How long is Durinar Lake Trek?

17.4 km, typically walked in 2–3 days.

Durinar Lake Trek · Kashmir Explorer

Important to know

High altitudeThis trek reaches 4,591 m. Altitude sickness is a real risk above 3,500 m. Gain height slowly and turn back if symptoms start.

Avalanche groundGraded moderate risk. Ask locally about snow on the slopes above the trail before you set out.

Route

Play route

Out and back. The walk finishes where it started, and you come home along the trail you walked out on.

Way out
Shared · both ways

Directions

AMS zone > 3,500 m

2,816 m17.4 km · GPX-measured4,591 m

Along the route

4 points · 2 days

Day 1
Sarbal villageStartkm 0.0 · 2,816 m
Durinar ICheckpointkm 6.3 · 4,175 mFirst of the three lakes, reached after the long climb out of the Sarbal nallah.
Day 2
Durinar II (Nilnag)Checkpointkm 7.1 · 4,277 mSecond of the three lakes, also called Nilnag or the Sapphire Lake, lying in the flat basin the route crosses at about 4,275 m.
Durinar III (Barafsar Lake)Destination · Turn back herekm 8.7 · 4,585 mHighest of the three lakes and the turnaround point, also called Barafsar, the Ice Lake, at the head of the basin. Widely described as the highest alpine lake in the Kashmir valley; ice and old snow often sit on the shore well into the season. The climb up from Durinar II is the steepest and loosest ground on the trek, and the view from the rim takes in Zoji La, Kolahoi, Harmukh and the Thajwas peaks.

Distances are measured along the track from the road head.

Photographs

Added by walkers, checked before they appear

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Gear checklist

gear

Rucksack 50-60 L with rain cover
Sleeping bag rated to -10°C
Trekking poles (pair)
Headlamp with spare batteries
Water bottles 2 x 1 L or hydration bladder

safety

UV-protection sunglasses
Sunscreen SPF 50+ and lip balm

medical

First-aid kit (ORS, painkillers, blister patches, antiseptic)

0 of 14 packed

About this trek

Durinar starts at Sarbal, the last village on the Kashmir side of the Zojila road about three hours beyond Sonamarg, and climbs to a chain of three lakes: Durinar I at about 4,171 m, Durinar II (also called Nilnag) at about 4,270 m, and Durinar III, also known as Barafsar, at roughly 4,600 m. That makes it the highest alpine lake trek in the Kashmir Valley by a wide margin. Operators describe the route as offbeat and rarely walked, known mainly to locals, and snow lingers high on the route into the season.

Season window

Best windowJuly — August

The basin holds snow late, so June and September are walkable rather than good. July and August are the dependable window; even then, old snow often sits on the shore of Durinar III, the highest of the three lakes.

Getting there

Starting pointSarbal villageGanderbal, Kashmir

2,816 mTrailhead

About 56 km from Srinagar as the crow flies — the road is longer.

Directions to the trailhead

Trekker reports

No trekker reports yet. Conditions on this route change week to week — if you walk it, a short report on pass snow and river levels helps the next group. Reports are posted from the Kashmir Explorer app.