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Among all the treks in Kashmir, Tarsar Marsar Trek stands tall. The trek has a cluster of 3 beautiful alpine lakes, long lush meadows, mighty mountains, and the Lidder River. The trek gives the possibility of lake camping on the Tarsar Lake and the grand view from Marsar Lake Ridge. The trek is best suggested for beginners and is done in 7 days which includes a day for acclimatization at Aru. It is best done between June and October.
This trek starts at Aru Valley – a quaint valley 112 km off Srinagar – and falls in the vicinity of the famous Kolahoi Glacier. The trek is 48km long with a mix of ascends and descends. The famous twin lakes of this trek are Tarsar and Marsar Lakes. They are one of the largest alpine lakes of Kashmir and have stunning beauty. At Tarsar Lake, the campsite is just at the lake with a magnificent view of this lake from your camp. Enjoy your evening exploring this lake.
The Trek is best done in 7 days with one day as acclimatization at Aru Valley. The Tarsar Marsar trek distance is 47.8 km distance and it will take 6 days of walking, this trek goes over the varied landscape of Kashmir, making it the best highlight of Kashmir’s eternal natural beauty. This trek is best recommended for beginners.
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The drive is around 4 hours. Pahalgam is around 100 km from Srinagar and then a further 12 km up is Aru Valley. Aru is arguably the best valley and hamlet in Kashmir. This village has remained the base camp for some of the fascinating treks that include the Tarsar Marsar Trek.
While driving towards Aru, you will see the breathtaking Kashmir valley. The ride goes via NH1 Highway and meets Lidder River before Pahalgam. You will be driving through the famous Pahalgam. You will take a left towards Aru and it’s an easy uphill drive that drops down to the beautiful Lidder rives coming from Tarsar Lake which you will in the coming days.
At Aru, our campsite will be fixed to welcome you with a welcome drink. You will meet your trek leader there who will give a brief about your trek and journey ahead. Around 7 you will be served dinner in the middle of this fascinating valley.
The gradient of the day is easy, however, there is a long walk of around 11 km. For only the first 30 minutes there is a gradual ascend into the jungle.
The trail of the trek starts with the jungle for about 5 km. The jungle is thick and at a few places opens wide giving way to the shepherd houses and deep gorges in the distance towards your left. The jungle is full of birds, and you will see the trail frequented by shepherds and ponymen.
After the jungle walk, the trail opens onto a vast wavy meadow. The meadow is far stretching with a couple of river crossings. In the middle of this meadow walk, you will be walking just beside the river Lidder. The river dances and flows delightfully.
The grass of the meadow just goes to the bank of the river. You can relax and rest for some time at any of these beautiful locations on the way. Fill your water bottles with this clean glacial water that comes right from Tarsar Lake. This Lidder River will be your travel partner until Tarsar Lake.
While walking for some time, you will see a triangular wooden hut towards your left. Cross the bridge that goes towards the meadow surrounding the hut. You will see your campsite ready for you. You will be welcomed with evening snacks and drinks. This camping site is called Lidderwat.
The day starts with an ascend and takes you to the higher ground from where you get a wider view of the entire Lidderwat Valley. The grade of the day is easy. Shortly after your first climb, the trail merges into the forest. You will be walking through the jungle and parallel to the Lidder River.
The trail then opens out into the long stretches of meadow walk. You will have to cross the river over a log bridge. The valley is full of wildflowers and grass. You will reach a Homwas where the river meets the meadow, relax, and enjoy the gorgeous beauty here. On your way, you will see shepherd houses and a cluster of Silver Birch.
Just before you reach Shekwas there is a boulder section. Be careful with your steps. You will be traversing this section with care, the boulders and big and at times wet with the water that flows below them. Just after the boulder section is the campsite for the night.