The Kareri Lake trek is an amazing trek through the Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh. It is strenuous and straight but moderate and can be done by anyone. This amazing trek takes you to the mystic Kareri Lake and a Shiva Temple on the top while also providing marvellous views of the Dhauladhar Range.
Let’s take a detailed look at the trek and the lake!
Kareri Lake: A Mystic Lake
The story behind the lake is related to the Mahabharata. When the Pandavas were in exile, they reached this place and got thirsty. Bhima used his ‘gada’ on the ground to take out water, and hence, the lake was formed. There is also a Shiva Temple at the summit. The trek has been made popular due to the temple, as many people wanted to visit the temple and receive blessings.
It is a moderate trek that takes you through amazing canopies of trees and introduces you to some of the best wildlife creatures of the Himalayas. It is a straight path with stone steps and is lined up with many dhabas, shops and more. You will never lose your way here, and the locals here will help guide you the right way.
The 10-kilometre trek starts from the Kareri Village and takes two days and one night to complete, and you camp here as well. Now, let’s look at the detailed itinerary for this amazing trek!
General Information:
Kareri Lake Distance: The trek is 10 kilometres long, and it will take about 5-6 of trekking each day to complete it.
Duration: It takes two days to finish, and you can camp at Revti for a night 1.5 hours before the summit.
Altitude: 9,613 feet
Complete Itinerary of Kareri Lake Trek
This is the complete itinerary of the trek. But before that, keep in mind a few things:
· There are a lot of shops and dhabas along the way, and you can easily find food here. You need not bring your own food or cooking equipment along; just carry a few emergency food items.
· Water is available along the route. There are many streams between boulders where you can fill your bottles. The water in the river is extremely clean.
· Camping at the summit has been banned, and hence, you will find campsites about 1 hour before the summit. There are shops at the summit as well.
· It is advisable to bring your own tent and trekking equipment to the trek.
· There will be no mobile networks along the way, especially as you climb up higher. You can take the help of the local shack owners along the route for mobile networks, as there are only certain places along the route that have good networks.
Day 1:
· The trek starts at the Kareri Village. It is 5 kilometres long and will help you reach the main starting point of the trek. If you don’t want to trek this distance, you can easily book a taxi to the starting point for around Rs. 1000.
· Once you reach the starting point of the trek, you will find a shop here where you can fill your water bottles or have food.
· The trek is easy to locate as there is a clearly written board mentioning the trek. The walk is also easy to navigate as there are stone steps all along the way.
· You can start walking early from here. The path is quite simple and full of trees and beautiful streams. There are also many shops and dhabas along the way where you can have your lunch or dinner.
· There’s a place called Revti that you need to reach for camping. This place is a few hours before the summit and offers great land for camping.
· Make sure you reach here early to set up camp, there is no electricity here, and it will be hard to pitch your tent after dark.
· As you camp here, you can have delicious home-cooked meals in one of the shacks nearby and also meet other trekkers along the route.
· If you don’t have your own tent, you need not worry. The shacks here rent tents and sleeping bags as well. The prices depend on the size of the tents and sleeping bags, which are rented at around Rs. 100 per night.
· Set up camp here and enjoy the night under the stars as you watch clouds go by!
Day 2:
· On day 2, start your trek early. You can also have tea and breakfast at the shacks here. Food isn’t scarce here, and you will find many dhabas and little shops along the way selling snacks, tea, Maggi, dal/chawal, and so much more.
· From the camping point at Revti, it will take you about 1.5 hours to reach Kareri Lake. You will also find many streams about 30 minutes after you leave the campsite.
· You can submit your backpacks and tents at the shacks on the campsite for a smoother and easier trek to the lake. It is extremely safe to do so, and your luggage will not get stolen or misplaced.
· Make sure your trekking shoes are good enough, as along this route, you will find a few places where the path isn’t paved.
· From here, it gets easy to trek to the lake. As you reach higher, you will come across a straight paved path that takes you to the Shiva Temple. You can take your blessings here.
· From the Shiva Temple, you can look at the beautiful lake in front of you and take in the majestic views of the Dhauladhar Range!
· You can also reach closer to the lake and have fun along its banks. The lake is also quite shallow at the banks, and it is quite safe to be around it.
· Now, it is time to descend. You will descend the same way you came. Start before lunchtime so you can return to the village early and hassle-free.
· Trek back to Revti and pick up your backpacks and tents from the shacks. You can also have lunch here or at one of the shacks ahead. There are many shacks here at every 15-30 minute interval, and you won’t have any trouble navigating the route.
· Reach the village before the sun sets.
Best Time to Do This Trek
The best time for this trek is summer as well as winter. Although winters are generally cold and the path gets laden with snow, late winters in February are a great time to take on this hike. You can do the trek anytime of the year except during the monsoon, as the route gets slippery and hard to walk on during the rainy season, and there are higher chances of accidents.
How to Reach Kareri Village
Kareri Village is just 25 kilometres away from Dharamshala. Many local and Volvo buses connect Dharamshala and Delhi. After reaching Dharamshala, you can take a cab or a local bus to Kareri Village. From the village, you can either take a cab to the starting point of the trek or walk five kilometres to the point.
Conclusion
Kareri Lake is a beautiful and mythological lake that takes one on a strenuous journey and gives a panoramic view of the lake and the surrounding Dhauladhar Range. The view from the summit is marvellous, and it is one of the easiest and most peaceful treks that one can take due to the lack of crowds and the easy-to-navigate path. There are many shacks and streams along the way for food and water, and tents are also available at the campsites for you. This is one of the best and smoothest treks you can take on and make up for the perfect weekend adventure in the Himalayas!
FAQs:
How difficult is the Kareri Lake trek?
The trek is moderate in difficulty level and is 10 kilometres long. If you trek for about 5-6 hours each day, you can easily complete it within two days.
What is the Length of the Kareri trek?
The trek is 10 kilometres from the starting point. If you plan to start from the Kareri village, you can add five more kilometres.
Where is Kareri Lake located?
Kareri Lake is located in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra District. It is just 44 kilometres away from Dharamshala.
