Ghepan Ghat Lake Trek
Originating from the remote village of Sissu, on the Manali-Leh highway, in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh, Ghepan Ghat is a hidden, neon-blue glacial lake in a stunning valley unknown to even many local guides. The trek follows high above a thundering river, leading your past friendly shepherds, consistent panoramic views of towering, snow-capped peaks and a valley flushed with vibrant wildflowers. While the lake itself is situated at 4,140 meters, this moderate trek challenges trekkers with its exposed terrain en-route to the lake, difficult river crossings and extremely rugged and unmarked, but beautiful trail. Throughout the trek, the holy Ghepan peak towers over the valley and the village of Sissu. The lake itself is a beautiful, brilliant blue colour, with icebergs from the calving glacier floating on its surface. The best time to do Ghepan Ghat Trek is May to October.
is a moderate level trek i.e. it requires more strength and endurance than easy level treks. It is recommended that you first gain an experience of trekking to altitudes higher than 3000 metres, and then move one level up with this trek. However, if you are a beginner but committed to prepare, then you need at least 2-3 months to prepare physically & mentally for this trek. For details on trek difficulty level, please read on Bikat Rating Scale.
You must have done a small trek of 2-3 days before and hiked to an altitude of more than 3000 meters.
mid-May through June and August to October
Click here for text packing list.
Fairly isolated over Rohtang Pass, Ghepan Ghat's nearest hub of civilization is the quaint village of Sissu, which doubles as the trailhead for this trek. Enjoy the Buddhist gompas (particularly the beautiful Labrang Monastery) and the peace that comes with this oasis. Keylong, another cultural hub, is 30km further down the highway. In the other direction lies a fun day trip to Rohtang Pass, the Beas Temple and Manali over the other side. Manali is the gateway to Solang Valley where you can participate in adventure activities like paragliding, and zorbing in the summer months when the snow melts. Visit the ancient Hadimba Devi Temple which has an interesting mythological tale associated with it. Walk through the charming lanes of Old manali. Visit the bazaar to buy some souvenirs. Jogini Fall and Vashisht Temple are other famous attractions in Manali. You can also visit Rohtang pass while you are in Manali.
The minimum age limit is 13 years. However, minors aged between 13 to 17 should be accompanied with their parents or guardians. If you are above the age of 60, kindly carry a medical certificate from your doctor that deem you fit for adventure activities like trekking.
Homestays will be provided where necessary. On trekking days, all the trekkers will be accommodated in twin or triple sharing tents/Huts as per the itinerary. Along with this, there will be also be a toilet tent and a dining tent installed at every campsite as we roll.
We provide 4 seasons tents by Gipfel for higher altitudes which can easily withstand heavy snowfall and storms. They are spacious enough to accomodate 3 people at once with a vestibule to place the backpacks.
Our sleeping bags are made up of Heatseeker Pro synthetic insulation that can provide you comfort in -10 degrees celsius. We also use additional fleece liners to have thermal efficiency even in the extreme temperatures of -17 degrees Celsius.
Toilet tents will be provided to you on the trek.These are portable toilets tents where a deep pit will be dug. A shovel will be provided inside the tent to cover the waste after you have made your business. You can take a toilet roll inside. Make sure you dig used toilet paper along with the waste. Though water is recommended in place of toilet paper. Please refrain from using wet wipes as they are non-biodegradable.
There will be no facility for bathing on the trek. Go through our blog section for tips on how to maintain personal hygiene on treks.
You will be provided with good quality gaiters and microspikes from us depending upon the situation of the snow. Our trek leaders will also be carrying ropes and ice axe.
Vegetarian food will be served throughout the trek. The only non-vegetarian item served on our treks are eggs. Our kitchen staff follows a proper and menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner which has been designed in order to fulfill the nutritional requirements of the participants.
You can rent following items from us- Trekking Pole, Trekking Shoes, Fleece Jacket, Rucksack
If you want to offload your rucksack, you will have to make a request for offloading a few days prior the trek through an email so that arrangement can be made in advance. You will be charged per day for offloading your rucksack.
In case you decide to offload on the spot, you may have to pay a higher price than usual. However offloading your rucksack is not recommended since it is not a safe practice.
A team of participant will be led by a course certified trek leader and a local guide. All participants are requested to abide by what their leader says. There will also be a team of kitchen staff and porters on the trek. We maintain 1:8 ratio of trek leader and participants. All our trek leaders and staff have a certified training in first-aid and rescue operation.
Yes, trekking pole is necessary. If you don’t want to buy one, you can rent it from us on minimal daily basis charges. You can request the renting link from us.
Manali has a reasonable size market. However, we will have to head to Khanol and there will be no time for shopping. Please do not leave anything for last minute buying.
Yes, it is absolutely safe for solo woman to travel in fix departures. Women on the trek will be sharing tent with each other. In case you are a single woman on the trek, you will be given a separate tent.
Yes, e-certificates will be given at the end of each trek provided that you completed it. It will bear your name, the trek, and the maximum altitude you achieved on the trek.
There is Cellular network available till the base village, Sissu.
Report in Manali by 12 PM for transportation to the village trailhead of Ghepan Ghat in Sissu. The transportation back will be from Sissu to Manali at the end of the trek.
The temperatures stay between 5 - 10 degree celsius.
We will drop you at Manali at the end of the trek.
We will pick you from Manali at the start of the trek and drop you at Manali at the end.
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