Gosaikunda Frozen Lake Trek

The Frozen Lake trek is a week-long trek to one of Nepal’s oligotrophic lakes, Gosainkunda, located inside Langtang National park. Gosainkunda is famous as a frozen lake trekking destination in Nepal because the lake freezes during the winters when the temperature of this region falls below zero degrees celsius. The trek route starts from Dhunche, which is the headquarters of the Rasuwa district. You can reach Dhunche by bus or any other local transport. The trek’s difficulty level is not so high; however, you might find crossing the Laurebina Pass at 3910 meters quite challenging.

The trekking route offers a splendid view of the Lantang mountain range. Likewise, the mountain range includes some of Langtang’s highest peaks like Langtang Lirung, Langtang Ri, and Dorje Lakpa. These peaks have an altitude of 7234 meters, 7205 meters, and 6966 meters, respectively.

About Frozen Lake (Gosaikunda)

Gosaikunda is the first Himalayan protected area in Nepal since 1970. The lake is situated at an elevation of 4380 meters and remains frozen for six months, from October to June. In the summer/rest of the month, Gosaikunda melts into river Trishul. In 1970, royal approval designated the establishment of Langtang National Park as the first protected area in the Himalayas.

Besides the natural beauty, Gosainkunda also carries religious significance:

• Hindu pilgrims regard the frozen lake (Gosaikunda) as the residence of Shiva and Gauri (Hindu deities).
• Additionally, they also believe that the origin of the frozen lake is related to the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) mentioned in many Hindu scriptures like Bhagavat Puran, Vishnu Purana, Ramayan, and Mahabharat.
• During some of the Hindu carnivals like Janai Purne, many Hindu pilgrims worldwide come to Gosaikunda and take the holy water of Gosainkunda with them.
• Similarly, in August, people also take a sacred bath in Gosainkunda and pray with religious beliefs.
• Many Tamang people and Buddhist shamans residing in the nearby surrounding come to Gosainkunda to summon their ancestral deities. While arriving at the frozen lake, they dance to the beat of the traditional drum ‘Dhyangro’.

Frozen Lake Trek highlight

The frozen lake trek is a fantastic place to travel not just because of the lake but also the beautiful surrounding and captivating climatic conditions. You walk through a route full of rhododendron and pine forests during the tour. Besides, let’s have a look at some of the major highlights of the frozen lake:

• Gosaikunda (The frozen Lake) at 4,360 meters
• Get to observe 108 lakes in the surroundings.
• Trekking inside Nepal’s first Himalayan protected area, ‘Langtang National park.’
• Nearby villages represent Buddhist culture.
• Buddhist monasteries and Shrine
• Hindu temples and Shrine
• Dense forest with varieties of flowers like rhododendron and wildlife all over
• Trek through the highest pass, ‘Lauribinayak’, situated at 4,600 meters
• Sensational nature views