MANALI
High-altitude alpine lake trek starting from Gulaba, moderate difficulty, usually done with an overnight camp. Only attempt with a registered trekking operator - the route crosses exposed ridgelines where weather changes fast and unguided tourists have gotten stranded overnight.
The high-altitude lake, sitting at roughly 4,300 meters east of Rohtang Pass, is named for the sage Bhrigu, one of the Saptarishi of Hindu tradition, who is said to have meditated on its shores, rendering the site sacred. Local legend holds that the lake never freezes over completely even in the depths of Himalayan winter because of Bhrigu's continuing blessing, and that the sage still occasionally visits to meditate. The trek, typically approached via Gulaba or Vashisht village, follows routes long used by shepherds moving flocks through these high pastures before it became a popular recreational trek in recent decades.
