All You Need to Know About Tarsar Marsar Trek
If I rewind to one of the most thrilling trekking experiences I had before Tarsar Marsar, it would be my Kedarkantha summit. My feet were hurting, the temperature was in the negatives, but my heart still felt warm. That same feeling returned during the Tarsar Marsar trek — a trek I gifted myself on my 25th birthday. And trust me, it couldn’t have been any better. Living in the pastel colours of blue, green, and white felt like fulfilling a childhood dream, one painted in my landscape sketches. I saw a few of the most stunning lakes I had never imagined existed. I watched sunsets and sunrises while sipping on kahwa, experienced snowfall in October, watched clouds dancing around the sun, and made lifelong friendships with down-to-earth, incredible people. I saw an emerald lake and another that changed colour with the sky. I pushed myself with every step, and if you know me, you know how much I crave a good challenge. In this blog, I’ve put together a guide to help you plan your own trek to Tarsar Marsar. Tarsar and Marsar are two alpine lakes located in the Pahalgam region of Kashmir. To reach them, you’ll pass through lush meadows, dense forests, and cross several streams. Tarsar Lake – Located at an altitude of 12,450 ft (3,795 m), the colour of this lake changes with the sky, quite literally! I saw it shift from grey to brown, green, and then blue all in a single day. Reaching here takes a minimum of two trekking days. Marsar Lake – A little ahead of Tarsar lies Marsar, another stunning lake cloaked in local folklore and mystery (ask your guide!). Most people don’t camp here. Instead, they get a bird’s eye view after hiking for an hour from Tarsar or after trekking to Sundarsar Lake and climbing up another hour (we, unfortunately, missed this second route). This trek is challenging, not because of extreme ascents or boulder crossings, but due to its length and altitude. I carried my backpack the whole way, and one day, we walked 22 km straight as we skipped a camp on the descent. We faced hail, rain, and snowfall — adventurous, yes, but mentally and physically exhausting. One day, my shoulder pain was so intense that I wanted to give up. That’s when Vignesh, our trek leader, took my backpack without letting me protest. Though some trekking sites call it a moderate-level trek, I’d suggest preparing for all weather conditions and stamina challenges. Some days are easier (only 5 km), but if you camp at Sundarsar, you’ll have to descend 18 km to Camp 1 — be ready! You can do this trek from June to September. June–July is ideal for clear skies and blooming meadows. I went in late September and got to witness early snowfall — magical! Our guide mentioned that in winter, foreigners even visit this region for skiing. But for the most rewarding views, I’d still suggest going during summer. There are several routes that you can opt for. I chose to fly to Srinagar, where I spent two days on a houseboat and then moved to Pahalgam’s Aru Valley, the base camp of the trek. Below, I am providing all the alternate routes you can take to reach Aru Valley. We followed a different itinerary due to snowfall and bad weather towards the end. Below, I will let you know what we opted for and what you can choose otherwise in good weather. In my opinion, both of them are perfect! 2414 metres – 104 km, 4 hours To reach Aru Valley, it will take you around 4-5 hours via a direct, shared taxi from Srinagar to Aru. We crossed beautiful landscapes, apple lanes, a breathtaking Pahalgam and a view of the Lidder River with a lighter shade of blue colour, which is really soothing to see. Aru Valley is on the outskirts of Pahalgam, where you get no network. We were glad that we were finally out of the network zone because the calm was very welcoming. All of us were soaking in the view around us, and I? Well, I was busy recording a time-lapse of the dancing clouds. Accommodation We stayed at Friend’s Guest House, and the hospitality of the people was amazing. It had everything, from hot water to home-cooked food. We snuggled inside the comfort of our warm blankets as the temperature dropped. 2,700 metres – 9.5 km, 6 hours The next day, after having breakfast, we left for Lidderwat. The trail was right next to our guest house. The hike at the beginning was a little difficult as the pathway is really steep; however, after about 45 minutes, we entered a forest area of pines where the walk became smooth. We came out of the forest area after a while to witness the beautiful meadows. Only the initial hike was a little difficult, and after that, the walk was smooth. In between, we also sat down in between to have our lunch when it suddenly started to rain. This is when we realised the importance of our ponchos/raincoats! We also crossed a bridge and were greeted by many locals on our way. After a trek of about 6 hours, we reached the campsite by 2 PM. Do note, 3,365 metres – 6 km, 5 hours The next day, we got up to witness a glorious sunrise and chilly weather. Honestly, the early mornings are quite difficult during the treks, as it is quite a task to get out of your sleeping bag into the extreme cold weather. But this is also the time when you get the most glorious views of all time. We took our cup of tea to sit on the edge of the valley to see the blue, calm river of Lidder, and the snow-peaked mountains in the distance. Ravens were flying beside us and enjoying the freshness as much as we were. After this, we again started to trek to
