Memories of Jazbanda, Katora Lake and Kumrat Valley (Part 3)

Part 3: Katora Lake

Junaid was very excited on the other hand Sattar was calm and casual as usual and I was hoping that this track to Katora Lake would not be as steep as the track to Jazbanda. We were told that it would take two hours to reach the Lake but I knew two hours for locals mean four hours for me. So we started our journey to Katora Lake. One of our porter friends was going with us he told us that yesterday a group of young boys and girls had also reached to Jazbanda and they would also have gone to the Lake. This thought that girls would also be there at lake boosted our courage and we were now more enthusiastic. Don’t take us wrong, we were more enthusiastic because if girls could do this track, we could also do it easily. Believe me that was the only reason.

Main stream, coming from Katora Lake, which divides Jazbanda into two parts. One can also see camps on other side of stream (This is where group of young boys and girls stayed).

 

I was as always behind; whether it was my speed or I was busy in taking pictures but soon Sattar, Junaid and my porter friend were moving dots for me in huge lush green valley. They were so far but I could see them and that was satisfying for me that I was on right track.

Oh! I could see some more colorful dots coming from others side towards us. With their colorful dresses I was sure that those dots were girls, so to confirm I used my camera which has very good zoom and girls they were. But wait who was this macho man without shirt passing them, Oh that was one of us, of course that was Junaid. When I reached to them I wanted to ask them how far the lack was and wanted to praise them as that was difficult track for girls but I couldn’t do that as they were too far away. I still wonder how Junaid reached to that track as girls were coming back from track higher than our track It is still a mystery for me, I guess only Junaid can answer this.

 

Grassy plans in the start of Katora Lake track (Sattar and Junaid are ahead of me as usual)

 

Junaid passing a girl who was coming back from a small lake before Katora Lake

 

A lush green valley along with the Katora Lake track.

 

Now when that group of young boys and girls had gone back to Jazbanda the only excitement left was the Lake itself so I was more focused and suddenly more tired. I was alone and now I have lost the site of my friends. They were gone or lost in the vastness of the valley. I could see herds of goats moving towards the Katora Lake so I was not completely alone.

I was following a herd when I saw four small children looking towards me with oddity. These were children of shepherd, commonly known as Gujjars, staying there for summer. They were playing in this valley as if this whole valley was their play ground.  Their faces were not clean but their smile was. They were all alone in that valley but they were together. They were living a hard life with so much easy and comfort. On the contrary, we have clean faces but fake smiles. We are not all alone in our cities but still we don’t live together. We live a comfortable life but still it is very hard for us. Sometimes I wish to have life of these children, so much pure, free and natural but everyone has to live his own given life, all that one can do is to make one’s given life pure, free and natural in one’s own circumstances.

Little children of local shepherd are looking at me as if I am invading their personal space.

 

I stopped and talk to them and to my surprise they could speak and understand Urdu very well. There was a little baby girl, Madiha, who was so shy and frightened from me that she started crying. Children love me but not her, I tried all tricks under my sleeve to make her smile but I was totally a stranger for her so she did not stop crying. Madiha’s elder sister, Nishtu, was holding her, tried to calm her down but she also was not successful so I admitted my defeat and did not make her cry more. I said bye to them and was about to leave when Nishtu asked me for a cup of tea, I was very much happy and surprised for her offer. “Thanks”, I said and with a smile on my face and I was again on my way to Katora Lake.

Nishtu holding Madiha, This combination of pure smile and element of surprise together is unique.

 

Following the herds of sheep guiding me to Katora Lake

 

I was on the track but I did not know how far the lake was. Our Pashton friends had also reached to the lake and now they were coming back from it when I met them on the way. They told me it’s still far away and I should walk quickly. Sattar and Junaid were gone and I was moving really slow when I saw “Alamgir” my guide friend sitting and waiting for me on big stone. He stayed behind to guide me to the lake.

When I reached near him I was very thirsty so the first question I asked was, “Are there fresh water springs on the way to lake?”

“Yes”, He said.

I had a bottle of water with me but the water was hot and I wanted to drink cold water to quench my thirst. He took my bottle and went to a nearby spring, which was hidden for me but he knew exactly where it was, and fetched cold and fresh water. I drunk it and got fresh but now I was feeling hungry. I had not eaten any proper food since two days and now I was feeling weakness. I had few chocolates to eat so I decided to eat one. I had eaten one of my chocolates and started to hike towards lake. Soon we were at a lake but this was not the Katora Lake. It was a small lake. This lake could also be an individual visiting point if it would not be on the way to Katora Lake. We stopped there for a while took some pictures and moved on.

A small lake on the way to Katora Lake. This is where shepherds give bath to the sheep

 

A bird’s I view of the small lake on the way to Katora Lake.

 

The track was gone and we were literally walking on boulders. If Alamgir would have not be with me I would have lost the track to Katora Lake. He was walking ahead of me and I was just following him. After half an hour hiking I was so much hungry and tired. I stopped walking and lay down on a boulder. I had few more chocolates left when I put my hand in my pocket all of them were already melted. All the chocolates were now in liquid form and when I tried to eat them the taste was terrible. This was the point where I lost my strength and told Alamgir that I could not go farther. I drunk some water and tried to stabilize a little bit. Alamgir told me that I should not lose strength at this stage as lake was half an hour away and we could see the gate (Lake Spillway) or locally called as “darwaza” from that point. I was struggling and not eating anything for last day was the reason. My stomach was empty and I was drinking water instead of taking food so no energy. My guide friend Alamgir encouraged me and said, “You can do it”.

This is where the lake looks very near but track suddenly disappear into debris of boulders.

 

I gathered some strength and stared to walk slowly towards Katora Lake. I was resting frequently now which is against my rules of hiking. I normally don’t take rest during hiking rather I maintain a slow steady speed but this time I was feeling week and dizzy. Each step was like a whole mile and at that altitude lack of oxygen was shutting my brain down but I kept on walking.

“Just few more mints, we are almost there”, Alamgir said.

The Gate (Darwaza) of Katora Lake. (One can see the spillway of the lake)

 

I could see the water coming out from the spillway of Katora Lake but there was a huge wall between us and the lake.

“How will I be able to climb this wall?” I asked from Alamgir.

“Don’t worry it’s easy, you will climb it easily”, he replied.

And easy it was, there were stepping stone on that mountain wall and we both easily climbed it and now I was standing on that wall with a huge valley behind and Katora Lake in front of me.

The wall of the gate. One has to climb this wall to reach the amazing Katora Lake

 

View of the rocky valley towards Jazbanda from Gate of Katora Lake.

 

With the first glimpse of the lake all my dizziness and tiredness was gone. All of those people who came to Katora Lake early morning had either gone back or were going to leave, when I reached there. The lake was down there, one would have to descent almost 20 feet from this mountain wall to reach the bank of the lake. I saw a mat on a small edge of the mountain wall toward lake and no one was sitting on it as if someone had put it there for me. I was tired so I did not waste any time and lay down on that mat with amazing Katora Lake in front of me. The view was majestic. Lake with snow covered mountain around it was just like a bowl (Katora) of water, which is why they call it Katora (bowl) Lake.

First Glimpse of Katora Lake which mesmerizes you and make you fresh again

 

Katora Lake with snow covered mountain named as Chimrin Cottage behind.

 

I could see glaciers on a beautiful mountain behind Katora Lake. This mountain is called “Chimrin Cottage”. Chimrin is a local word mean snow covered and mountain shape is like a cottage so locally it is known as Chimrin Cottage.

Me at Katora Lake

 

You should be wondering where Sattar and Junaid were. Yes, they were ahead of me and now they were resting in a small camp like tuck shop. The locals had opened a small tuck shop here as well where you could find Pakoras, tea and cold drinks as well. It was sunny outside so they were resting in shade. When they saw me they joined me on this magical mat.

We, the three musketeers are taking sun bath.

 

This is where I felt nausea; suddenly I was not feeling well. I was almost fainted. It was sun, empty stomach, weakness or mixture of all of these but now I was feeling really sick. I quickly went inside the camp to avoid further sun exposure. There was a place to sleep in there so I lay down closed my eyes and now was thinking how I would be able to go back in this condition. My blood pressure was low or sugar level was down every one was trying to guess and suggesting local remedies. One of the local people gave me a piece of onion, Sattar gave me sprite with salt in it and then they offered me some pakoras. I took all of it hopping anything would work. I was feeling very week and was not able to open my eyes. This was the first time I had such condition and I was thinking that this was my last venture to mountains. Sattar told me to get some sleep and take rest. I slept a little then woke up as I heard many people shouting out side. That was the other group from Lahore, they also had reached to the lake and now were shouting with excitement. One of them saw me sleeping inside the camp and was laughing at me.

” Do you know who is sleeping inside camp? The same person who was telling us the track is piece of cake and we must go for the lake. Now he is lying down and cannot even move.” One of those boys said to his friend. They were making fun of me and I was happy that they had reached to the lake. This gave me boost and I left the camp and came out. I congratulated them and they told me the guy who was reluctant to come to the lake did not make to the lake and went back half an hour away from the lake. Any ways now I was feeling good and their making fun of me triggered a fighter in me. While I was sleeping Sattar swam in the lake unfortunately I don’t have any picture of him while swimming. Junaid was there when Sattar was swimming but Junaid also did not take any picture, actually Junaid did not even take single picture of us from his cell phone, all the pictures in this story were taken by me.

Now many more people have reached to the lake and one of them was firing a gun shots which I still think was weird. Now that I was feeling better I went down to the bank of the lake. I spent some time there, took some pictures. Junaid wanted to go back so he left earlier, Sattar stayed with me. I think he was worried about my condition. I wanted to stay more at the lake but I was not sure about my condition so I decided to go back. The lake was so much crowded which I don’t like so that was another reason for me to go back. Sattar, I and Almgir were on our back to Jazbanda now. This time I was running like a horse.

At the bank of Katora Lake to feel the fresh and cold water of the Lake

 

Glassier and snow around a castle of mountain behind Katora Lake