Prashar Lake – A perfect weekend trek in Himachal
LOCATION: MANDI DISTRICT, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA
Surrounded by the Dhauladhar ranges in Kullu Valley is a blue-water lake called Prashar. It is a well-kept secret in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. The trek to Prashar Lake follows a charming trail through a forest and several rivulets. Meanwhile, one can enjoy the local culture as the trail goes through villages as well. The trek offers a 180 degree view of the Dhauladhar, Pir Pinjal and Kinnaur mountain ranges.
The local temple of Prashar Rishi next to the lake, with its riveting Himachali architecture, blends perfectly with the landscape. The lake is located at a comfortable altitude of just over 9,000 feet and makes for a perfect weekend trek with its proximity and good road connectivity with cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehradun etc.
Surrounded with endless snow and fully snow capped peaks while overlooking the Beas River, makes one feel blessed to have visited such an enchanting place. As you climb further up from Prashar Lake, the views keep getting better and better. Nothing beats a weekend snow trek.
How to get to the base camp – Baggi Village
From Delhi: If you are using public transport, take a bus to Mandi in Himachal. Any bus plying to Kullu or Manali will go via Mandi. Volvo buses by Himachal Roadways and Himachal Tourism ply daily from Himachal Bhawan in Delhi. It takes around 10-12 hours (430 km) to reach Mandi from Delhi.
From Chandigarh: The bus journey from Chandigarh takes 6-7 hours. The roads are in good condition till Mandi, except a few sections between Chandigarh and Bilaspur. From Mandi, take a jeep to Baggi village, which is 26 km via Katula village.
In winter, local buses don’t ply on this road. It could be difficult to take your own vehicle because there might be snow on the road, depending on the weather conditions. Pick up any supplies you may need from Mandi. Prashar Lake is approximately 49 km from Mandi.
How to do the Trek
Day 1: Baggi Village to Prashar Lake (7.5 km, 4 to 5 hours)
Baggi Village:
- Altitude: 1,353 m
- GPS Coordinates: N 31°42.116, E 076 °56.681
Prashar Lake:
- Altitude: 2,584 m
- GPS Coordinates: N 31°45.284, E 077 °06.104
The trek starts from Baggi Village, which is 26 km from Mandi. There is a motor road that goes up to half a km from Prashar Lake. The condition of this road could be bad due to stormy weather. The road may also be closed due to heavy accumulation of snow in the month of January and February.
Get off at the bus stop that stands beside a bunch of shops. Look out for a concrete rain shelter to the left of the road. Proceed straight from here. There is a stream across the road. Once you cross the stream, you will come across a dirt road going into the forested valley. The stream will remain on your left as the trail goes into the valley.
There are large boulders on the banks of this stream. After walking on the trail for 5 minutes, the road takes a U-turn; three scissor bends follow. Avoid these scissor bends. Instead, take the short cut that goes straight up and save time. This will take you another 10 minutes. The trail from here on is a gradual incline.
Look out for your first water source after a 5 minute walk. You will find a mountain stream on your right. The water from the stream is safe to drink. This will be the only water point throughout the trail so carry enough water to last you through the trek. A 15-20 minute walk on this trail will take you to a bend, where there is a small stream coming down from your right. This is your first landmark.
First Landmark:
- Altitude: 1,799 m
- Time taken: 40 minutes (from Baggi).
- GPS Coordinates: N 31°46.486, E 077 °05.374
Get off the Jeep trail. Take a right and hike up the forested ridge to your right. Look for a small trail climbing up through the forest. After 2 minutes of an uphill hike, you’ll find a fork in the trail. Take the route going to the right. This is the start of a steep ascent passing through a fairly dense forest. Stay on the well-defined trail.
After 30-40 minutes of an uphill climb, the trail will momentarily ease out. Look for another fork in the trail. Take the trail to your right and continue walking through the forest. After 15 minutes on an uphill track, the forest cover will clear up for a brief moment. Take the trail up with a series of 2 scissor bends on the way.
The snow capped Dhauladhar ranges come into view for the first time. The trail here may have snow in winter. It can get slippery here. So ensure you have a strong footing. Ten minutes of a steep ascent will take you to a small patch of leveled ground inside the forest. Look for a Trident of Lord Shiva pitched into the ground. This is the second landmark of the trek.
Second Landmark:
- Altitude: 1,999 m
- Time taken: 1 hour 35 minutes (from Baggi)
- GPS Coordinates: N 31°46.306, E 077 °05.562
There is a make-shift water pipe from Prashar Lake to Baggi. The pipe runs past this landmark. However, do not fill your bottles here. The water isn’t suitable for drinking. Resume your climb through the forest. The trail remains consistent for the next 30-45 minutes. You will now see the first in a series of 3 clearings.
Look out for snow or green grass depending on the time of the year. While crossing the third clearing, look out for electricity wires going all the way into the forest cover, up to Prashar. You will now enter the second forest ridge zone. After a 15 minute walk through the dense forest you will reach a level ground. This is the third landmark.
Third Landmark:
- Altitude: 2,369 m
- Time taken: 3 hours 5 minutes (from Baggi)
- GPS Coordinates: N 31°45.877, E 077 °05.541
The whole area may be covered with snow during winter. This section of the trail may have hard ice so tread with caution. The steep climb up to the fourth landmark is a 30-45 minutes of careful hike depending upon the amount of snow. The fourth landmark is a series of shepherd huts on a leveled space at the top of the hill.
Fourth Landmark:
- Altitude: 5,515 feet
- Time taken: 4 hours 10 minutes (from Baggi)
- GPS Coordinates: N 31°45.656, E 077 °05.636
The huts belong to the villagers and are used in religious ceremonies in Prashar and during the festive season. Leaving the forest behind, the grand Dhauladhar, Pirpinjal and Kinnaur peaks are visible for the first time. The whole area is carpeted in snow and looks brilliant. Towards your true left is the trail that meanders towards Prashar. Look out for Prashar ridge towards your extreme left. Behind it is the beautiful Prashar Lake.
You will see a guest house maintained by the Forest Department on top, towards your right. Follow the trail going to your left. The large accumulation of snow may slow you down. Prashar is another 800 metres away from here.
As you approach the Prashar ridge, you will see the fenced boundary installed by the Forest Department. This demarcates the sacred ground of Prashar.
A 20-30 minute walk in the snow will take you to a steel gate with steel steps. Look for a series of wooden huts and a local temple next to a semi-frozen lake. You have now reached Prashar Lake.
Day 2: Prashar Lake to Baggi Village (7.5 km, 3-4 hours)
The approach to Baggi is the same route taken to reach Prashar. There may be numerous slippery spots while descending. Watch out for hard ice and walk around it.
Nearby excursions: A 12 km trek to Tunga Mata temple above the Prashar Lake is a viable excursion one can make while camping at Prashar Lake. The trail is a steep climb on the mountain ridge behind the lake. The view of the lake from here is stunning.
Other Important Information:
Trail Type: Round trail. The trek starts and ends at Baggi. Easy Trek.
Rail Head: Chandigarh is the nearest Rail road.
Altitude: The trek starts at 4438 ft climbs to 8477 ft.
Base Camp: Baggi (11 hours drive from Delhi)
Best Season: Anytime. Expect snow in winter months to mid March & Rain in monsoons.
Snow: Snow December last week to mid March.
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