The Kareri Lake Trek is a trek amidst the lush greenery of the pine forests. It takes you through the lush subtropical pine forests. The vegetation includes chir and chilgoza pines, interspersed with broad-leaf species and dense growth of the pine trees all around. It is home to a high density of a variety of bird species which can be easily spotted due to the lower canopies of the trees.
The trail is not only covered with dense vegetation or the forests but one can find rocky grassland at the latter half of the trail, that lies along the lake-fed Nyund nallah which serves as both a guiding path to the trek and is quite refreshing. The forests are clustered with lush vegetation of pines and shrubs. The lake itself forms a glacier and is close to the snow line, which shows that apart from the adventure one can also enjoy the varied topography, throughout the trek. The combination of the varied vegetation zones at varied altitudes are easily visible throughout this trail.
A lovely weekend adventure for the people or the trekkers in Himachal Pradesh other than the common treks such as Kheerganga Trek, Prashar lake Trek, Triund Trek, etc. There are several campsites along the trail, which also offers such convenient food options along its way that makes this an ideal beginner-level trail for trekkers.
Kareri Lake Trek is a wonderful trek destination for all levels of trekkers. One who loves adventure will always opt out for trekking, and knows how to prepare for the trek and to navigate the trail. This is a perfect trek for the first time trekkers who will enjoy it throughout.
The starting point of this trek is Solang Valley, which is just an hour’s drive away from Manali. That makes it very easily accessible and if you’re a beginner, then it is the perfect trek and one can enjoy the amazing views of the biggest mountains of Manali, by standing right at the base of the Pir Panjal Range.
The Kareri Lake Trek is located at an elevation of about 2,950 meters above the sea level in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. A freshwater lake which is tucked amidst the rugged mountains with lush greenery of the pine forests all around. The glacial Kareri Lake Trek will take you through an interesting journey of the splendid views of the lush pastures, exotic perennial flowers and dense vegetation of the conifers and pines. Situated at the majestic Dhauladhar range, this trek is favorite among the backpackers or the trekkers and also the nature lovers who love spending their leisure amidst the beautiful surroundings of nature and its glory while capturing some amazing pictures to be kept as memories forever. One can also enjoy it staying overnight, sleeping under the gazing stars, listening to the stories of the localities and also get to enjoy the simplicity of life away from the humdrum affairs of the city life.
The starting point of the trek is from Dharamkot and the finishing point of the Kareri Lake Trek is at Mcleodganj which covers a distance of about 26 km to and fro journey.
As the heart of the trek, the elliptical Kareri lake remains frozen for a major part of the year, yet the beauty and serenity of the wonderful lake in the winter months are also worth enjoying.The ideal time to undertake this trek is from March to July just before the monsoons or till the arrival of the monsoon season and then again from September to December just before the chilly winters makes for a wonderful weekend trek experience. It’s best to avoid any kind of treks during the monsoons as it is difficult to climb the mountains in the harsh weather and the slippery paths due to frequent rains, which can prove to be challenging.
Route to The Kareri Lake Trek
The first leg of the trek is to Rioti village. It takes around 7 hours to complete the trek if you are moderately fit. On the first day of the trek, one needs to camp at the Rioti village.. Then the trek from Rioti Village to Kareri is approximately 4.5 km and can be completed within 3- 4 hours. There are no staying facilities at Kareri. So one can either return to the Rioti Village or set up a tent by the lake. Yet setting up a tent will be challenging as an adventure.
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