Kareri Lake is a high altitude glacial lake situated at an altiutde of around 3000 metres on the trail to Minkiani Pass. In 2021, I was based out of Dharamsala in March and decided to visit Kareri Lake over the Holi weekend. Usually the route doesn’t open till mid April but with hardly any snowfall in the winters the way up to the lake was already free from snow in March. The lake used to be less frequented earlier but it has become a popular trekking destination after the restrictions imposed on permanent camps in Triund since 2019.

The road goes a couple of kilometres beyond Kareri village now but I decided to take the old walking path to get a better look at the village. The path starts in between a couple of shops near the first U-bend after entering the village. It is an easy walk on an undulating path through a village which is slowly transforming into a tourist destination. You can see homestays and cottages coming up at different places all around the village.

Trail The trail near Kareri village

Wheat fields of Nauhali village Lush green wheat fields of Nauhali village

After about 30 minutes of walking, the trail descends to cross the Nyund stream over a small bridge into the beautiful terraced fields of Nauhali village. You continue on the path that leads to the village, then take a right turn into the fields and crossing them to meet the road again. Another right turn on the road takes one to a big concrete bridge where a few teas stalls have cropped up. The trail to the lake starts next to the bridge on the true left of the stream. It climbs steeply over a rocky staircase surrounded by a mature broad-leaved forest.

One can hear the sound of the water from the Nyund stream below but it is nowhere to be seen till you reach a small waterfall and cross over to the other side. The waterfall has a cute little tea stall with stools in the pool and seems to have become an Instagram hit recently. Thereafter, the ascent remains steep but becomes less rocky as you go through a dense oak forest till the valley starts to open up. The dense, broad leaved forest gives way to conifers. All along the way, the greenery was interspersed by rhododendrons that were blooming in all shades of red from baby pink to deep maroon.

After about an hour’s walk, you cross the river once again over a rusty metal bridge and reach the mid point of the trail named Reoti (Revati). I had my lunch and spent some alone time next to the stream. A number of camping spots are available on the way from this point to the lake.

Metal bridge at Reoti Metal bridge at Reoti

Old oak trees near Reoti Old oak trees near Reoti

The last hour or so of the trail goes through boulders and rocks strewn across the path. It is here that I found a Bergania ciliata plant growing out of a small crack in a rock. Bergania is a small herb with pink flowers that is believed to have many medicinal properties including dissolving kidney stones .

Lone rhododendron tree in an oak forest Lone rhododendron tree in an oak forest

Bergania flowers Bergania flowers

The snow clad Dhauladar mountains were lit up by the late afternoon sun as I reached the lake by 4 PM. The lake itself was serene and flanked by snow on three sides. Only the meadow to the west of the lake was devoid of snow and that is where I camped for the night. The Minkiani and the Baleni pass are clearly visible from the campsite and in the evening a warm breeze was blowing from the valley to the west.

Minkiani Pass up ahead Minkiani Pass up ahead

Baleni Pass Baleni Pass in the background

The night was windy but thankfully the air wasn’t too cold. I got some decent sleep and felt refreshed in the morning. After getting up, I took a walk around the lake and had some fun glissading in the snow at the eastern part of the lake. At breakfast I got to know about an alternate route from Reoti to Kareri village. Instead of following the Nyund downstream, this route goes up to a meadow named Jammu Got and then goes downhill to Kareri village. I decided to give it a try and found the way from Reoti with some help from the locals. The route hadn’t been used recently and I was probably the first one to take it in this season. It was narrow and hardly recognizable in most parts. With some understanding of where I needed to reach, I was able to navigate and reach the meadow in about an hour and a half.

Kareri Lake in the morning Kareri Lake in the morning

The view from the meadow is sublime as you can see the majestic Dhauladar on one side and far into the Kangra valley on the other side. The descent after this point is very steep and goes through a dense oak forest to reach the road near Nauhali bridge. I had tea at a tea stall near the bridge and made my way back to the village where my car was parked.