Incredible Landscapes of Lake Chandratal: A Photo Gallery

I was lazy posting pictures and blogs on my trip to Spiti in July last year. Ugh! Where has the time flown? I have at least three more posts in my blogging queue, and then I have to get started with Bali travel pics and guides.

Everything is in my head; it’s just taking so much time to get it down on paper or the blog.

Still, I don’t want to procrastinate any further, so I am going to talk about what an incredibly beautiful place Lake Chandratal, is.

Referring back to the map from my earlier post, you can see Lake Chandratal at the top of the map. This lake is considered the highlight of this driving circuit, and most tours that cover Spiti also include Lake Chandratal in their itinerary. Understandable because it’s an experience that should not be missed.

However, be prepared to rough it when you get there. Chandratal can be accessed via two driving circuits (from Manali on the left or Spiti on the right). The Spiti route is the one I did and recommend – simply because it’s a more gradual ascent giving you time to acclimate to the elevation, and the roads are much better.

On the way, we stopped at Chicham Bridge. At a dizzying altitude of 13,596 ft, Chicham Bridge is the highest bridge in Asia. The incredible feat of constructing this bridge took a mind-boggling 14 years. Before this construction, the locals used a dangerous ropeway to travel.

Here’s one from the internet however that shows the length of the bridge and the drop beneath.

The route then winds through Kunzum La pass, where we stopped at the temple to get our blessings from the goddess to protect us through our hair-raising journey.

There are no hotels in the area, so the only option is to camp in the tents provided. We started from Kaza fairly leisurely in the morning and reached our campsite in time for lunch and check-in.

The weather was beautiful, so we made for the lake right away without wasting any time. Here are some pics and a little info about the lake.

At an astounding altitude of 14,100 feet, Lake Chandratal (lake of the moon in Hindi as it has the shape of a crescent moon) is surrounded by expansive grassy land, once a glacier. It also used to be a popular trading spot for traders from Tibet and Ladakh.

We spent an hour or so ambling around the lake, admiring the view from all angles before making our way to the cab and back to camp.

The guide told us that earlier, people could camp directly at the lake, but because of misuse and drugs, they moved the campsite away. Pity, because the lake is a lovely place to camp.

Anyway, we made it back to our camps in time as the weather changed rather suddenly for the worse. It became bitterly cold, and I shivered badly throughout dinner and in the tent.

I was covered in full-body thermal wear, woolen cap and gloves, cashmere socks, and my down jacket, and I still couldn’t control the shivers. I went to sleep in my tent wearing all this paraphernalia and a down comforter for warmth.

The nights are supposed to be wonderful for stargazing, but it was too cloudy and cold for us to venture out.

As soon as we were up in the morning, we all collectively decided not to shower in the ice-cold water provided and rushed to get out of there for yet an even scarier drive to Manali on quite possibly the most dangerous road I have ever been on.

Here’s a video (not mine) I am sharing that gives an idea of the condition of the roads. I was too busy holding on for dear life to think about taking videos.

This is not a trip you want to attempt if you have back problems.