Saral Lake in Neelum Valley, Azad Kashmir, at 13,600 feet (4,100 m). Seductive, Tantalizing, Captivating. The first glimpse of this valley from Saral Pass (4,100 meters) was simply breathtaking & mesmerizing! Descending from the Saral top into an uninhabited & untouched valley till the lake was refreshing.
As we came closer to the lake, it started to grow on us both, literally & metaphorically. As our minds were still busy processing the beauty & wilderness of the lake, the thought of crossing the very steep-looking Jabba-Gali Pass (on the mountain behind the lake) the next day gave us shivers. Joy, Anticipation, Fear, and probably too many varied emotions were overwhelming for us, but trekking in nature is all about exploring/rekindling these overwhelming emotions!
There are three different hiking routes to access the lake:
i) Jalkhand to Saral Gali (Jalkhand Sharda Road) on a jeep; Saral Gali to Saral Top & finally, from Saral Top to the picturesque lake and return to Besal via Dudipatsar Lake. Noori Top jeep track, two-hour drive – drop midway – from there a track going left, it’s a 6-hour hike through Saral Gali.
ii) Basal to Mulla Ki Basti; Mulla Ki Basti to Dudipatsar Lake; Dudipatsar to Saral Pass; from Saral Pass to Saral Top & finally from Saral Top to Saral Lake & return to Saral Top, from Saral Top to Saral Gali & lastly, from Saral Gali to Jalkhand (Jalkhand Sharda Road) via jeep.
Mulla Ki Basti 8-hour hike – Saral Pass – Saral Lake 4 hours
iii) Sharda to Noori Top via Sharda-Jalkhand road on a jeep; hiking from Noori Top to Saral Top & finally, from Saral Top to Saral Lake.
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Nestled in the Gumut National Park, this little-known lake is a hidden gem. This secluded lake in the Neelum Valley, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, offers stunning views you’ll never forget. A truly spellbinding sight to behold, Saral Lake stuns with its aquamarine and otherworldly waters. In addition, the pristine waters reflect the snow-frosted, lush green mountains in the background, adding to the picturesque display.
The best time to visit Saral Lake is during the last days of June, the entire month of July, and the first week of August. When nature awakens, with lambs & wild horses bouncing around the lush green fields and wildflowers blooming at their best & the earth seems to have come to life again.
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We started our hike from Dudipatsar Lake, and it took 2 hours to reach Saral Pass, then 2 more hours to reach the lake.
Reach Jalkhand, and hire porters and jeeps from there to Lalian ki Basti. Night camp at Lalian ki Basti
Started our trek at 8 AM. It is very demanding to reach the top (the top name needs clarification; some say Saral Top, while others say it is part of Noori Top). We reached the top around noon and then, from there, started to descend toward Saral Lake. After 2 to 2.5 hours, you will reach the point from where it took this pic. More than 2 to 3 hours of descent are required to reach the lake. We camped at this point. Visited Saral and went back to the camps around 7:30
That’s it. If you want to go to the lake, you can come back via the same route, but our plan also includes Dudipatsar Lake.
We started our trek from Dudipatsar Lake to Saral Lake again, with a demanding ascent over Saral Pass, then a very steep, technical descent into Lulusar and Dudipatsar National Park. We trekked to the lake, which is around 12 km away, visited it, and trekked back to Mulla Ki Basti, which is around 6 km away from Dudipatsar Lake.
Trek from Mulla Ki Basti to Basal, around 12 km; trek mostly through meadows, but at the end, there are some ascents and descents. Also, in this season, as glaciers are melting, you have to cross the Purbinar stream from two places. Porters helped us to cross that quite easily. Check the climate and season before visiting this place.
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Suggested Read: Trek to Dudipatsar Lake
There is no signal and no tent camp. One can come back to Mulla Ki Basti if one leaves early and doesn’t want to spend time at the lake.
