Adventure at Chandratal Lake

It was a cold and rainy night in the wilderness of trans-Himalayas and we were driving cautiously to reach to the safety of our camps. Road was non existent, water-crossing were frequent and sometimes stones would fall down from hilltops.

Our driver, a native from the hills, and an expert in driving on such roads was cruising through the terrain using his sharp instincts. To our left, Chenab river was flowing furiously, ready to engulf anything that comes close to its washed banks.

Weather delayed our journey and we could reach our camp near Chandratal lake only by midnight, really looking forward to a dry and safe place to sleep.

A surprise awaited us - our camp was already occupied. We had no shelter for the night, except our car. Thankfully, our savior Tenzin gave us his kitchen tent and a sleeping bag each.

Fatigued, we instantly slipped into our sleeping bags and tried to doze off. A few minutes later, the night turned stormy, rain was lashing at our tent and water started creeping inside. We tried hard to keep ourselves dry and prayed for the tent to stay in place. Storm lasted the whole night and we didn't realize when our tired bodies resigned to sleep.

However, the next morning made it was worth the inconvenience - we were awestruck by the beauty around us. Vast plateaus and trans Himalayan peaks around us, covered with mist and snow. Yes, last night saw the first snowfall of the season.

Although the cold was biting, but we couldn't feel anything beyond the flawless nature around us. Our campsite was more than a kilometer from Chandratal lake. After a breakfast of bread, eggs and the soul-soothing black ginger tea, we started our hike to the lake.

This was my first experience at Chnadrataal campsite, a mixed bag of memories. How has been your experience there?

Camping at high altitude lakes must be done while being cautious of the environment and prevent the ecology of lake from getting polluted. No cooking, cleaning or washing water must be disposed of near the lake.

Our driver, a native from the hills, and an expert in driving on such roads was cruising through the terrain using his sharp instincts. To our left, Chenab river was flowing furiously, ready to engulf anything that comes close to its washed banks.

Weather delayed our journey and we could reach our camp near Chandrataal lake only by midnight, really looking forward to a dry and safe place to sleep.

A surprise awaited us - our camp was already occupied. We had no shelter for the night, except our car. Thankfully, our savior Tenzin gave us his kitchen tent and a sleeping bag each.

Fatigued, we instantly slipped into our sleeping bags and tried to doze off. A few minutes later, the night turned stormy, rain was lashing at our tent and water started creeping inside. We tried hard to keep ourselves dry and prayed for the tent to stay in place. Storm lasted the whole night and we didn't realize when our tired bodies resigned to sleep.

However, the next morning made it was worth the inconvenience - we were awestruck by the beauty around us. Vast plateaus and trans Himalayan peaks around us, covered with mist and snow. Yes, last night saw the first snowfall of the season.

Although the cold was biting, but we couldn't feel anything beyond the flawless nature around us. Our campsite was more than a kilometer from Chandrataal lake. After a breakfast of bread, eggs and the soul-soothing black ginger tea, we started our hike to the lake.

An easy hike from the campsite to the lake revealed some of the most spellbinding vistas to us. Natural beauty engulfed us completely and left us completely speechless. No other glacial lake or high altitude lake made such an enormous impact on me as Chandrataal did. I guess, this is the reason why it is named so - As beautiful and romantic as the moon.

This was my first experience at Chnadrataal campsite, a mixed bag of memories. How has been your experience there? Share your experience with me here or at Instagram @Soulful_Worldview. And here, I leave you with some more beautiful pictures.

Camping at high altitude lakes must be done while being cautious of the environment and prevent the ecology of lake from getting polluted. No cooking, cleaning or washing water must be disposed of near the lake. For more tips on traveling responsibly in the Himalayas, follow my stories here or Instagram @Soulful_Worldview.