Inclusions

• All veg meals during the trek. Breakfast, lunch, evening snacks, dinner.
• Camp accommodation on all the nights in high-quality tents on a triple-sharing basis. Sleeping bags, sleeping mattresses, dining tents, and cutlery included. 
• Mountaineering qualified and experienced trek leaders, guides, and experienced cooks. 
• All the necessary mountain medicine includes first aid, oxygen cylinder, etc. 
• Passes and permits.

Exclusions

• Lunch on the first day and last day. 
• Personal expenses.
• Anything not specifically mentioned in the inclusion list.
• Offloading 
• Transportation

THINGS TO CARRY

Things to carry for Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

Kashmir Great Lakes is a summer trek and is done between July to October. The gradient of the trek is moderate to difficult. It is very much essential that you carry your personal stuff after a thorough understanding and care.

Here is the guideline of what to carry while you are preparing for this trek, we will be first starting with the trek essentials. The things that you must carry.

 Backpack

If you are a first-time trekker, you need to know that for a trek like Kashmir Great Lakes you need to take enough clothing and personal stuff. Now to carry that stuff, you must carry at least one backpack of 60 liters.

Shoes

You need to have trekking shoes necessarily. The shoes must be sturdy and high-ankle with water proof. You can buy trekking shoes preferably from Decathlon which has a good series MH series for a good market price.

Clothes

• Three T-shirts

Kashmir Great Lakes is a summer trek, the sun will be out most of the day while you are trekking so carry one full sleeve dry-fit T-shirt, and at least two other T-shirts. The full sleeves will prevent your arms from sun heat and sunburn. You can choose a T-shirt with a collar. Dry fit is essential as they dry quickly and are easy to wash. The material for the T-shirts can be synthetic.

• Three insulation layers:

Even if Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is a summer trek, in the mountains weather can turn cold and it may start raining anytime. For that purpose and not allowing yourself to fall sick by cold, you are suggested to carry at least 3 insulation layers – 2 light fleece and one full sleeve sweater.

• One Outer layer:

You need at least one padded jacket to keep the cold and air insulated from your body. You do not need to carry the down jacket as it will not be freezing cold out there.

• Two trek pants

You need to carry two pairs of pants and that will be sufficient for your entire trek. As there are some river crossings and it rains at times, so pants should be of quick-dry nature.

 Trekking poles

This is one of the essentials of trekking. Trekking poles are very much helpful in giving you balance and stability while you trek. As in the mountains, there is no flat walk, you will have to traverse ascends and descends so you need poles to balance your walk. They also help you in descending and let you have less stress on your knees. Two trekking poles are always better than a single trekking pole.

Raingear

On Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, it can rain anytime. You need to carry one good rain gear that can at least hold the rainfall of about 7 hours. A poncho is a good choice over jacket type raingear, as the poncho covers your entire body till knees down and you can keep your daypack bag inside it too.

Rain cover for your backpack

Backpack carry your all the personal essentials of the trek. You either give your backpack to ponies to carry, or you carry it yourself. In both situations, you would not want your belongings to get wet and drip in rain. Buy a good rain cover for your backpack to keep it dry and safe. It also helps to keep your backpack from wear and tear.

Daypack 

In case you offload your backpack, you need to carry the daypack – a small bag of around 20 to 30 ltrs to carry your essentials like water bottle, rainwear, headlamp, snacks, etc that you will consume while walking on the trail.

Sunglasses

You need sunglasses for all kinds of treks. So do carry one to protect your eyes from glaring and UV radiation. You can drop wearing sunglasses on the days when the sun is not out and the weather is gloomy.

Suncap

A suncap prevents you from getting sunstrokes, headaches, and dehydration. It also prevents you from losing stamina for trekking. You can either get the normal suncap or suncap with flaps which is preferred by most of the trekkers and is advisable by the experts.

Synthetic hand gloves

Most of the time they won’t be used. However, in case the temperature drops sharply they come handy to keep your hands warm. You can wear them during the evenings and mornings.

Woollen cap or Balaclava

Woolen caps are mostly used during winter treks. However, you can carry one in case the temperature drops and you feel cold during the evening or morning. The cap covers your ears, neck, and some parts of your face.

Three pairs of Socks 

Take two pairs of sports socks and one pair of woolen socks. Depending upon the cold you feel, wear the type of socks accordingly. You need to get good quality socks as they will form a cushion to your feet and will make a lot more difference in your trekking experience. If you get comfy socks, they will help you in trekking smoothly.

Headlamp

You should always carry one headlamp, and always choose a headlamp over a hand torch. The headlamp gives you the freedom to keep your hands free. You will not be trekking during the night or in darkness, however, in your camping, you will need a headlamp. You might want to go to the loo during the night, or just sit and relax outside the camps, you need the headlamp

A toilet kit

Carry your toilet kit as per your requirements and hygiene. It should include things like a toothbrush, toothpaste, small soap, toilet tissue roll, a small moisturizer, lip balm, deodorant, etc. Women should carry their sanitary pads.

Waterbottle

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek has long walks every day. You will be trekking for around 6 hours every day, so carrying a water bottle is a must.

Plastic covers

Carry a few plastic bags to keep your used clothes. Sometimes when it rains your clothes get wet, you can’t mix the wet clothes with new and dry ones. So carry the plastic bag to keep the wet or used clothes in it.

Personal medical kit

Please do carry all the essential medicine. If you are on any medicine, don’t skip that during the trek unless your doctor advises. Always consult your doctor if you have any diseases that can worsen in mountains or by altitude gain.

Our trek leader will be carrying the essential mountain medicine which will include an oxygen cylinder, oximeter etc.

Mandatory Documents 

Carry your original Aadhar card or Passport or Driver’s license. Also, keep the photocopy of any of them with you always.

For Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, the tourism department of Kashmir has made a medical certificate necesssary. You need to get one medical certificate from the registered doctor mentioning that you are fit for the trek and that you have no ailments that can turn worse or fatal with the gain in altitude or in mountains. The certficate should be stamped and signed by the doctor.

Note: You need to provide your Aadhar or other registered ID along with medical fitness certificate copy before the three days of the commencement of the trek.

Lunch Box

In Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, there are long trek days. Everyday you will reach the campsite only in the afternoon, so there will be no hot lunch but packed lunch. You must buy and carry one small lunch box. Every day after breakfast, the cook will fill the lunch box with your lunch.

Policy and Terms

• If cancellations made are 30 days before the date of travel then 10.0% of the total tour cost will be charged as cancellation fees
• If cancellations are made 15 days to 30 days before the date of travel then 25.0% of the total tour cost will be charged as cancellation fees
• If cancellations are made 7 days to 15 days before the date of travel then 50.0% of the total tour cost will be charged as cancellation fees
• If cancellations are made 3 days to 7 days before the date of travel then 75.0% of the total tour cost will be charged as cancellation fees
• If cancellations are made 0 days to 3 days before the date of travel then 100.0% of the total tour cost will be charged as cancellation fees

Terms and Conditions

• Any photos or videos taken during the trip by Backpackers United's content creators or clients are owned by Backpackers United and can only be used by the company for advertising purposes. No one else can use the content for commercial use without obtaining proper permission from Backpackers United.
• Full payment for the trip must be completed before the trip begins. Failure to complete payment may result in the cancellation of the trip.
• All travellers must have a valid government-issued ID that will be verified before boarding. No boarding will be allowed without a valid ID.
• The transfer of bookings is not allowed. Only the names mentioned at the time of confirmation will be allowed to travel.
• For international travel, clients must ensure that their passport is valid for at least six months from the date of intended travel and not damaged in any way. Backpackers United is not responsible for clients who book travel with passports that do not meet this requirement. Any denial of entry at immigration or any additional cost arising from alternate arrangements for deportation must be borne by the travellers.
• No refunds will be given for any inclusions that are not utilized by the client.
• Travelers are responsible for their luggage and belongings. Backpackers United is not responsible for any damage or missing items.
• The time of departure is fixed and all travellers must report at the pickup point 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure. The air conditioning will be switched off in the hills and the driver will have the discretion to turn off the AC during the trip for safety reasons.
• Drinking and smoking are strictly prohibited during the tour. Backpackers United's tours involve physically demanding activities such as trekking and camping at high altitudes, so clients are advised to be in good physical shape.
• Backpackers United is not responsible for any accidents, bodily injury, illness, death, loss or damage to baggage or property, or any damages or claims arising from negligence or delay by any person not employed by Backpackers United.
• Any misconduct or indiscipline will not be tolerated during the tour.
• Backpackers United is not responsible for any delays or alterations to the itinerary due to natural hazards, accidents, weather conditions, landslides, political closures, or any untoward incidents.
• Backpackers United does not provide any insurance policies to cover sickness or accidents, or losses due to theft or other reasons.
• Alterations to the itinerary may be necessary due to various factors, such as weather and road conditions, and the physical ability of participants, in the interest of safety, comfort, and general well-being.