Call of the Mountains - 2 Prashar Lake

Prashar Lake – A jewel which has been hidden pretty well in the beautiful Himachal for sometime till people started posting its pictures online and it became pretty famous. Fame made this lake to be as hit as one of main things in one’s travel bucket list. Same was the case with me and with the boon of long weekends in 2017, I was able to fulfil my dream.

It started with my discussions with my wife to go to some place as there was a long weekend in Feb 2017. For me, the Call of the Mountains has been there since my last visit and the compulsion to cover as much as I can is pretty much heavy on my travel plans. After all the discussions and investigations, Wednesday came up. We were supposed to get ready by Thursday but then we being the late bloomers, couldn’t figure out the destinations. Then I suggested Prashar Lake somehow and suddenly we were able to zero in to this place.

Once decided, I tried to search for many options to reach to this place. There are 2 options  – (a) Trek for 7.5 Kms (b) Directly via car/taxi. The adventurous soul in me can never let go any chance to Trek and hence it was decided that we will trek to this place. The height of the Prashar Lake is around ~8960 ft. One can see snow around the Lake during the months of Jan,Feb, Mar but we were not lucky enough as by the time we reached the place, almost 80% of the snow was melted. You can see the same in the pics below. Details about the trek will be shared in the following paragraphs.

To reach the Prashar lake, one needs to reach Mandi which can be done via Volvo from Delhi (majnu ka tila / ISBT). You will reach Mandi early morning. Take a small budget room in any hotel and get yourself refreshed. Post that you can book a taxi to Baghi village which is around 49Kms from Mandi and from this place only the actual trek will start. You can book the taxi on sharing basis as well. Costs and details will be shared at the last. You can also book the whole tour from various companies like – Bikat Adventures, Adventure Nations, etc. The cost can vary from Rs 3000 to Rs 3500 per person ex Mandi to Mandi, including rooms in Mandi to get refreshed.

Now the Trek:

Once reached Baghi, you will be on the rocky trail which has a small stream of river flowing around. The terrain is completely rocky till ~500-700M but you will enjoy it. Post that the trek has a defined trail. Please note that there are no shops or eateries on the trek which is around 7.5Km which can be done in 4-5Hrs depending on your speed and the breaks you take. So pack your eatables and water bottles accordingly. The trail is almost well defined. But Please note that the trek is quite demanding as its a pretty steep ascent. If you are trekking in snow, please do carry waterproof shoes and snow gaiters. The trek has amazing views of Dhauladhar range and the Kullu valley. All your tiredness will vanish once you cover a distance of ~4Kms as the view gets better and better. Keep climbing as the best of the view still awaits you. Caution – During snow, the trek becomes slippery so just be careful.

 

Just before 500mts, you will see a well defined trail which will lead you to the magnificent Prashar Lake. There are few cafes which can serve your tired soul. You can also ask the same cafes about your stay if you are not with any group or carrying your own tents. You can stay in the rooms available or also book the rooms near the temple, for which you need to contact the priests of the temple.

Early morning view from one of the peaks near the lake is perfect to see the sunrise. Keep in mind that you need to climb a pretty steep hill for the same but the view is worth every step. This area has many wild animals like red fox, bears, etc. In my personal experience I encountered a Red Fox. Thanks to the Himalayan dog who was following me in hope of some food and love, he gave a pretty hard chase to that Fox.

Details:

Reach Mandi from Delhi – Via car or Bus (Red Bus / HRTC – Preferred ) – Rs 1100-1500

Cost of Hotel in Mandi – Budget Hotel – Rs 300 to 500 (for few hours to get freshen up)

Taxi to Baghi – Vary from Rs 500 to Rs 2000 one way (may get a good bargain – check with the hotel)

Cost of Tent and food up at Prashar Lake – Rs 500 per person.

Things to carry:
Water Bottles
Eateries
Torch
Camera
warm clothes