Kumrat Valley and Katora Lake a Travelogue

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Clouds covering the peaks.

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Gateway to the lake.

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Tomorrow I will go in this direction.

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After climbing from 7000 feet to more than 10,000 feet, my legs were not in best of their shape. So after dinner, I got in to bed and tried to sleep. Bed and blankets in such areas are not perfectly fresh and clean, so better to take your sleeping bag.

Shaukat and Ajab khan had some local visitors, so they were talking and slept late. Due to tiredness I woke up many times in the night. Last time when I woke up and saw the watch, it was 5:15 and there was no light through the slightly open window. I slept again. The next moment, I woke up to see the bright light coming through window and my watch was showing 7:30 . It was late. Shaukat and Ajab Khan were still sleeping. I woke them up and hurriedly prepared for the day.

Ajab Khan prepared breakfast, I prepared my bag. After break fast me and Shaukat were off to the track. Valley was bathing in bright sunshine and few clouds were hovering around the peaks.

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A morning chat, just before trek to lake.

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The vast area of banda is an open all day around play ground for children

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We started the trek at 8:30 in the morning.

[aghaabbas]

Sir Excellent your job!!!!!

[lastsoul]

For better view and photography of the lake it is necessary to start the trek early in the morning, at about 6 : 00 am. So that you can reach the lake at 9 :00 am. At this time and for further 1 to 2 hours, the light is perfect , water of lake is still and reflective due to minimum wind and there are no or few clouds. So, a clear and perfect view of the lake is possible.

We started much late, and were on the track now.

The track is a gradual ascent, laden with stones and boulders, few green patches and very few sort of houses. It goes along the stream from the lake.

Looking back towards the banda.

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From banda to lake is an easy track. It goes through an open valley on the left side of the stream. But, be careful on the stony slopes and stick to the original path. Any one with good experience of the mountains can do it without a guide.

On the track, we met both Life and Death. We met a mother who had just given birth to new life.

And we saw a few days old dead body of a goat. Perhaps it fell from the high precipitous cliffs where they graze. Shaukat Ali inspected it carefully and declared that it is their goat, killed by an animal, It was not killed, cause it was not eaten. Was an intact dead goat. Black bears and leopards are rare in this area.They are more commonly seen in Kashmir, where in the neelum valley, I myself once saw a fully grown, large black bear at few yards distance in the forest beyond Tao-butt.

[lastsoul]

This is mountain wall on left side of us when going towards lake.

I don't know why it looks so benign in picture, It was standing almost straight up in fact.

[lastsoul]

Sir Excellent your job!!!!!

Thank you Agha, just keep in touch.

[lastsoul]

Although we were going slow, savoring the beauty of the terrain in morning mood, we reached this famous small lake (which is before midway to Jaz dand) in little more than an hour.

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What do they call it, "Choota Dhand" perhaps.

Better ask an expert,,,, Shahbaz Zain, please.

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We stopped at the small lake for some snaps. It is a secluded place with large stones all around. Occasionally you can see a herdsman here.

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Initial part of track was green, grassy and wet. Before reaching this small lake, stoney areas start. Btw, in itself this lake is not that small.

You can spot Shaukat, sitting on a large stone in the left corner of the first picture.

[asifcae]

What do they call it, "Choota Dhand" perhaps.

Better ask an expert,,,, Shahbaz Zain, please.

chota = small
dand = lake

its not that small waisay............

[lastsoul]

We have to be super fit in the plains to be just an average trekker in the mountains. I was not super fit, not even fit, so kept a slow pace. Shaukat ali did not mind it. He stopped by every person who met us on the way, chatted with him, and we kept on moving at an easy pace.

Then after climbing a slope. I saw outflow of the lake, a small waterfall and I knew that I am close now.

My guide can be seen in the pic, crossing the stony slope.

[lastsoul]

chota = small
dand = lake

its not that small waisay............

Thanks Asif.

In fact this good sized water body is a pleasant surprise on this stony track. I liked this place.

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This is the first sight of that outlet waterfall from the lake.
Further ahead are some sloping screes of small stones. Better keep below these, on the original track on the larger stones.