Ghepan Lake in Spiti Valley

Ever heard that? Well yes, there is definitely a lake like that in the lap of Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh. Most glacial lakes change their colour with the changing directions of the sun rays, but not the Ghepan Lake. 

This lake was a well-kept secret, until very recently and is a treasure trove nestled amidst picturesque snow-capped mountains, this moderate to difficult trekking trail is surely an adventure worth experiencing.

If this sounds exciting then let Spiti Trip Packages guide you in planning your Spiti Holidays.

Situated at an altitude of 4140 m Ghepan Lake has a picturesque trail of glacial waterfalls cascading from the snowy peaks, lush wild meadows strewn all along the hike and at the end of your trek, the Lake itself will take your breath away. Ghepan Lake is neon blue in colour and the view of the lake surrounded by snow-covered mountains is a sight to behold! 

It is set deep amidst the mountains and can be reached after trekking for 2-3 days which starts from the village of Sissu, located in the Lahaul Valley, Himachal Pradesh. The trek takes you through different villages such as Labrang village and Retil village. 

Ghepan Lake Trek in Spiti Valley

You will be starting your trek from Manali to Sissu which is a small remote village in Lahaul Valley, Himachal Pradesh through the Atal Pass. As you pass through Sissu, you will see the Chanda River flowing pass through to finally meet the Bhagi River in Tandi Village. From Sissu you will be proceeding towards Tori Village. On the way, you will be crossing a very old monastery called Labrang Gompa. To your right side, you will find Retil village and you will be moving towards your left to Tori. From Tori, you will be descending towards your left on a well-laid trail before you start ascending towards Khopati. Passing through these remote villages you will see they are mainly dependent on sheep rearing and farming and now tourism.  Picturesque serene mountain views and warm smiling faces will welcome you amongst meadows laden with wildflowers and lush greenery. 

From Khopati, you will be following the trail beside concrete channels. It’s a short distance trek with a level walk with an ample amount of water sources which will take you to your final destination of Gorduk for the day in one and a half hours. You will be camping the night here in the vast meadows amongst the majestic snow peaks and nature. From Gorduk, you will start early morning to reach Alias Camp which will take you 6 hours to reach. 

This bit of the trek from Tori to Alias is tricky because there are landslides along the trail with loose stones. Hence one needs to be extremely careful and totally focus on the trail. You will be camping again amongst nature for the night once you reach Alias Camp and then from there on you will start the final leg of your adventure towards Ghepan Lake. This entire trail you will witness nature’s magic wand doing wonders at every corner. You will encounter glacial icicles hanging at the mountain edge and wildflowers blooming wherever they can, making you wonder how resilient nature can be and how much we can learn from it, the Sissu River provides you company all along your journey, meandering through the middle of the valley.

After about half a day’s trek you finally reach Ghepan Lake, which is named after one of the Great Kings of Lahaul. This blue glacial lake in Lahaul valley is surrounded by barren peaks soaring above 5500 m. The speciality of these peaks is that each one of them is holding a glacier in its lap. A waterfall flowing from the glacier meets the lake. The Ghepan glacier is receding at a fast pace.

Around Ghepan Lake, you will notice a black iced moraine that stretches across 400 m. This trek will not only bring about a sense of bewilderment in you for accomplishing this feat but also sense of calm will prevail knowing that in the end nothing is greater than nature itself: silent,resilient, never demanding and always giving, it has the tenacity to destroy everything in minutes and yet it chooses to only give.

With this sense of humility you will start your descent from this yet another mesmerising trekking trail laden with nature’s bounty. 

Suggested Read: Places to visit in Manali

Ghepan Lake Trek Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Drive from Manali to Sissu

Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes

Altitude: 6765 ft to 10,235 ft

Driving Distance: 40 km

Stay overnight in Sissu.

Day 2: Drive from Sissu to Tori. Trek from Tori to Gordu

Drive distance: 9 km; Duration: 30 minutes

Trek distance: 2 km; Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Altitude gain: 10,235 ft to 12,323 ft

Difficulty: Moderately Easy; you will start with a small steep ascent, then it becomes a level walk to the camp.

Camp overnight in Gorduk

Day 3: Gorduk to Alias

Trek Duration: 5 hours

Altitude gain: 12,323 ft to 12,912 ft

Difficulty: Easy to moderate, you will start with a level walk and proceed to a 10 min steep ascent. Again returning to a level walk to half an hour steep ascent followed by gradual ascents and then finally descending to reach your camp in Alias.

Day 4: Alias to Ghepan lake to Glacier View Point and back again to Alias

Trek Duration: 6 hours

Altitude gain and loss: 12,912 ft to 13,447 ft to 14,130 ft

Difficulty: Moderate; you will start on a level walk and gradually ascend to reach the lake. From the lake to the glacier viewpoint, there are steep ascents.

Day 5: Trek from Alias to Tori and then drive to Manali

Trek distance: 10 km | Duration: 6-7 hoursDrive distance: 49 km | Drive duration: 1 hour 40 minutes

Difficulty: Easy to moderate; You will start with level walks leading to steep ascend for half an hour. Followed by a level walk to gradual ascend for 10-15 minutes which leads you to a steep descent before the river crossing. Level walk till Tori from there on.

There are two distinct seasons for the Ghepan Lake Trek – June-July (Summer) and August-September (Monsoon). In May there will be a lot of snow during the final ascent to Ghepan Lake, hence making it difficult to reach the Lake. So, it is recommended  to trek to Ghepan Lake between June and September.

The terrain changes colours and texture even during this window which ideally begins from mid-June.

Suggested Read: Best Treks in Manali

To reach Ghepan Lake, you will need to start your journey from Sissu, a remote village in Lahaul Valley. From here on, your trekking company will guide you through your trek with all amenities and gears required for a successful Trek. To reach Sissu, you will need to first reach Manali. You can Reach Manali either via Chandigarh or Delhi, both of which are well connected to all major cities of India.

Day 1: Drive from Manali to Sissu

You need to report to Rambagh Circle at 11.00 am. There is a registration process followed by lunch. You will then proceed to Sissu. 

Cost per vehicle – Tempo Traveller: Rs 3,000, Sumo Rs 2,300. 

Day 2 to Day 5: Trek to Ghepan Lake. Drive back to Manali.

Suggested Read: Pin Bhaba Pass Trek