Sahastra Tal Trek

Sahastra Tal, also known as the “lake of the gods” is located in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The lake is surrounded by beautiful valleys - Bhagirathi valley in the west and Bhilangana Valley in the east. On the north of this lake, there is a high ridge called the Kush Kalyan Plateau, which is surrounded by various other small lakes on both sides. The trek to the lake is one of the most beautiful treks in Uttarakhand and not very frequented that adds to its attractiveness.

Overview

Destination: Uttarakhand
Location: Sahastra Tal
Departure: Dehradun
Google Map Co-ordinates: 30.8735° N, 78.8920° E
Nearest City (Airport): Jolly Grant (Dehradun)
Nearest City (Railway Station): Dehradun
Duration: 8-9 Days
Dates: On request
Months: April – June(2nd week), September(3rd week) – October
Level: Moderate
Guide: Available
Price: On request

Experience

The trek also known as the seven lake trek is a beautiful journey from the word go. A medium to high altitude trek, one reaches a maximum altitude of 4,602 m/15,100 ft during this trek.
To the north of Sahastra lake is a high ridge called the Kush Kalyan Plateau, which is surrounded by various other small lakes on both sides. The lake is situated at the top of this ridge. The lake is considered to be very auspicious by the locals and they carry out an annual ritual by carrying their deity on their shoulders through this lake. Another local legend related to this lake is that once a king after performing a ritual in this lake, offered a thousand sahastra flowers to lord Vishnu and that’s why the name.
Through this trek one would view the beautiful green meadows, wild fauna, and flora along with the magnificent spectacle of peaks like Jaonli, Srikanth and other high Himalayan ranges. This place is often isolated and not very frequently visited by tourists or trekkers. From Dehradun to Dehradun the trek can be done in 8 or 9 days.

Itinerary

DAY 1 / DRIVE FROM DEHRADUN (640 M/2,100 FT) TO UTTARKASHI (1,158 M/3,899 FT) – 160 KM – 4-5 HOUR DRIVE. STAY IN A HOTEL/HOMESTAY.

DAY 2 / DRIVE TO MALLA. TREK TO GAIRI (2,000 M/6,562 FT): 8 KM, 4-5 HOUR TREK. CAMP.

DAY 3 / TREK TO KUSH KALYAN (3,682 M/12,083 FT): 10 KM, 4-5 HOUR TREK. CAMP.

DAY 4 / TREK TO KYARKI PASS CAMP (4,000 M/13,100 FT):12 KM, 5-6 HOUR TREK. CAMP.

DAY 5 / TREK TO LAMB TAL (4,317 M/14,164 FT): 6 KM, 3-4 HOUR TREK. CAMP.

DAY 6 / TREK TO SAHASTRA TAL (4,600 M/15,091 FT)AND BACK: 12 KM, 6-7 HOUR TREK. CAMP.

DAY 7 / TREK TO KUSH KALYAN VIA KYARKI BUGYAL (3,700 M/12,100 FT)– 18 KM – 7/8. HOURS.

DAY 8 / TREK TO SILA VILLAGE – 18 KM – DRIVE TO UTTARKASHI – 1 HOUR. STAY IN A HOTEL.

DAY 9 / DRIVE FROM UTTARKASHI TO DEHRADUN – 160 KM. 4-5 HOURS.