Prashar Lake which is located about 50 odd KMs North of Mandi, is one of the top most offbeat places in Himachal Pradesh People hardly know about it and those who know, they just can’t stop going there again and again due to the extreme solitude and peace it offers to you. However, I only like Prashar Lake in two states, one, when it is surrounded by green colors topped with varied variety of flowers in the monsoon months of July – August. And, the other state is when the white carpet of snow surrounds this surreal lake and give it a feeling like a jewel studded & shining midst white gold around it, in the month of January – March. And since, my travel is mostly banned in the month of August by my family so I only had to opt for winter months, which meant a Snow Trek to Prashar Lake Do you want to know more offbeat places in Himachal? Read: 5 Must Visit Off-beat Places in Himachal Pradesh

I walk a lonely road to Prashar Lake
I walk a lonely road to Prashar Lake

I was discussing the snow trek to Prashar Lake for quite a while for a snow filled adventure but I was just back from a family trip to Mukteshwar – Sattal in December (that travel tale will follow this one :)). But, the thoughts of a feasible snow trek to Prashar Lake was haunting me day and night 😉 … After controlling myself for 10 odd days, when Aashish asked that let’s make the trip, Saurabh jumped in too and in between Sany posted the pictures of snowed out Prashar Lake as he went there to celebrate the New Year 2014… It was enough to ignite the full fire from the ambers and late in the evening on 3rd March, we decided to give a shot for a snow trek to Prashar Lake 🙂 🙂

Day 1 | Delhi – Mandi – Prashar Lake

Saurabh and Aashish came to my house at around 12.30 AM and we left by 1 AM at night from my house near Dwarka More. We were cruising on NH-1 but after couple of hours, all three of us started feeling sleepy and hence, giving respect to our lives, we decided to park the car at Zhilmil Dhabha at Karnal to take a knap for an hour or so in the car. Within minutes, all three fell asleep and woke up to realize it is already 4.30 AM 😉 … Quickly had a round of tea at the Dhabha and rushed to Chandigarh where Aashish’s friend Bikram had to join us and take over the wheel. By 7 AM, we picked up Bikram and he started driving towards Mandi – Manali. So far we have not come across foggy conditions but as soon as we crossed Chandigarh, there were foggy conditions from Kharar – Khurali to Ropar – Kiratpur. After crossing Kiratpur, the hell broke loose on the highway 😀 … It was filled with potholes or craters of as deep as it can swallow the car. The struggle continued all the way till Sunder Nagar and the road conditions from Kiratpur to Swarghat to Bilaspur were horribly bad while after that it improves to some extent till Sunder Nagar. After Sunder Nagar, the roads were all fine till Baggi Village, which is the base village of Prashar Lake.

The Devil’s Machine – Raring to Move On…
The Devil's Machine - Raring to Move On

Meanwhile we stopped at Bilaspur for breakfast, where another friend Doulos also met us who was traveling with his friends to Manali After sharing some chats we moved on towards Mandi as we had no plans for lunch and wanted to reach Prashar Lake as soon as possible. We reached Mandi from where we took a left over the bridge towards Mandi – Pathankot Highway As you cross over couple of KMs, you will see a road on right going upwards and having a signboard below saying Prashar Lake 48 KMs We took the road and after ascending a bit, I think Dhauladhars were boasting their glory in the sky. The road became narrow, so my attention and focus shifted to road from the views 😀 😀 … Some sections of the road are quite steep to descend and in between we missed the diversion to Prashar Lake and hit a dead end. GPS showed a lane which me missed near Kataula village Hence, we reversed and got to it. While coming over to it, it was hard to believe the road to Prashar was the diversion as that road was more narrow 😉 … But, we were on the right track now and weather was on bad track :D.

That’s me and Bikram, sharing a relaxing moment
That's me and Bikram, sharing a relaxing moment

We finally reached Baggi Village, 20 KMs before Prashar Lake by 2.30 PM and saw a dark cloud cover over the mountains of Prashar Lake. Asked few locals and they told, weather is bad up there. The 20 KMs from Baggi Village to Prashar Lake is motorable but only in season time. We further inquired and found that about 8-9 KMs of road is motorable at present and we need to park the car in between the jungle where the snow starts on road. Then, we had to trek the remaining route of about 10 KMs by foot in snow. There is a shortcut too which is about 10-12 KMs that goes through the jungle BUT someone from the village had to accompany you for the same as a guide. There are many people who got lost in jungles, straying away from correct trail to Prashar Lake through this shortcut. Hence, we decided to take the road path only and also decided to park the vehicle in Baggi Village itself. I had the fear of overnight snowfall looking at the weather and car getting stuck beyond the snowfall.

The Devil’s Machine – Parked Safely at Baggi Village
The Devil's Machine - Parked Safely at Baggi Village
Portion of Baggi Village ruined by some flash floods
Portion of Baggi Village ruined by some flash floods
A soothing stream at Baggi Village
A soothing stream at Baggi Village

In all agreement, we hired a Mahindra Pickup from Babloo, a local guy of Baggi Village. Me and Saurabh jumped into the chamber with driver and Aashish + Bikram became the sport to get in the back of the pickup as it was raining at that time, though lightly. Salute to their spirit of adventure because at one point I was really worried of going for it or not in such a weather 😀 😀 … The road was very bad and bumps kept our heads banging with one or other in the front seat 😀 … You can say there was were rarely signs of road rather just a dirt track 🙂 … Babloo charged us Rs 800 for the drop till the last motorable point and gave us his number so that we can call him next day for the pickup from the same point.

Bird’s Eye view of Road to Prashar Lake from our Pickup
Bird's Eye view of Road to Prashar Lake from our Pickup

Bird's Eye view of Road to Prashar Lake from our Pickup
The Clouds were saying – Its Showtime
The Clouds were saying - Its Showtime

The Clouds were saying - Its Showtime

The Clouds were saying - Its Showtime

The Clouds were saying - Its Showtime
Clouds, Breaking Loose on the way to Prashar Lake
Clouds, Breaking Loose on the way to Prashar Lake
Aashish and Saurabh, having a quite word
Aashish and Saurabh, having a quite word

Now, as the snow was on the road, the real snow trek to Prashar Lake started… After 25-30 minutes I was huffing and puffing my breath… I cannot explain how SMART we were to carry Milk, Maggie, Chocolates, Rum, etc.. BUT NO WATER to DRINK 😛 😛 😯 😯 … It has happened to me yet another time that I was on a snow trek and was not carrying water 😀 … Just as an FYI, our body needs more water on a snow trek AFAIK though we do not realize because the sweating disappear with chill in the air without making us realize that we are dehydrating 🙂 … I felt worried but then had no choice than to keep walking and walking… Tried calling up DK Thakur ji who runs a Dhabha at Prashar Lake but there was no signal… I motivated myself and  soon was enjoying the solitude around. Aashish, Saurabh and Bikram were busy clicking the pictures and I tried to keep up the pace. I saw a person coming from the top and only after talking to him came to know that he was DK Thakur, the man running dhabha at the Prashar Lake. He told us that he is running late and going back to his village. I asked him if he can call someone to bring down some water for us, he reluctantly said no but assured we will reach alive 😉 😉 …

The Snow Trek to Prashar Lake Begins…
The Snow Trek to Prashar Lake Begins...

The Snow Trek to Prashar Lake Begins...
The Snow Filled Road to Prashar Lake
The Snow Filled Road to Prashar Lake

The Snow Filled Road to Prashar Lake

The Snow Filled Road to Prashar Lake
That’s Bikram coming over a shortcut on the trek
That's Bikram coming over a shortcut on the trek
Aashish, a little busy with clicking pictures
Aashish, a little busy with clicking pictures
Talking to DK Thakur, the guy who runs Dhabha at Prashar Lake
Talking to DK Thakur, the guy who runs Dhabha at Prashar Lake

Slowly and steadily, we marched and vistas kept both Aashish and Saurab busy and it was some sight… All white around you with beautiful colors pouring on the high mountains towards left. Since the body had warmth of the trek, so we were not feeling cold. Finally, we could see the guest houses and in between there were locals coming back from the lake. I asked water from one of the group and they offered one and said it is the holy water from the temple… I thought what else do you want 🙂 … After couple of sips the moral was high and the sunset colors were looking much more better 😉 … Soon, Ram Singh, the caretaker of PWD Rest House at Prashar Lake met us with a bottle of water in his hand. DK Thakur ji had requested him to bring down some water for us and that god sent soul obliged !! This is what makes these Himalayan people different from what I encounter in my day to day life and then people ask me why do I love Himalayas that much… I thanked him from the bottom of the heart and he accompanied us back to the PWD Rest House. If you want to know about bookings, you can always check: How to book HP PWD Rest House or FRH.

And we march further ahead…
And we march further ahead...
That’s me, walking a lonely road to Prashar Lake
That's me, walking a lonely road to Prashar Lake
That’s Bikram, walking a lonely road to Prashar Lake
That's Bikram, walking a lonely road to Prashar Lake

That's Bikram, walking a lonely road to Prashar Lake
Aashish joining us finally
Aashish joining us finally

Aashish joining us finally
Still a long snow filled path to cover
Still a long snow filled path to cover
Aashish has some company now
Aashish has some company now
A Small Pond on the way to Prashar Lake
A Small Pond on the way to Prashar Lake
He accompanied us all the way to the top
He accompanied us all the way to the top
A Small Pond on the way to Prashar Lake – Another View
A Small Pond on the way to Prashar Lake - Another View
As the Dusk Colors Begins to Fall
As the Dusk Colors Begins to Fall
The First View of FRH at Prashar Lake
The First View of FRH at Prashar Lake
Getting nearer to the Abode at Prashar Lake
Getting nearer to the Abode at Prashar Lake
A Snow Filled Walk to Prashar Lake
A Snow Filled Walk to Prashar Lake

A Snow Filled Walk to Prashar Lake
Approaching the Prashar Lake – A KM Away
Approaching the Prashar Lake - A KM Away
Ram Singh, Caretaker at PWD Rest House – Prashar Lake who got water for us
Ram Singh, Caretaker at PWD Rest House - Prashar Lake who got water for us

There is a Forest Rest House too at Prashar Lake and you can book any of them as there isn’t anything else to stay at Prashar Lake. The Rishi Prashar Temple offers stay too but it is quite basic and they just provide shelter with blankets. Since, it was winters, so the washrooms of the rest house were closed because pipes freeze and there is no water but snow/ice. As soon as we reached the PWD Rest House, Ram Singh went in to prepare tea for us while Bikram, Aashish and Saurabh wanted to check out Prashar Lake in last light of the day. I did not have energy left to accompany them 😀 …

Buildings of FRH at Prashar Lake
Buildings of FRH at Prashar Lake
How to book FRH at Prashar Lake
How to book FRH at Prashar Lake
That was our abode – PWD Rest House at Prashar Lake
That was our abode - PWD Rest House at Prashar Lake

That was our abode - PWD Rest House at Prashar Lake

Ram Singh asked us to use open space in the jungle for any nature calls but then there are bears / bhaalus too in the jungle 😉 😉 So, no one wanted to go for it at night and hence we all were done by late evening in nippy cold conditions. It was time for some rum to get some warmth as all three were back to rest house with first sight of this lovely lake. Ram Singh too joined us after preparing the dinner as rice and dal. We had nice time in the evening and Ram Singh arranged a heater just to get the shoes and socks dried up a bit… and man here goes the best moment of the day !! Bikram kept his wet gloves on to the coil of heater and it immediately caught up fire with some toxic smoke filled in the room within seconds 😯 😯

It was difficult to breath and opening up window let the extremely cold wind inside. We had no choice than opening up the windows, the main door of the guest house and upper windows too in order to get that smoke out. Me and Saurabh were worried that we may not die inhaling this smoke at night as we had to sleep in this room and there is no scope of medical help around in miles too 😀 😀 … So, we decided to keep the windows open for night  and called off this eventful day after majority of the smoke got out of the room.

Have you ever been to Prashar Lake? How was your experience or you looking forward to visit it? Do share you experiences or queries in either comments section of DwD Community with all other devils 🙂 🙂

The Journey ahead…

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I am Dheeraj Sharma - a traveler, techie, and Himalayan lover. Since 2009, I have been helping thousands of travelers every year plan memorable & budget-friendly trips to the Himalayas - Smartly, Safely, and responsibly.

83 Comments

    • you can check with Veer Singh FRH Prashar 09459137877, Mr dk thakur (dhaba prashar lake) 08894582008 and Ram Singh PWD Rest House guy: 09459529024

  1. Hi Dheeraj,

    I would be going to parashar lake on 26th January with my Girl friend. Would it be safe to trek with her
    Can it be done on same day, as we have booked hotel in Manali. so we would be going back to Manali.

  2. Hi Dheeraj,

    I am planning to trek to Parashar lake on 26-Jan-2018. I will be riding by bike.

    Can you please help on:-
    a. How much distance I will have to trek?
    b. How much time will it take to trek and come back?
    c. Can I get any options to stay at Parashar Lake?

    Your inputs will certainly help.

    • Hey Vivek,

      In January, the road from Baggi Village to Prashar Lake will have snow over it. You will need to at least hike or walk over snow for about 8 KMs to reach in the month of end Jan. It will take about 3 hrs to reach the point on an average but rest depends upon your own speed. Only FRH and PWD Rest House options will be available for stay with limited food. The dhabha near temple will be open but not recommended for stay. You can get in touch with dhabha owner to arrange stay for you at PWD Rest House. He comes down every evening.

  3. Hey Dheeraj, I am planning on going to Parashar lake on around 29 Dec 2017. Will I find snow there and if yes, then how much snow as this will be my first snow trek.

    • Hey Atul,

      IT all depends on the luck fo snowfall. Right there isn’t much snow but if in coming days there will snow happen then yes you are going to get plenty of snow on the trek to Prashar Lake. You will have to walk about 6-7 KMs to reach the lake in case there is heavy snowfall in coming days.

  4. Hi Dheeraj we are planning for prashar in December 15 to 19 this year

    And are interested in snow treking .is prashar a good option for that time if not can you suggest any trek during that time suitable for snow treking

      • Dheeraj singh on

        Thank you that quite informative
        One more thing I would like to ask about chopta that is necessary Togo with any travel agency or travel guide can we terk alone

        • Dheeraj, not really. You can land there and plan on your own. Though in case of snow I will highly recommend that you have a local guide or local villager with you.

  5. Im planning for 14th March 2017, Can my bike reach exactly near Prashar Lake?

    If anybody want, can join us..Delhi – Prashar – Delhi..3 Days.

  6. Dushyant Purohit on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    I am planning to visit Parashar Lake during the last week of Feb. Shall we still find snow there or it will be a thin layer almost melted?
    I am more concerned about the fact that the trek might get slippery due to snow melting.
    Please suggest.

  7. Hey Dheeraj,
    We are planning a trip in the 26th Jan weekend. We have 4 days in hand. What do you think would be better…Munsiyari or Parashar lake?
    I have bin to Parashar lake in April and October months. Wad love to see the same in snow. Instead of Baggi village, if we stay in Rewalsar, how long wud be the trek till Parashar? Is it doable? or we would need to take a taxi till Baggi village and then start trekking?
    Vaani

    • With just 4 days in hand, I am sure Prashar is more accessible. Munsiyari is a bit far for just 4 day trip. You will need to trek 10 KMs more or less after recent snowfall now. So, it will take about 3-4 Hrs in snow assuming not a regular trekker. From Baggi village, the road is 20 KMs up to Prashar but road should be open for about next 10 odd KMs after which you will have to trek the rest. So, it will surely be hectic to trek 20 KMs in a day again assuming not a regular trekker.

      On the other hand, why not choose some other destination as you have been up there two times already 🙂 … May be combine it with Barot.

    • which location is revalsar and if we start early morning by 10 am from sunder nagar
      so can we return to base by night

      • Rewalsar is 23 KMs from Mandi and 28 KMs from Sunder nagar. Are you talking about covering Rewalsar from these places or Prashar lake? Rewalsar to Prashar lake is about 3 hrs of drive, 75 KMs. Then you have to consider trekking of about 10 KMs to reach Prashar lake in winters.

        • during January end : if i start from sunder nagar in morning and go to prashar lake .
          Would i be able to return by evening.

        • It will take about 3 hrs drive to reach the point from where you will need to start the snow trek to Prashar lake. Considering you should be OK walking hiking in hills, you should reach Prashar lake in about 2.5-3 Hrs of time. On the way back you can take about 2 Hrs of walk down and then 3 hrs of drive back. Som, in all you are looking about 6 Hrs of drive and 5-6 Hrs of trekking and about couple of hours at the lake itself. in a day.

  8. hello dheeraj bhai, i am planning this trek in january last . so is it okay to go there at that time? does forest rest house remains open ?

    • Yes, FRH at Prashar lake remains open all round the year. Do read the article above so that you are aware that you have to walk about 10 KMs on snow.

      • Smita Kariwadekar on

        Hi dhiraj…I am going to Prashar for this new year..I.e. 31st Dec 2016. Will there be even little snow at that time? Really hoping for atleast some.snow around..:) also, can you suggest a late night travel option from Delhi to Manali? My flight is landing at 10pm at Delhi on 29th and by then all buses must have left. Plz suggest some option to reach Manali by next day morning.

        • Smita, this year it has been all dry, even Rohtang Pass also does not have any snow and I highly doubt Prashar will have any too. There is no or almost no snow in Uttarakhand too but that means there is good probability that snow will soon be coming. If snow happens now then snow will not go away for sure for good amount of time. So, best I can say is hope for the best 🙂

          There is a HRTC volvo that runs in the morning. You can check that on HRTC website.

      • Himanshu Singh on

        Hi Dheeraj, can you please let me know if it is feasible to go till parashar lake on Royal Enfields. Will the road be somewhat open for riding or it will be completely closed and we need to trek? I am planning to travel on 26th January 2017 and heard it is very nice snowfall this time around. When you travelled, were the roads open/safe enough in Jaunary atleast for bikes to travel till Parashar/PWD Guest house?

        • Himanshu, with current and upcoming spells of snowfall, I feel it will not be possible to take the bike all the way up to Prashar lake. Roads were not open and hence we had to trek last 10 KMs or so to reach Prashar lake. You might end up doing the same.

  9. Rohit Srivastava on

    Hello Dheeraj, I’m planning this trek on December 30th 2016. I guess i have enough info…the only info i want is:
    -Will there be enough snow at this time or should i choose to go in jan?
    -Whether i require spikes for snow coz i have heard that it could be very slippry?

    • Hi Rohit,

      1. I will suggest to choose Jan in case you want much of snow
      2. Hmm, if you have good shoes, spikes are not really required for this trek. Mostly you will be walking on road only.

  10. Hi Dheeraj,

    I am planning to go Prashar Lake Trek in coming September-October. Can you guide me on this? I am the first time trekker. Do you have any plans for this trek in the same month? Can you give me the Itinerary for this trek and also the rest details.

    • Premal, I think I replied or may be I am confused. You do not need to trek to Prashar lake in September. The buses run over there till Prashar and as well as cars/bikes go.

      • Hey Dheeraj,

        Okay. But I wanna do a small trek in the month of sept-oct, as i wanna have some diff experience. And also I’ll be doing it for the first time so think to go for a small trek first.

        • Premal, in that case you can park the car at Baggi village and from there get a local along with you to reach Prashar lake through forest trek route which is about 10 KMs. The road is 20 KMs. DO NOT go alone in forest though.

      • Suneesh Sharma on

        Hi Dheeraj,

        I am planning to go to Parashar Lake In December from 23rd till 25th.
        Can you please tell how roads would be ? I would be relying on local transport. Would be boarding Volvo from Delhi to Mandi and then local bus from Mandi to Parashar Lake. How far local bus takes ? Uptill Parashar lake or some kms before it leaves ?

        • Suneesh, the road up to Prashar lake will be closed. Bus will go up to Baggi village only at this time of the year because road will be closed to Prashar. From there get a tempo to last reachable point and then trek from the last reachable point in snow.

  11. Hi Dheeraj,

    Can i go by my bullet from Baggi village to Prashar lake or local Vehicle/taxi is only solution for terrain.

    Thanks in advance

    Pankaj Joshi

  12. inal bansal on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    We are planning to go in May 2016, please let me know the best time to visit there.

  13. surya prakash on

    Hi Dheeraj,

    Please guide me how I can reach prashar lake by public transport.

  14. Abhishek Bansal on

    Hello Dheeraj,
    I’m planning to trek on coming Sunday i.e. 24th January 2016.
    Need to ask few things
    1 The PWD rest house and Forest guest house say they are closed with bookings till April due to water problem..so is there any other place to stay up there for a night?
    2 If not, is it possible to trek up and come back the same day?

    • Abhishek, well, when you call them they will say that they are closed for bookings BUT you can call the caretaker directly and ask for the room. Through office theu will not take the booking but caretaker should be able to open. Please keep in mind that washroom will be closed so that need to be worked out open. It is possible to trek back from Prashar on the same day if you can do around 20 KM of trek in one day in snow.

      • Abhishek Bansal on

        Thanks Dheeraj for a quick response.
        Can i get the caretakers contact number if its available with you?
        And i got to know from both the rest houses that their is no snow at prasher lake this season and we can travel up the lake by our car…some help on this also please

        • Abhishek, yeah, I saw the pictures and was shocked to see no snow and cars were making all the way upto. Not a pretty sight at all 🙁 🙁

          Contact of caretaker I had but he has been shifted to somewhere else, new number dont have. But
          Dhabha caretaker: 09459360071, Deshu and 8894582008 is also dhabha owner number. They should help you get bookings done, you can tip them in return 🙂

  15. Hello Dheeraj, I’m planning this trek in December last week. My questions are-
    – Is it required to hire a guide for this trek?
    -If yes, where can we hire the same?

    • Lakshay, in case you follow the route from Road then it leads all the way up to rest houses and lake only. You do not need the guide in this case. In case you plan to trek the route from jungle, then you need a guide and anuy local from baggi village at the base of Prashar Lake mountain will take you there.

    • hey laskay , i am also planning to visit prashar in last week of december ! , letus know if have any updates further

  16. dnyaneshree on

    Hello Dheeraj,
    Your photos are extremely beautiful and article is too informative Thankyou 🙂
    I am going to Prashar lake in last week of feb. What would be the weather conditions during that time? Can you also tell me about charges of PWD or FRH ?

    • Well, weather will be extremely cold and there will be snow around Prashar Lake and you might need to trek about 10 KMs to reach up there at PWD Guest Houses. We paid around 600 per room.

      Thank you for the kind words.

  17. Hi Dheeraj,

    We 5 friends are planning to visit parashar on coming weekend 17-18th Oct.
    1. Is it fine to visit this place at this time?
    2. What kind of weather we should expect at this time of the year?
    3. At this time do we get to see any greenery at the top as I read in some posts on other portals views are not so good at this time of the year.

    Thanks

    • Hi,

      1. Yes, Prashar Lake visit is good to go at this time of the year in case you looking for offbeat though the grass will be on browner side nearby.
      2. It will be cold and you can expect around 0-2 degree C.
      3. Like I said not too much green, brownish it should be.

  18. Hi Dheeraj,

    Can we get snow in Prashar Lake in second week of April? Is it right time to visit that place?

    Also what do you recommend stay there or just to do trek and come back to down town?

    I am planning 12-17 April. I am thinking of 2 days in Manali, 3 days in Tirthan Valley and 1 day in Prashar Lake. I am accompanied by my wife and 100 year old son. Please let me know your valuable inputs.

    Sachin

    • Sachin, most of the snow at Prashar is gone and by second week the new snow will also be gone to much of an extent. Since, there will not be any snow on road, the vehicle can go all the way to the top. Your travel plan seems good to me 🙂

  19. Hi Dheeraj
    How are you? Great blog and churns interest for all travel lovers. Actually me and my friend are planning to visit Parashar Lake by the end o this month and your views will really help.
    We will be starting from Delhi by bus to Mandi and few questions arrived like wise

    *What are the medium of transport available from Mandi to Baggi village?

    *How to commute from Baggi Village to Parashar Lake, if there is any transport facility available or will have to trek?

    * Do you think we will be lucky enough to find snow up there?

    Will be glad to have your revert.

    Regards

    • Hi Dev,

      Thanks a lot, you will enjoy the trip I am sure.

      1. HRTC as well as some private buses run between Mandi and Baggi
      2. In case the road will open then some buses goes all the way up to Prashar lake. In case it is not open, you can hire some pickup from Baggi village, take some lift or trek about 9-10 KMs through shortcut. BEWARE that in case you taking shortcut, better take a local guide or local persom with you else high chances of getting lost in forest.
      3. I feel you will get snow for sure considering much late snowfall in march too.

      Regards
      Dheeraj

  20. Samiksha Verma on

    Hi Dheeraj
    Me and my friend were planning to go to Prashar on February 6-7. I just wanted to know how feasible is it to camp there during that time.
    Since there are only two of us, do you think its better to go with a group like Indiahikes or something?

    Also, your pictures are really amazing.

    • Samiksha, it will be very very cold up there at Prashar during that time. I will advice to get the PWD Rest House or Forest Rest House. There is no point shelling out money to any middlemen. Contact is present up there for the caretakers of FRH and PWD Rest House, call them up and book the room for yourself.

      Thanks for liking the pictures.

  21. Hi Dheeraj,
    is it advisable to camp in the month of Jan. I am planning to go on 24-26 jan.
    And how to book the FRH and PWD there in parashar?

    • Pawan, it will be very very cold up there and we were shivering inside the PWD Guest House room itself. In case you have experienced such a cold before then you may try else I will suggest to stay in PWD / FRH Rest Houses. In winters very few people go over and booking is closed from Mandi but considering it will be long weekend, many may come over. You can check or contact the number mentioned in the article of Deshu, DK or Ram Singh the caretaker of the rest house.

      You can call up Babloo: 9816243479 who is a local in Baagi Village owns a pickup which we hired to go up to last point till it was feasible. We called him and he came up again next day to pick us up. He will help you guide with gyaan as well as cure causes.

      Then you can check with Veer Singh FRH Prashar 09459137877, Mr dk thakur (dhaba prashar lake) 08894582008 and Ram Singh PWD Rest House guy: 09459529024

    • Devang Sethi on

      Hey Guys,
      I am also going on 24th Jan . And I have booked the forest rest house from mandi office .
      Thanks to Dheeraj, who provided the contact number of the care taker of the rest house.
      Devang

  22. Hi,

    We are planning to visit from 25-26 Jan,2014.Please suggest;
    1.Will the approach road be closed owing to Snow till Parashar?
    2.If closed where to park the vehicle?
    3.Staying arrangement near Parashar

    Thanks in advance

    • Hi Shantanu,

      A happy new year to you and your family !!

      1. Road to Prashar Lake will be closed and you will need to trek for about 11-12 KMs to reach up there in snow.
      2. Vehicle can be parked anywhere safe outside the road in jungle or any point at Baggi village from where you can get some local camper to drop you up there to the accessible point.
      3. Only FRH and PWD rest houses are there. You will need to rely on them. They will not have any water in washrooms

      Regards
      Dheeraj

  23. Nitin Rawal on

    Hey Dheeraj!! I’m planning for a New Year’s trek to Parashar. Planning to leave on 31st evening. A curious question — is there a possibility of snow at this time?? Cuz just like you said, I’d either want to go to these hills when these are lush green OR when they’re snow caped.

    Also, is there any chance we could do camping in that weather??

    Thanks in advance!

    • Nitin, last year a friend of mine traveled to Prashar Lake and found ample of snow during the new year and as you see I traveled up there after 4-5 days of new year and found this much of snow as in these articles of snow trek to Prashar lake travel tale. If you are fine with surviving the cold up there, I feel you can do the camping but it will be very cold as we were freezing inside the room itself 😀

  24. Devpriyo Bhattacharya on

    Excellent. I was there in March ’14. My travellogue is at bcmtouring.com/forum/travelogues-north-india-f61/trip-report-chindi-kullu-prashar-lake-march-2014-a-t59073/

    What a trip it was. Looking at your shots, I feel like going again. Simply amazing.

  25. Labdhi Mehta on

    Can we reach the lake via a vehicle? Or is trekking a must? Planning to visit in September last week.