SWAT: Mushroom Lake, the alpine glacial lake in Gabral valley of Swat, is a perfect spot for the nature lovers and challenge seeking climbers.

Perched about 13,500 feet above the sea and nestled amid rocky glacial peaks accessed through a narrow vale of gigantic mountains started from Shahi Bagh in Gabral valley, the lake offers a spectacular view that is not easily forgotten.

The awe-inspiring lake is located about 31 kilometres away from Utror and 20 kilometres from Shahi Bagh.

Locally known as Bali Lake, it can be reached through a tough and challenging climb that makes the visitors earn a view that cannot be seen anywhere else.

Only challenge seeking climbers visit Mushroom Lake

For its very hard and tough climb, the lake is visited by mountain trekkers only.

The trekkers, who visited it recently, said that they had never seen such a stunning lake.

“To reach the lake is not an easy job as the trek is one of the toughest and hardest treks in the valley. I claim that it is one of the mesmerising glacial lakes I have ever seen,” said Tariq Aziz, a senior mountain trekker and climber in Swat.

The trekkers said that the lake with its glassy still surface and blue water, fed with huge glaciers stuck between the peaks around it, offered a fantastic panoramic view.

“Strewn with picturesque, green pastures and a network of noisy waterfalls at both sides and rivulets carrying fresh melt water from nearby glaciers, the trek to the lake seems like a veritable retreat of life,” said Babar Ali, a software engineer and a trekker.

He added that the lake was a secret and a hidden jewel in the heart of a barren mountain range.

The trekkers to the lake said that the alpine lake dotting the landscape with fanciful reflections was a healing spot for the soul and mind.

“The lake is so stunning and stupendous that the visitors instantly forget the pain they experience to reach it.

The cone-like peaks behind the lake give an awesome and magnificent look to the visitors,” said Nisar Khan, another trekker.

The trekkers said that if adventure seekers wanted to visit the lake, they should go to Utror valley from Kalam from where they would reach Shahi Bagh in a four-wheel drive.

From Shahi Bagh, the visitors should traverse through the valley along the river to Jabba pasture where they have to spend a night in tents.

Early next morning the visitors should start trekking to the lake which would take about seven hours of a hard climb to reach the lake.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2021