From Desk Job to Frozen Peaks: How I Crashed an Unplanned Trek to Kareri Lake
Living in Delhi for the past two years for my job, my life had settled into a simple weekly routine. Weekdays were all about work, but as soon as my two weekly off-days arrived, my mind immediately went to the mountains. Trekking had become a real addiction for us. My flatmate and colleague Adarsh, Abhishek and our colleague Ranjan were always looking for the next mountain trail to explore. But nothing could have prepared us for the crazy, unplanned adventure we had on our trek to Kareri Lake.
1. Crashing the Plan
It was a quiet evening on my day off. I was sitting at home, casually checking our WhatsApp, when I noticed the messages coming in super fast in our trekking group. Abhishek and Ranjan were busy planning a sudden trek to Kareri Lake along with two other colleagues from our office, Rohit and Kapil.
Then I noticed the main detail, They were planning to leave that very evening.
My heart started beating fast. My craze for trekking took over completely. Without asking anyone, without taking permission, and without worrying about any arrangements, I ran straight to my room. I pulled out my big rucksack bag, packed all my warm clothes and gear as quickly as I could, zipped it up, and took a picture of it.
I dropped that picture in our group chat and typed just three words:
I am ready.
The reply from the group came immediately, and it was quite funny:
Bro, you were not in the plan. We have an i20 car, there are already four of us, and there is absolutely no space for another person or a big bag.
I did not care at all. I replied right away: I dont know, but I am coming with you guys.
Later that evening, Abhishek arrived at our apartment with Rohit, Kapil, and Ranjan because our flat was the fixed meeting point before starting the trip. As soon as they walked in, I started requesting them with all my heart. I begged them, convinced them, and promised to manage somehow in whatever small space was left in the car.
And guess what? I was in.
But now there was a big problem. My two week-offs were already over, and I had not planned or taken approval for any leave from work. But my craze for the mountains was so strong that I applied for a fake medical leave. Without even waiting to see if it got approved or rejected, I picked up my bag and walked out to the car.
Parathas, Midnight Highway, and the Village Entry
At around 10:00 PM in the evening, five of us piled into the Hyundai i20 and started our journey out of Delhi.
Our very first stop was at Amrik Sukhdev in Murthal, which is extremely famous across Delhi and NCR for its delicious parathas. You simply cannot go on a road trip toward Himachal Pradesh without stopping there. We sat down and had a great dinner with hot, butter-loaded parathas and warm tea. It gave us all the energy we needed for the long overnight drive.
Abhishek and Rohit were both really good at driving on risky mountain roads. They took turns driving the car one by one through the night while the rest of us rested.
By 8:00 AM the next morning, we stopped at a small roadside tea stall in the mountains for tea and breakfast. The others had some food, but since it was so early in the morning, my stomach did not feel like eating anything heavy. So, I just took a warm cup of tea to refresh myself.
Around 10:00 AM in the morning, we finally reached near Kareri Village, which was the starting point of our trek.
The place was delightfully remote, just 3 to 4 tiny wooden tea and Maggi stalls, and a local guard with a physical notebook to record trekker entries. It was a mandatory check where every trekker had to write down basic details like their name, contact number, and where they came from. We quickly filled in our details in the register, put on our heavy backpacks, and officially began our trek.
The Long Hike to the Lake
The trail starting from Kareri Village was beautiful. It goes right along the side of a fast-flowing water stream called the Nyund stream. You walk through deep pine forests, over natural stone pathways, and across small wooden bridges built over the gushing water.
For the first couple of hours, we were full of excitement and walked quite fast. But as the hours passed and the path kept going higher and higher up the mountain, our bodies started feeling tired. The air became colder, and our legs started to ache from the steep climb and heavy bags.
By early afternoon, we were feeling exhausted. We did not want to stop for a full heavy meal because it would make us feel sleepy and slow us down, so we relied on what we had brought with us: dates and chocolates.
Why Dates & Chocolates Help On Treks: When you walk uphill for hours, your body burns energy very fast. Eating simple items like dates and dark chocolate gives your body instant natural sugar and quick energy. It helps your tired muscles recover faster, keeps your energy levels high, and prevents stomach heaviness while walking.
We kept taking small bites of dates and chocolates, taking short breathers, and pushing forward step by step. Finally, around 4:00 PM in the evening, after almost 6 long hours of continuous walking, we reached the top where the lake is located.
4. Frozen Lake, Camp Problems, and a Sick Friend
When we reached the top near the old Shiva Temple, we saw Kareri Lake right in front of us. It was a stunning sight, the entire lake was completely frozen into solid ice. The weather up there was extremely cold, and a freezing wind was blowing across the open valley.
We were very tired and extremely hungry by then. We looked around and decided that pitching our tent inside the temple campus would be the best idea because the ground was flat and safe. But before pitching the tents, we wanted to relax for a bit and enjoy the magnificent view around us.
We split up for a while, Ranjan and Rohit started taking photos and shooting videos of the mountains, Abhishek took out his drone and started flying it to capture drone shots of the frozen lake, and I sat down quietly, just absorbing the peace and beauty of the mountains.
While we were enjoying the view, a man came walking up to us from a nearby commercial campsite area below. He was probably the owner of those rented tents. He looked at us and said in a firm voice:
You are not allowed to pitch your tents here in the temple campus.
After telling us this, he walked back down. We understood his real intention immediately, he wanted us to get scared and pay to sleep in his private campsite tents, or at least buy dinner from his small mountain cafe. But he had no idea that we were fully prepared with all our own gear, tents, and food supplies to cook our own dinner.
Just as we started getting ready to set up, a major emergency happened, Abhishek suddenly became very sick.
Because of severe dehydration, continuous driving without sleep, and the sudden drop in temperature, Abhishek got a very high fever. He was feeling so weak that he was not even able to walk or stand properly. We immediately set up our folding camping chair, asked him to sit down safely, gave him fever medicine, and wrapped him in warm clothes.
We quickly divided our work to manage everything:
- Rohit and I went into the nearby woods to search for dry firewood so we could make a fire for warmth.
- Ranjan and Kapil took all our water bottles and walked down toward a fresh glacial water stream nearby to bring drinking water.
By the time we all returned, that same campsite owner came back up to tell us again that we could not stay in the temple area. We tried to talk to him politely and explained Abhishek’s poor health condition. But he still did not agree to let us pitch our tents there for the night.
However, he allowed us to make a bonfire and sit near the temple till 9:00 PM at night, after which we had to move down near his campsite area to sleep.
We all discussed it among ourselves, if we had to move down at 9:00 PM anyway in the pitch dark, why not go down right now? That way, we could set up our tents properly in daylight and cook our food peacefully. So, we picked up our bags, walked about 100 meters down near his campsite, found a smooth flat surface, and pitched our tents there.
Cooking Pav Bhaji in a Cave
Moving down turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise for us.
Right near our new tent location, we found a big natural rock cave. It had a safe flat ground inside, and its stone walls completely blocked the freezing cold winds outside. Since it was bitterly cold and Abhishek was suffering from a fever, this cave became our perfect shelter.
We built a nice campfire inside the cave mouth. The fire kept the inside of the rock cave cozy and warm. We all sat around the fire, chatted happily, and started preparing our dinner for the night.
Out there on a remote freezing mountain top, with the outside temperature dropping down to around -7°C to -8°C, we cooked fresh, piping-hot Pav Bhaji.
Eating hot, spicy Pav Bhaji fresh off the fire while sitting inside a warm cave in sub-zero weather was an unbelievable experience. It was honestly the best Pav Bhaji of my entire life.
We sat inside the cave, talking and laughing near the fire. But around midnight, because of the extreme cold and high altitude, Kapil also developed a heavy headache. We gave him warm water and medicine. He went inside the tent to sleep, and around 12:00 AM, the rest of us also crawled into our sleeping bags for the night.
Frozen Streams and the Crimson Sunrise
When we woke up the next morning and unzipped our tent, we saw one of the most amazing views of our life.
The water stream from where Ranjan and Kapil had collected drinking water the previous evening had turned into solid ice overnight. The air was so intensely cold that our fingers felt completely frozen and numb, even while wearing thick winter gloves.
We quickly walked back up to the temple area to watch the morning sunrise over Kareri Lake.
As the sun began to rise behind the mountains, the entire sky turned into a gorgeous deep red and bright orange color. The golden morning light fell directly on the frozen glass-like surface of Kareri Lake and the big snow mountains around it. Standing there in the freezing morning air, watching that magical sunrise, all the stress, the long drive, the cold night, and the physical tiredness completely vanished from our minds. It was pure happiness.
After enjoying the sunrise, we made a simple breakfast of warm milk with Muesli. We ate together, packed up our tents carefully, cleaned up the entire area so no trash was left behind, and started our walk back down the mountain.
Why You Must Do Camping at Kareri Lake
If youre looking for a trek that combines high adventure, dramatic landscape shifts, and raw wilderness, Kareri Lake belongs at the top of your bucket list.
- Trek Distance: ~13 km (one way)
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Best Experience: Self-sustained camping near the summit (be prepared for sub-zero night temperatures in winter!).
There is something deeply transformational about building your own shelter, cooking hot food in a freezing cave, and watching the sunrise over an alpine glacial lake. Dont wait for the perfect time or official permission from life, sometimes, the best adventures are the ones you crash into at the last minute!