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I was looking for short treks to undertake during the long weekend and presented with the option of taking up the Lake Bhrigu trek. Lake Bhrigu is in the district of Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. It lies in the east of Rohtang Pass, 6 km away from the village of Gulaba.
It is one of the famous glacial lakes in this region. This lake changes colour and state every now and then - from clear turquoise to icy emerald green to frozen blue.
It is believed that the famous Maharishi Bhrigu meditated here and the lake is named after him. The locals worship this lake as a sacred place and therefore a lot of them can be seen trekking to the lake.
Lake Bhrigu is at an elevation of 14100 ft above sea level. The only way to reach the lake is by walking. The trek involves walking a lot mostly through the meadows. This lake is favoured by many adventure enthusiasts as it requires only 2 days to trek up to this lake, as opposed to the 5-6 days for some of the lakes in this region.
How To Reach Lake Bhrigu?
By Road: Bhrigu Lake is 25 km from Manali. There are private and Government buses to Manali from Delhi and Chandigarh.
By Train: Pathankot Railway Station is the closest railway station. You have to take a cab or bus to reach Manali. And another short ride to reach Gulaba.
By Air: Bhuntar Airport in Kullu is the closest airport to Lake Bhrigu.
PC : John Hill
When To Visit Lake Bhrigu?
June and September are the best months to visit the lake. Avoiding the monsoon months is crucial because of the danger of landslides, extreme snowfall etc.
PC : Affinor
What To Carry?
Trekking shoes, back pack with a rain cover, ponchos, trek pants, thermals, sunglasses, sun cap, gloves, trekking pole, headlamp, toiletries, medical kit, water and snacks.
The starting point for this trek is Gulaba village. We were transported to Gulaba from Manali in a jeep. This was approximately 22 km and we passed through fabulous views of forests and mountains.
PC : Biswarup Ganguly
Day 1: Gulaba Camp Site
This is a short trek from the Gulaba hamlet. After 40 minutes of walking amidst Cedar and Birch trees, you will encounter an open grassland where we saw a few Gaddi shepherds camping. This was our camp site for the day. We were to acclimatize and so we decided to walk a bit and relax the body as we were going to gain height the next day.
PC : Astajyoti1
Day 2: Gulaba To Rola Koli
Day 2 was a moderate level trek of 7 km and takes about 4 hours to reach Rola Koli. Wandering on the banks of the pristine rivulet, Kolang Nallah, we took in the views this terrain had to offer us. There is a makeshift bridge to cross the river. A trail ascending towards a ridge opened itself to us.
Once up on the ridge, we got to experience stupefying views of Manali and Solang Valley. After trekking for another 2 hours, we reached Rola Koli. This is at an altitude of 12566 ft above sea level.
Rola Koli is a large grazing ground located at the base of Lake Bhrigu. This was the camping site for the night and we slept under the stars, with an occasional bleat from the goats for company.
PC : Maverickspointyhat
Day 3: Rola Koli To Lake Bhrigu
We were going to cover around 10 km today and hence we started early. Lake Bhrigu is between two ridges at a high altitude. We started hiking to the first ridge. After an hour, an oval shaped glacial lake revealed itself to us. This was Lake Bhrigu, at an altitude of 14000 ft above sea level.
We decided to pay the lake respects like the locals do. I had embarked on this trek in the perfect season because I got to see the lake surrounded by fresh grass and flowers. The guide let us know that he is used to seeing only snow around the lake.
We got to experience stunning Indrasen Peak, Deo Tibba peak and Hanuman Tibba peaks in the Pir Panjal and Dauladhar ranges. We walked back to Bhrigu base camp and called it a day.
PC - Karthik Rokde
Day 4: Base Camp To Gulaba
This was an easy descent of 10 km. It took us 7 hours to reach Gulaba. There were many steep sections that were a bit tricky to negotiate. After exiting the forest ridge, we reached Vasisht, a tiny village. This was the end of the trek. We decided to walk our ways after indulging in a hot bath at the Hot Springs at Vasisht.
PC : Sahil
