Pure Grit. Pure Adventure.

Bikat means difficult. But with us, that’s not a warning—it’s a promise. Of stories worth telling. Of adventures worth chasing.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the latest updates and offers.

Highlights Of Ghepan Ghat - Bikat Adventures

Home

>

Blog

>

Highlights Of Ghepan Ghat

Informative

Highlights Of Ghepan Ghat

B

Written by

Bikat Adventures

29 Mar 2022

0 views

0 comments

Originating from the remote village of Sissu which lies a couple of hours drive away from Manali, Ghepan Ghat is an electrifying glacial lake resting at an altitude of 4,140M. This moderately difficult trek takes you through exposed terrain with high ascents, steep descents and extremely rugged and untouched trails hidden even from most of the local guides in the area.

Tucked away like a well-kept secret in the fascinating terrain of Lahaul, this 5-day trek is the right balance of a few bits of thrill with heaps of chill - all on the road less traveled (literally). This relatively easy trail, which hasn't been walked by many trekkers, takes you through narrow shepherd trails and holds all the features of a leisurely trek with neuron-activating views. The lake’s galvanic blue water, thick icebergs floating aimlessly around, and a carpet of colourful flora sure has us swooning. If you ask us if instant love is a thing, we are sure to answer with an emphatic 'YES'.

While we cannot wait for you to experience this marvel of a trek yourself, we decided to take a dip into our experience of the place and point out some of the highlights of the trail we just can’t get over! Ghepan Ghat awaits!

1) Easy Access and Drive to Sissu:

If you live away from the North of India, travelling to the Himalayas comes with an enormous cost in terms of time getting to and from the mountain. The Ghepan Ghat trek starts from Sissu which is only a two hour ride from Manali. Ghepan Ghat lies in the remote Lahaul Valley which is brimming with beautiful trails but used to be a place hard to access. However, with the inauguration of the Atal Tunnel, the area is now well connected and remains open to possibilities of exploring new, unexplored trails.

The drive from Manali to Sissu, starts along the exuberant Beas River. Within 15 minutes of the drive, you are out of the bustle of the city and onto the Leh-Manali highway which will take you straight to the head of the Atal Tunnel. Going through this 9.02 kms long tunnel, is an experience in itself. The tunnel being at an altitude of 3,048M is the longest highway single-tube tunnel above 10,000 feet. You should reach the head of the tunnel at the mark of an hour and would take close to 10 minutes to cross this all-weather engineering marvel.

Once you exit the tunnel, Sissu is barely any distance away, now along the murky Chinab River. The roads are characteristic of mountain roads with all its sharp turns on smooth surfaces. Right after you cross the tunnel, you begin to see a stark difference in the landscape. The trees shrink to bushes, and the valley is a bit more open and desolate. There are large expanses of barren mountain-faces and grazing trails with the heavily forested mountains now nowhere in sight.

The last half hour of the drive takes you on a kachcha road uphill alongside step-farming lands growing all kinds of vegetation found in the region.

2) The Night Sky at Sissu:

The night at Sissu camp is so eerily silent that you can hear the creaking of your internal body parts as they try to adapt to these new conditions. The night sky from this campsite is nothing short of magical – smoky clouds gently rising up and rolling down mountain tops like they were tucking these high mountains in for the night. The golden glow which stays hanging through the night in the night sky adds a layer of beauty to this love affair. Take some time to admire the giant peaks propped against the night sky as they lie there like ghost mountains in all shades of black and gray, layered one behind the other. If it is a clear night, you might not want to miss heading out of your tent to witness the Milky Way suspended in all its glory held gently by the night sky – all this while the lights from Sissu village below look like descended starlight.

3) Easy Peasy:

This is one trek where you are in the midst of unsurpassed beauty from the very first camp. Every night, a thick blanket of misty clouds roll over the head of the Pir Panjal range like they were tucking the peaks in for the night.

Ghepan Ghat is a relatively easy undertaking for someone who has a little bit of experience in the Himalayas. Ghepan Ghat slams the popular adage – the best views come after the hardest climbs because for its easy trail, the views it offers are ones to die for. This trek is nothing short of visual poetry in motion and is sure to spark all the neurons of imagination in your head. It is a splash of refreshing colours as you walk through the massive meadows and the narrow shepherd trails alongside water that changes colour every once in a while, too – from murky to milk white to the turquoise blue of Ghepan Ghat.

4) Local Engagement:

Since the trail for this hidden Ghat is a shepherd trail with small stone structures built for shelter, you are likely to encounter a lot of wandering shepherds with hundreds of sheep and a scruffy shepherd dog in tow. The gaddis or shepherds have a very rich culture and a unique lifestyle out in these pastures, far far away from their own lands. If you happen to pitch a tent next to one of the shepherd’s huts, do pay them a visit and we are sure they would love to indulge you with some of their stories, sing you local songs about their pasture life and feed you some of their best food which they conjure up from nothing.

5) Experts Speak:

Since we opened a new trail, we asked our trek leaders (who led our first batch to Ghepan Ghat) how the trail fared on their expectations and what were some of its defining features for them. Here's what they had to say.

"Ghepan Ghat has the kind of beauty which you can't help but surrender to"

Since it was our first batch to Ghepan Ghat, I didn't know much about the place. When I was told I was going for it, I scoured the internet to get as much information as I could, but of course there wasn't much even Google could tell me about this gorgeous lake Lahaul has succeeded to hide in its folds for so long. I went on the trek with an open mind, not expecting anything. But boy oh boy! was I mesmerised?!

There's all kinds of beauty to be found on the trail. To me it's a complete, wholesome trek because it has everything - altitude gain, beautiful terrain, variety of landscape, snow, scree, a carpet of wildflowers and the lake - what can I say about the lake - it's pure bliss. The night view of the peaks and the skies are to die for. There is nothing this trek does not have. Simple route, easy trek and electric surroundings - I would give this trail a perfect score.” – Kiran Aswal, Trek Leader, Bikat Adventures

"Some places have a very pleasing personality and Ghepan Ghat is definitely one of them"

“I genuinely did not expect Ghepan Ghat to be so rich in its landscape. Pin Bhaba is one of my favourite treks and the deep beauty of Ghepan Ghat reminded me of the unparalleled charm of Pin Bhaba. For its distinct terrain, its alluring campsites, and the perfect ending with the high-altitude glacial lake buried between one of the humps of the vast valleys of Lahaul, I wouldn't think twice to give the trek a perfect 10. The biggest highlights of this trail are that:

a) it is fairly easy, with a few tricky patches.

b) the headtrail is easily accessible - just a two hour drive from Manali,

c) the night skies and,

d) of course, the lake! When I witnessed the huge chunks of ice slabs floating aimlessly in the middle of the electric blue water, I, for a second I thought I had been transported to Iceland. I am honestly just blown away - and I honestly didn't expect it.” – Ashutosh Sehgal, Trek Leader, Bikat Adventures.

6) Exquisite Campsites:

This one we just have to show you so you can understand why the campsites here have rendered us mute! We are absolutely speechless!

7) Ghepan Ghat:

And OF COURSE, the lake. While the trail and the campsites are mesmerizing all on their own, the neon lake sure is a cherry on the top and a perfect end to this perfect trek.

Ghepan Ghat is poetry in motion. Its colours, its trails and the overall vibe of the place is unparalleled. If you are short on time and want to pack all the beauty you can witness in a short span of five days, we suggest you bring yourself here to this charming little lake resting peacefully in the middle of nowhere.

Share