Dudipatsar
Dudiptsar Lake or Dudipat Lake is a lake
encircled by snow clad peaks. Dudipatsar means "White Lake", because
most of the year it is covered with ice. The word "dudi" means white,
"pat" means mountains and "sar" means lake in Sanskrit, the language of
natives before muslims invaded. This name has been given to the lake
because of the white color of snow at surrounding peaks. In summer the
water of the lake reflects like a mirror. The word "sar" is used with
the name of each lake in the area, translating as 'lake.' It is due to
its beauty that the Lake is well known as “Queen of Lakes “
Location: Dudiptsar Lake
or Dudipat Lake is located in Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park. The lake
lies in the extreme north of the Kaghan Valley, in the Mansehra
District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in northern Pakistan.
Best Time to Visit: The lake and park is accessible for four months of the year from June to late September. In the summer, when the mirror-like water reflects the scenery, visitors from different regions of the country and from abroad travel to enjoy the enchanting views.
Geography: The lake's water is a beautiful greenish blue hue and very cold, at an elevation of 3,800 metres (12,500 ft). The surrounding mountains, with snow patches in the shady dales, average around 4,800 metres (15,700 ft) in elevation.
Access: The trail head for
Dudipatsar is located at Besal, which is about an hours drive from the
town of Naran. The road is accessible by cars and motorbikes. From Besal
onwards visitors trek in vast alpine meadows to reach Dudiptsar Lake.
The lake had an abundance of trout, but illegal fishing with dynamite
and nets resulted in a sharp fish population decline. It is advised to
not track it in snow, as it is an avalanche prone area. The 2005 Kashmir
earthquake in North Pakistan made access more difficult. However since
2006 the Pakistan government has taken 'all steps' to restore tourism in
the Kaghan Valley, including rebuilding and new tourism facilities and
infrastructure.
Camping near Dudipatsar Lake or Dudipat Lake, in Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park:
Splendid view of Dudipatsar Lake or Dudipat Lake from near mountain:
Himalayan Snowcock can be found at Dudipatsar Lake or Dudipat Lake:
Lynx can be found at Dudipatsar Lake or Dudipat Lake:
Snow Leopard can be found at Dudipatsar Lake or Dudipat Lake:
Distance to Dudipatar Lake :
- From Baisal – 15km – 5 to 6 Hours.
- From Naran – 62km – 9 Hours.
- From Balakot – 148km – 12 Hours. Journey Details: Leave early from Naran. Then go to Behsal (Besal) on Jeep. Its max. 2 hours journey. From Behsal its approx. 7-8 hours trek to Dudipatsar Lake. Here you can hire a guide as well as Horses. Guide will take around Rs. 2000/- per day & same for the horse. In the start of the trek there is a narrow way. A couple of glaciers also come on the way. Then path widens up. After approx. 6 hours trek comes "Mulla Ki Basti". A small village where you can get something to eat. But it is recommended to carry packed food with you. For here its approx. 2 hours further hike to Dudipatar Lake. Some people camp & relax here & go to the lake next morning. Some direct go to the lake & finally relax there. It is advisable to stay at Mulla ki basti and go to the lake next morning. From here 2 hours hike to the lake is relatively hard, because rocks are steep.
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