Chitta Katha Lake
per person
- Difficulty: Medium-Hard
- Duration: 2-3 days
- Region: Azad Kashmir
Pakistan has a knack for offering up amazing pockets of lakeside paradise, mirror surfaces ringed with green nestled within jagged, snow-capped mountains. Chitta Katha is one of those lakes… It’s in the Shounter Valley, in the Azad Kashmir region of Pakistan not far from Arang Kel, a hill station left over from colonial rule now turned into a popular resort. You can hike here in an hour or so if you wanted… But the hike to Chitta Katha Lake starts with a jeep ride from Kel to Shounter, where you may need to find a guide as the trails onward is not marked. The climb from Shounter to the lake goes from around 3,000 metres to almost 4,000 – the scenery changes from an alpine forest to one that is much more barren… But the reward is worth it, the views over Chita Katha really are beyond words! The world’s ninth highest mountain and my happy place, Nanga Parbat, towers against the horizon in the distance, stunning with its beauty. You’ll be walking around 12 hours in all, with camping at one of two base camps, so equipment and food are essential. Needless to say, this is a hike for summer when the lake is actually accessible. Note: You probably won’t be able to get permission to do this hike if you are a foreigner.