Turquoise water
Mirrors the peaks.
Gupta.aayush22 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shiva Garg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shiva Garg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shiva Garg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shiva Garg — CC BY-SA 4.0
Chandratal, «moon lake», lies in the upper Chandra valley in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, at about 4,300 m in the Himalayas and about 51 km in a straight line north-west of Kaza. It sits near the source of the Chandra River and is surrounded by the Chandratal Wildlife Sanctuary. The lake takes its name from its crescent shape. It lies on the Samudra Tapu plateau overlooking the Chandra River, with slopes of scree on one side and a mountain cirque on the other. Though usually linked with Spiti, it lies geographically in the Chandra watershed of Lahaul, and the Kunzum Pass separates the two valleys. The water shifts from deep blue to turquoise with the light and, on calm days, mirrors the snowy peaks and brown slopes around it. In summer, flowers bloom in the surrounding meadows and wildlife appears, and trekkers and campers come for the silence and starry skies. The lake is reached by road from Batal, and by road or on foot from the Kunzum Pass, from late May to early October. The altitude is very high, so spend a day or two acclimatising first, and bring warm clothes even in summer.
Mirrors the peaks.
Gives the name.
Full of stars.
Lahaul and Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Late May to early October.
It is very high; acclimatise for a day or two first.