Sattal (Seven lakes)- Dharali

Haridwar – Uttarkashi – Harsil - Dharali - Gangnani (Uttarakhand)

Did this trek in Mid of March 2011.

Initially decided to do Dodital trek in Uttarkashi, but due to heavy snow in Dodital area I end up doing Sat Tal at Dharali. There are seven natural lakes known as Sattal, 3 km uphill from Dharali.
Trip was amazing, snow trekking experience was out of the world.

Itinerary
Day 1: Mumbai to Haridwar
Day 2: Haridwar to Uttarkashi
Day 3: Uttarkashi sight seen
Day 4: Uttarkashi to Dharali
Day 5: Dharali – Sattal Trek
Day 6: Dharali to Harshil
Day 7: Gangnani Hot water spring
Day 8: Towards the return trip


Uttarkashi to Gangotri road map

 There are plenty of super fast trains from Delhi to Haridwar. Good frequency of government buses goes between Haridwar to Uttarkashi. I catch the first bus 5:30 early in the morning, it took 6 to 7 hours to reach Uttarkashi. In summer season buses goes upto Gangotri.

Haridwar's Har Ki Podi (Ganga Ghat), getting ready for Ganga arti

Street shop at Har Ki Podi

There are few shops in Uttarkashi who provide trekking instrument as well as guides and porters. I visited trekking museum at Nehru institute of mountaineering couple of kilometer from Uttarkashi.


At this season of the year buses are not functioning yet, so I took a early morning Jeep goes up to Dharali. Dharali is very small place, the huts and schools are empty as villagers went to other places as winter season. Luckily only one guest house was working there, owned by a Arjun Singh. Later he was my guide for Sattal trek.


Town of Dharali



Distant view of town across a river



Radha Krishna temple in Dharali, 500 meters uphill



Bridge connects the 2 sides of the town, And it’s me



Villagers

Sattal can easily done in one day and without guide. But I found it very useful having guide with me, as there was almost 7 feet of snow at the top and few lakes out of seven lakes are completely hidden under snow.


Uphill from the Sattal there is area where villagers will be farming in summer season, but for now it was completely covered with snow.

Snow trekking was really fun if you know the basics technique. My guide was very good at teaching the snow trekking skills.

My guide Arjun Singh, finding way to the top

Dense forest before we reach the Sattal



Pugmarks of tiger on the snow



footprints in the snow

One lake out of seven others (SatTal)