner: we make a variety of dishes and try to serve the varied dishes. On all trek days, there will be different dishes served. We try not to repeat our dishes unless the clients say otherwise.
- We serve veg dishes like veg biryani, veg pulaw, muttar paneer, palak paneer, aloo gobi, rajma chawal, rajma kadhai, mix veg, chana masala, kadhi chawal, dal makhni, bhindi masala, dal fry, veg korma, Kashmiri nadru, Kashmiri haakh, aloo matar, bhaingan ka bharta, dam aloo, andaburji, etc. We have both roti and rice available for dinner and lunch. We serve them with different pickles and salad.
- For evening snacks we have tea, pakoda, soup, noodles, maggie, veg rolls, biscuits, etc.
- For dessert we serve gulab jamun, phirni, halwa, custard, sewaya, fruit chaat, fruit cake, almond cake, etc.
Exclusions:
- Lunch on the first day.
- Personal expenses.
- Anything not specifically mentioned in the inclusion list.
- Offloading
- Transportation
Extra Services:
If you wish to avail of our transportation service, then the extra cost will be 1500 per person. The transportation cost is to and fro. The pickup and drop place will be Srinagar.
Offloading charges: In case you want us to carry your backpack, the cost per bag is Rs 2200/ per bag. The maximum weight allowed is 10kg. Please note that only a proper trekking backpack will be allowed to offload. No trolly or suitcase will be allowed to offload. We strictly follow to adequately place the load on our ponies. The maximum weight on each pony will be 40kg as recommended by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department.
Bodpathri Lakes Trek Cost & Package
This trek is for 6 days. The complete Bodpahtri Lakes Trek cost is 13500 INR. The Trek package includes all of the trekking facilities which have four times meals, camping gear, sleeping bags, passes and permission, guide support, medical first aid, etc. Real Mountaineers Kashmir does the customized trek for Bodpathri with the services as per the client’s preferences.
The complete package of Bodpathri will include services like transportation, premium tents, flexible menu at an extra cost. Please ask our trek representative for all these details before you book the trek with us.
How Difficult is Bodpathri Lakes Trek?
Bodpathri lakes trek is an easy to moderate trek. This is recommended for fit beginners. This trek is a mix of meadow walks, boulder patches, river crossings, ascents, and descents. This trek has some difficult days like the days when you will be exploring the alpine lakes and has to ascend the ridges. However, this trek does not require any mountaineering technical knowledge and practice.
If you are fit and if you haven’t ever trekked, you will be able to finish this trek. One has to be cautious while crossing the boulder sections and river crossings. And the ascents and the descent on the last day are heavy on your legs.
Best Time to do Bodpathri Lakes Trek
July to September is the best time to do Bodpathri lakes trek. When the rest of the country is under the spell of monsoon, that is the best time to go for this trek. In summer, the best months are from July to September. In winter this trek is closed because of the heavy snowfall.
During autumn i.e from October onwards, the trek gets closed. This is because of the snowfall on the higher reaches of this trek. This trek is also not accessible in spring i.e from March to May as the snow is still in the upper reaches.
How to Reach
To reach the base camp of this trek, we have to start from Srinagar. The base camp of this trek is at Doodhpathri. It takes around 2 hours of drive from Srinagar to reach there. Here are the ways you can reach the base of this trek.
By Air: The nearest airport for this trek is the Srinagar airport, from there take a direct cab to Doodhpathri. There are no shared cabs from the Airport.
By Rail: The nearest railway station connected to the rest of the country is Jammu Railway Station. From there take a shred cab or bus to Srinagar and from there take a cab to Doodhpathri.
By Road: To reach the base camp, you will have to reach Kashmir first by Road, and from there all the roads towards the base camp are well maintained. You can take the road from Srinagar going towards Budgam district.
Things To Carry
Real Mountaineers Kashmir have made a long list of things to carry for the Bodpathri Lakes trek which you must carry.
Backpack: You must carry at least one backpack of 60 liters.
Shoes: You need to have trekking shoes necessarily. The shoes must be sturdy and high ankle.
Three T-shirts: Carry one full-sleeve dry-fit. T-shirt, and at least two other T-shirts.
Three insulation layers: Carry at least 3 insulation. layers – 2 light fleece and one full-sleeve sweater.
One Outer layer: You need at least one padded jacket/down jacket
Two trek pants: You need to carry two pairs of pants and that will be sufficient for your entire trek.
Trekking poles. Two trekking poles are always better than a single trekking pole.
Raingear: A poncho is a good choice over jacket-type raingear, as the poncho covers your entire body till the knees down and you can keep your daypack bag inside it too.
Rain cover for your backpack: Buy a good rain cover for your backpack to keep it dry and safe. It also helps to keep your backpack from wear and tear.
Daypack: A small bag of around 20 to 30 ltrs to carry your essentials like water bottle, rainwear, headlamp, snacks, etc
Sunglasses: Carry one to protect your eyes from glare and UV radiation.
Suncap: You can either get the normal suncap or a suncap with flaps which is preferred by most trekkers and is advisable by the experts.
Synthetic hand gloves: You can wear them during the evenings and mornings.
Woolen cap or Balaclava: The cap covers your ears, neck, and some parts of your face.
Three pairs of Socks: Take two pairs of sports socks and one pair of woolen socks.
Headlamp: You might want to go to the loo during the night, or just sit and relax outside the camps, you need the headlamp
A toilet kit: It should include things like a toothbrush, toothpaste, small soap, toilet tissue roll, a small moisturizer, lip balm, deodorant, etc. Women should carry their sanitary pads.
Water bottle: carrying a water bottle is a must.
Plastic covers: Carry a plastic bag to keep the wet or used clothes in it.
Personal medical kit: If you are on any medicine, don’t skip that during the trek unless your doctor advises. Always consult your doctor if you have any diseases that can worsen in the mountains or by altitude gain.
Mandatory Documents: Carry your original Aadhar card Passport or Driver’s license.
Lunch Box: Every day you will reach the campsite only in the afternoon, so there will be no hot lunch but a packed lunch. You must buy and carry one small lunch box.
FAQ
What is the maximum altitude of the Bodpathri Lakes trek?
Bodpathir likes its high-altitude trek. The maximum altitude of the trek is 3980m. However, we don’t camp at this altitude. It is just a mountain pass that one has to cross to go over to the other valley. In terms of altitude gain, this trek has many ascends and descends that one has to traverse.
How difficult is the Bodpathri trek?
This is quite a frequently asked question about this trek. The Bodpathri lakes trek is moderate. It is best recommended for trekkers or fit beginners. What makes it a moderate-level difficult trek is the multiple ascends and descends.
What is the distance of the Bodpathri trek?
This trek is moderately lengthy. The total distance of the trek is 49km. This one covers 5 days of the duration. The distance is almost evenly distributed. The first day of the trek is for acclimatization.
What is the best time for the Bodpathri Lakes trek?
Bodpathri Lakes is a summer trek. The best time to do this trek is from July to September. Other than these months, the climate and temperature don’t suit trekking in this region. In winter, the trek is closed.
How many days is the Bodpathri Lakes trek?
The total duration of the Bodpathri trek is 6 days. In this one day is kept for acclimatization. So total 5 days of trekking. The 6 days of the trek include going and coming from the base camp to Srinagar.
What is the starting point of the Bodpathri Lakes trek?
Doodhpathri is the starting point for the Bodpathri Lakes trek. Doodhpathri is a very famous tourist place in Kashmir. It is an extremely beautiful place that has long wavy meadows with the pine forest surrounding these meadows. The place is best known across the world for its lush meadows.
Can a beginner go on the Bodpathri Lakes trek?
Yes, a beginner can do the Bodpathri trek. It is perfect for fit beginners. It doesn’t have any technical climb or any safety concerns. It just needs your moderate fitness level, and you are good to go for this trek.
Is the Bodpathri Lakes trek safe?
This trek is completely safe for all trekkers. There are no cliffs or technical climbs. The trail is definite and the evacuation is safely done. It has multiple exit points like Tosmaidan, doodhpathri, etc. One can go for the Bodpathri trek solo as well.
Is it worth doing the Bodpathri Lakes trek?
It is completely worth doing the Bodpathri trek. It has one of the best meadows in Kashmir, some of the best alpine lakes, and amazing mountain ranges on the way. The meadows are unending and like a carpet, the lakes are glacier-fed and completely crystal clean.