Paach Pokhari is a series of five sacred alpine lakes sitting at 4,100 meters, surrounded by nothing but towering peaks and silence. The trek isn’t easy, and maybe that’s why so few people go. But for those who do, ask them and they’ll tell you that the experience is something else entirely, raw, quiet, and strangely humbling.
The journey starts in Bhotang, a quiet village where life moves at its own pace. There are no big lodges, no groups of foreign trekkers planning their next stop, just small homes, fields of potatoes, and people who still look up from their work to greet you. The trail moves through thick forests, where the only sounds are birds, wind, and your own footsteps. You cross wooden bridges over rushing streams, climb steep ridges, and walk through open pastures where yaks graze lazily under the sun. There are moments when the mist rolls in, and everything fades into a soft, eerie white. Then it clears, and the mystical mountains stretch out before you, untouched and endless.
But be warned! The final climb is brutal. Loose rocks, thin air, legs that beg for rest. But then, just when it feels like it’ll never end, you see them, the five lakes, shimmering under the sky, perfectly still. There are no tourists taking selfies, no shops selling snacks, just the quiet sound of wind passing through the valley. Locals believe these lakes are sacred, and standing there, it’s easy to understand why. During Janai Purnima, pilgrims make their way up to offer prayers, but outside of that, the place is empty. The kind of empty that makes you feel small, but in a good way.
Unlike Everest or Annapurna, where everything is built for convenience, Paach Pokhari still feels untouched. No Wi-Fi, no fancy teahouses, it’s just simple meals, cold nights, and the sound of your own breath as you walk. It’s the kind of trek that doesn’t just show you a place, but changes how you see things. Maybe that’s why so few people come. And maybe that’s exactly why you should!
Photo Credit-Wikimedia.
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