Barnala Lake Trek

The base camp of Barnala Trek is Barsu village in Uttarkashi district.  Nestled amidst lush greenery and snow-capped peaks, Barsu is a quaint Himalayan hamlet. 

Dehradun to Barsu is around 180 km. The road to Barsu passes through the Mussoorie bypass road. You will travel on the meandering mountain roads and cross one of Asia’s highest dams, Tehri Dam.

The distance of around 180 km is covered in 6-7 hours. On Day 1, you will reach Barsu village in the late afternoon.  

The distance between Barsu to Barnala Lake is around 4 km. The trail starting from Barsu village is well-marked. The trail starts on a steep ascent for the first few hours and enters the forest. The forest is covered with oak, pine, and rhododendron. During the spring season, there is a riot of colours inside the forest.

The trail is also known for Himalayan birds. Himalayan Monal, Himalayan Griffon, and Magpies are a few of the birds that you spot on the trail.

The team reaches the campsite at Barnala Meadow in the afternoon. Barnala Lake is a short hike from the campsite.

The team heads towards Barnala Lake to witness the magical sunset from here. The lake is known for the dreamy colours in the sky as the sun sets behind the snow-capped mountains. After spending time at the lake and visiting the nearby temple, the team can decide to go ahead to the Dayara meadows or return to the Barnala campsite.

This is your summit day where you witness the beauty from Dayara Meadows. It is the longest day of your trek.

Your Barnala lake experience concludes on Day 4. After witnessing the first rays of the sun from the meadows of Barnala you will walk back to Barsu village. The team gathers in the village for a brief reflection session before heading towards Dehradun for the onward journey.

The total distance of the Barnala Lake trek is 15 km. You walk an average of 4 – 5 hours daily. 

Yes, if you are a beginner with good physical fitness, you can consider the trek after consulting our Outdoor Leader. 

Barnala Lake is one of the most beginner-friendly Himalayan treks. Beginners who wish to start trekking can choose this as your introductory Himalayan trek. As the trail is comfortable, trekkers between the ages of 8-60 years can opt for this trek. These are the minimum and maximum ages of our participants. 

It is an easy to moderate trek. The trek spreads over three days through an easy-to-moderate trail and some steep ascents and descents. The difficulty of the trek depends a lot on your preparedness. If you come physically prepared, you can explore the trail comfortably. 

In the winter months, Barnala Lake’s temperature dips to sub-zero. The winter temperature in Barnala Lake ranged between -5 to -6 degrees at night. 

The best time to visit the Barnala Lake trek is in winter. Barnala Lake remains accessible throughout the year, except during the monsoon season. 

Yes!

Barnala Lake trek turns into a winter wonderland during winter. The entire trail and the meadow remain buried under a white sheet of snow. Winter is the best time to experience snow on the trek. 

 The Barnala Lake  trek cost is Rs 9950/-

The trek cost covers your experience from basecamp to basecamp. It also covers your accommodation and meals at the base camp and during the trek.

It takes 3 days to complete the Barnala Lake trek, including travel to and from the base camp. 

Barsu village Mori Block in Uttarkashi is the basecamp of Barnala Lake  trek. 

Barnala Lake Trek is in Uttarakhand. The trek starts from a small village called Barsu in Uttarkashi district. 

The trek is at an altitude of 1,000ft. 

The most important thing to do on a trek to avoid AMS is to drink water, more than your daily intake. Water is an excellent way to avoid AMS. Along with this, you should also have all the nutritious meals we provide on the trek. If you still are sceptical about getting AMS, we would advise you to carry Diamox tablets with you. However, according to the situation your Outdoor leader will advise whether or not you should take it.

We encourage everyone to trek, even if or not they have a medical condition. We have an in-house doctor at OWLS with whom you can discuss your medical condition and accordingly, we can help you better prepare you for the trek.

Please keep the following documents ready before filling out this form

1. ID proof
2. Health form (for all participants of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh treks) and (for all participants <15 and > 60 years of age)
3. RTPCR for children <15 years/Vaccination certificate for adults (for Nepal treks)

Although we provide filling breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with morning tea and evening snacks, you can carry some light snacks for munching on the trail. You can carry protein bars, dry fruits, and homemade snacks like Shakkarpara to help you give that extra energy on the trek. 

All our Outdoor Leaders are trained and experienced leaders. They have completed basic Mountaineering Course, and are equipped with basic first-aid knowledge. Our leaders are certified Wilderness First Responder course

You don’t need to carry your medical kit. If you have your prescribed medications, you need to carry them on the trek

The accommodation will be on twin sharing basis. One tent will be shared by two trekkers. 

Yes. Communicate your requirement to the trek leaders beforehand, as it will be difficult to arrange to offload at the last minute. The offloading charges will be Rs 350 per bag, and your bag should not weigh more than 9 kg. 

Note: At OWLs, we suggest our participants carry their backpacks and avoid offloading. However, in case of pressing circumstances, you can opt for offloading.

Yes, you can leave the extra luggage at the base camp. However, do not leave valuables like laptops, jewellery, or any other expensive items in the base camp. 

The OWLS team will set up a toilet tent near the campsites. The toilets will be dry toilets and you will have to use toilet paper. There will be a pit dug by the team and you will have to cover your nature’s call with dry soil. Avoid using wet wipes, as they are not biodegradable. At OWLS, we thrive to leave no trace in the mountains. 

At the base camp, you will have regular concrete toilets.

The food offered will be as per the nutritional requirements. As you will be walking every day for 4-6 hours, you will be burning a good amount of calories. The team makes sure that the food you will be offered is healthy and helps you sustain through the day. The regular meal comprises eggs, locally grown vegetables, rice, roti, and pulses. The menu changes from day to day. 

You will have access to most of the mobile networks at the base camp in Barsu. We suggest our participants make important calls while at the base camp. There will be no signals throughout the trek. 

Drinking water from natural sources is recommended when acclimatising to the mountains’ temperature. Since resources are limited at high altitudes, we do not provide hot water. However, during the winter months, when natural water sources freeze, we do provide water to our participants. Another reason to avoid hot water on our trek is to prevent health issues like diarrhoea.

The last ATM will be in Uttarkashi. 

Carry a sufficient amount of cash with them. Since the base camp is situated away from the cities and lacks basic facilities like ATMs and digital payment options, it is always better to be prepared. 

You can carry the cash for cab fare and food to and from the base camp. We suggest carrying a minimum of 5-6k to ensure you have enough funds for your journey.