Gosaikunda: The Sacred Lakes Above the Clouds

At about 4,380 metres in the mountains north of Kathmandu, a dark blue lake sits in a bowl of bare rock, often rimmed with ice. Gosaikunda is the largest of more than a hundred small lakes scattered across this high country, and one of the holiest places in Nepal. Pilgrims have been climbing to it for centuries. Trekkers come for the same reason pilgrims do: the setting is otherworldly.

The legend

Hindu tradition tells that when the gods and demons churned the cosmic ocean, a deadly poison rose to the surface and threatened to destroy the world. Shiva swallowed it to save creation. Burning with pain, he struck the mountainside with his trident to draw water and cool his throat. The lake formed where the trident hit. A rock in the centre of the lake is venerated as a sign of his presence.

Buddhists also hold the lake sacred, and local Tamang shamans make their own pilgrimages here.

The standard route

Day one: Dhunche to Sing Gompa (5–6 hours). Dhunche, the headquarters of Rasuwa district, is six to seven hours by road from Kathmandu. From the edge of town the trail drops to a river, then climbs steeply and continuously through pine, oak and rhododendron forest to Sing Gompa, also called Chandanbari, at about 3,300 metres. There is a small monastery and a cheese factory, and the lodges are comfortable.

Day two: Sing Gompa to Lauribina (3–4 hours). The forest gives way to scrub and open ridge. At Cholangpati and Lauribina, around 3,900 metres, the view stretches from the Annapurnas and Manaslu to Ganesh Himal and Langtang Lirung, one of the widest panoramas on any short trek in Nepal. Stopping the night here is wise for acclimatisation.

Day three: Lauribina to Gosaikunda (2–3 hours). The trail traverses a steep, rocky hillside high above a valley, passing a small Buddhist shrine. Two lower lakes, Saraswati Kunda and Bhairav Kunda, appear first. Then the path rounds a corner to Gosaikunda itself, with a handful of stone lodges and a Shiva shrine on its northern shore.

Walk around the lake in the afternoon. The circuit takes about an hour.

The altitude problem

This trek gains nearly 2,500 metres in two and a half days from Dhunche, which is faster than is generally recommended. Altitude sickness is common here, and every year some pilgrims and trekkers fall seriously ill. Protect yourself:

• Spend a night at Lauribina or Cholangpati instead of pushing straight to the lake.

• Walk slowly and drink plenty.

• If you develop a worsening headache, vomiting, unsteadiness or breathlessness at rest, descend at once. Sing Gompa is only a few hours below.

• Consider sleeping at Lauribina and visiting the lake as a day trip if you are feeling the height.

Ways to continue

Return to Dhunche in two days by the same path.

Cross the Lauribina La. Beyond the lake, the trail climbs past several more tarns to a pass at about 4,610 metres, then descends for two to three days through the Helambu region, with its Hyolmo villages and monasteries, to the edge of the Kathmandu Valley at Sundarijal. This traverse of six to eight days in total ends with a walk straight into the city's outskirts. The pass holds snow in winter and early spring and can be dangerous in bad weather.

Combine with Langtang. From the Langtang valley, a trail climbs out via Thulo Syabru to Sing Gompa, making a combined trek of ten to twelve days.

Janai Purnima

On the full moon of the Nepali month of Shrawan, usually in August, tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims climb to Gosaikunda to bathe in the freezing water, and Brahmin and Chhetri men change the sacred thread they wear across the chest. Shamans in feathered headdresses drum and dance along the trail. It is an astonishing spectacle, held in the middle of the monsoon, with rain, mud and crowded lodges. If you go, book through an agency and expect to share space.

When to go otherwise

October to early December gives clear views and cold nights. March to May is good once the snow melts. The lake usually freezes from December into spring, which has its own stark beauty, but the trail above Lauribina can be icy.

Practical points

Lodges at the lake are basic, with unheated rooms. Bring a warm sleeping bag, down jacket, hat and gloves. Park entry fees for Langtang National Park apply, along with the usual guide and registration rules.

Gosaikunda is short, steep and high. Treat the altitude with respect and it offers an experience found on few other treks: arriving at a place that Nepalis themselves regard as the abode of a god.