Unseen Trek to Serolsar lake Himachal Pardesh

Beginners Trek in Himachal – Serolsar Lake Trek

Himachal Pradesh is the dream destination of all nature lovers. Exploring the places and trekking in Himachal is an experience which induces a rush of the adrenaline.

This mountainous state is the target of trekkers, nature lovers, adventure enthusiasts and peace lovers. The state, situated in Western Himalayas also has many lakes at high altitudes which includes Serolsar lake and Manimahesh lake. Fascinated by these facts, our team consisting of 5 young engineers set on to explore Seruvalsar or Serolsar lake. Though a day journey would have been enjoyable since the entire stretch offers a visual treat, to save time we chose the night journey.

How to Reach Serolsar/ Jalori Pass trek?

We started at around 6 PM by car from Gurgaon. Five of us tucked into a Swift car which was more fun and little discomfort which could be managed. Our first stop was for dinner and some relaxation.

I suggest tourists have dinner at Murthal as this place has some great eateries which serve delicious Paranthas. The paranthas are so big that one will fill your tummy and it tastes out of the world with liberally served white butter.

Well-known eateries you can check here are Haveli, Gulshan, and Sukhdev. Garamdharam group which is a venture of Dharmendra Singh has opened its outlet here giving one more great option for food lovers.

We skipped dinner at Murthal and decided to have it at Chandigarh. Chandigarh is equally good and we enjoyed hot paranthas, pickle and curd and then continued our journey. Lot of fun, laughter and sweet memories of our college days made the journey unforgettable. We reached Shimla early in the morning.

Jalori Pass is the final point from where trekking to Serolsar lake begins. Jalori Pass is at 500 km. from Delhi, but closer at 290 km. from Chandigarh. It is two hours of climbing which will take you to Serolsar Lake which is at an altitude of 10000 ft.

What to expect At Serolsar

This place does not offer any fun or entertainment. It is not for those who are looking for funfilled activities. This is purely for those who love nature and can enjoy the peace and serenity of nature. Those who can watch small birds and reflection of trees in the water and forget the city they live in. There are not even much eateries here.

It is only nature, nature, nature. A walk amidst the tall palm trees around the lake which has crystal clear water is an experience by itself. Better to carry some snacks as nothing is available here. Only Maggi may be available with some ready juices.

Chadwick waterfall Shimla : A good spot for a refreshing break

Enroute Shimla we visited an amazing place which is lesser-known to tourists. The Chadwick waterfall can be reached with 20 minutes of trekking and it is not to miss the place. It is not a very big fall and it will be frozen during the winter, but it is worth visiting.

This 20 minutes trek and watching and bathing in the falls is an experience by itself as you are walking through the thick forest with unique flora and fauna. It is better to wear shoes as leaches may attack you during the rainy season.

Our next destination was the Jalori pass. We started our journey on Saturday afternoon to reach the pass via Narkanda. The road is superb and the journey was awesome. Our excitement was multiplied by seeing apple harvesting as it was the season and we got the opportunity to pluck apples. Some apple farms allow visitors to enjoy apple plucking and they can take them by paying.

If you want to eat fresh, make sure to wash them properly to get rid of pesticides. If you travel this route during May-June, you can enjoy the cherry farms. April will be the time when locals travel to collect Guchchi, the moral mushroom.

Pick your snacks, trekking essentials and sleeping bag or tent from Jalori Pass. You will need sleeping bags if you are planning a night halt near the lake.

Guchchi, One of the costliest mushroom of world

Guchchi or Moral is a type of mushroom which is rare and unique and very much in demand. It grows in the foothills of Himalayas and locals collect it as it sells at a very high price of 15 to 20 thousand per kg.

Refreshed with apple farm experience, we reached Jalori Pass by 5 pm. We relaxed for about an hour. Though it is not suggested to climb during night times but for a change and we had locals with so we decided to start the trek by 6.30 PM.

It was drizzling lightly which gave us energy and the fresh air and lush greenery added to this and chased our tiredness and we could reach the tents by 9 pm.

Jalori pass offers beautiful views and unique flowers and plants in the backdrop of Himalayas. Located at 3200 meters altitude, this pass is open for extremes of temperature with winters witnessing heavy snowfall.

It is the best place for nature lovers who like surprises in every step and want to feast their eyes with Pir Panjala range of Himalayas. Tourists who have time can explore Fatehpurgarh, Kalagarh, and Raghunathpur forts.  

A night in the tents at Serolsar Lake.

I suggest fellow tourists take a local guide along and also to get tents and food arranged by the time you reach there. You will not have wide options for staying as this is not a very popular tourist destination.

The place we stayed for the night was just 1 km from Sirolsar lake. As we had made pre-arrangements we were served with simple, good food which tasted delicious. We slept early because we could not have campfire due to rains. Sleep took us over within seconds of reaching the bed.

Early morning we started our trek to Sirolsar lake. This journey was more exciting and memorable and just this 1 km. was worth all the efforts we took. One has to enjoy this trek without even blinking because if you blink you will miss something.

https://www.tourmyindia.com/treks/jalori-pass-trek.html

Reaching Final destination : Jalori pass

Watching the pristine, clear water is an experience by itself. There is a belief here that the birds maintain the lake by cleaning any leaf that falls into the water and to our astonishment, we did not find any plant parts in the lake.

There is a small temple adjacent to the lake dedicated to budhi Naggin. We had darshan at the temple, meditated for a few minutes as getting such a blissful place to meditate is a rarity. We started our return journey to Delhi. We had lunch at Haveli in Murthal so that we will not miss this amazing lunch.

This trek is most suitable for beginners who want to experience trekking in Himachal as this is a short Himalayan trek one and very exciting one giving all the experience any treks in Himachal can give.

Lush greenery everywhere but the vision is blurred. Yet it makes you feel in heaven. This is how I found Sirolsar lake!

It is not the destination that is awesome, the journey is equally enchanting! Be it by vehicle or by walk, the journey is worth all the strain.

While travelling, don’t blink your eyes. First, you will miss a beautiful view, second, the roads you walk are not guarded and the steep downhill is dangerous even if you put one step wrong!

Now the destination! I have no words to describe it, better feast your eyes and I am sure it is beyond all your imagination.

Feel the nature, breath pure oxygen, feed your heart and eyes with pure nature, reach the water and enjoy the feel.

Please do not leave your marks there. Please carry back all the materials like water bottle, boxes, paper, plastic etc. with you. Do not disturb the nature there, let your future generations also enjoy this heaven on earth.

Trek to Serolsar lake is a challenge, so take it when you are young!