Chitta Katha Lake and Shounter Lake sit in the same Shounter Valley system above Kel, but they ask very different things of a visitor. Shounter Lake is a jeep ride and a short walk; Chitta Katha is a jeep ride followed by a genuine multi-day trek at nearly 4,000 metres. If you're trying to decide which one fits your trip, the gap in effort is the main thing to weigh.
This guide compares how hard each is to reach, the altitude involved, what camping looks like, and how the scenery differs.
| Shounter Lake | Chitta Katha Lake | |
|---|---|---|
| Altitude | About 3,100 metres | About 4,000 metres |
| How you reach it | Jeep from Kel, then a short walk | Jeep to Upper Domel, then a 4 to 8 hour trek |
| Distance from Kel | About 50 km by jeep | Jeep to Domel, then roughly 20 km round trip on foot |
| Can it be a day trip? | Yes, from Kel | Not comfortably; usually 2 days with a camp |
| Difficulty | Easy once you're off the jeep | Moderate to hard trek |
| Guide needed | Not essential | Strongly advisable |
Getting there
Shounter Lake is reached the way most of Shounter Valley is: a rough jeep track from Kel, then a short walk over open ground to the shore. Our Shounter Lake guide covers the drive and the walk in full. Nobody needs trekking experience for this; it's a demanding drive followed by an easy stroll.
Chitta Katha Lake asks for two distinct stages, covered in our Chitta Katha Lake trek guide: a four-to-five hour jeep ride from Kel to Upper Domel, then a trek of four to eight hours on foot from there to the lake, over narrow sections, lingering snow patches and stream crossings. This is a proper trek, not an extension of the drive.
Altitude and how it feels
Shounter Lake, at around 3,100 metres, is high enough to feel noticeably colder and thinner-aired than Kel, but it sits well below the altitude where sickness becomes a real concern for most visitors. Chitta Katha, at roughly 4,000 metres, is high enough that altitude is a genuine factor: breathlessness, headaches and fatigue are common even for reasonably fit trekkers, and the trek there should be treated with the same caution as any high-altitude route.
Camping
At Shounter Lake, camping is possible but most visitors treat it as a day trip from Kel, given how much shorter the approach is. At Chitta Katha, camping is closer to necessary: the round trip on foot, combined with the altitude, makes a single very long push physically demanding, and most groups camp either at Upper Domel or beside the lake itself and split the trek over two days. Bring your own gear either way; nothing is available to hire once you leave Kel, and nights at this altitude are cold even in August.
The scenery
Both lakes sit above the treeline, framed by bare mountain slopes and open pasture rather than forest, and both are fed by snowmelt with water that reflects the surrounding peaks when the wind drops. Shounter Lake is the gentler of the two: open, accessible, with meadows around it that make for an easy walk along the shore. Chitta Katha sits in starker, higher country, and the effort of reaching it is part of what visitors describe as the reward: a genuinely remote high lake that very few day-trippers ever see.
Who should choose which
Shounter Lake suits families with older children, first-time visitors to the Shounter Valley system, and anyone who wants a memorable high-altitude lake without committing to a multi-day trek. It works well as a single long day out from Kel.
Chitta Katha Lake suits fit, experienced trekkers who are comfortable with altitude, uneven terrain and at least one night camping, and who have the time for a two-day trip rather than a rushed day out. It is not the right choice for beginners, young children, or anyone without previous experience trekking above 3,500 metres.
Can you do both on the same trip?
Not really as a single outing, since they need different vehicles, timeframes and levels of commitment. If your schedule allows it, doing Shounter Lake as a day trip from Kel and, on a separate visit with proper planning, attempting the Chitta Katha trek is the more realistic way to see both.
Frequently asked questions
Which is easier, Chitta Katha Lake or Shounter Lake?
Shounter Lake, by a wide margin. It's a jeep ride and a short walk, while Chitta Katha needs a genuine multi-day trek at nearly 4,000 metres.
Can Shounter Lake be done in a day from Kel?
Yes, with an early start and good conditions, allowing a full day for the drive, time at the lake and the return.
Do I need to camp to see Chitta Katha Lake?
Not strictly, if a group is fit enough to manage the round trip in a single very long day, but most visitors camp at Upper Domel or the lake and split the trek over two days.
Which lake is higher?
Chitta Katha Lake, at roughly 4,000 metres, against about 3,100 metres for Shounter Lake.
Is a guide necessary for either?
Not essential for Shounter Lake, though a driver who knows the track is. For Chitta Katha, a guide is strongly advisable given the altitude, the lack of clear waymarking and changing conditions such as snow patches and stream levels.
Is it safe to visit this part of the valley?
Kel and the Shounter Valley system above it lie close to the Line of Control between Pakistan and Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistani visitors travel here each season, but the UK government currently advises against travel within roughly 10 miles of the LoC, which covers this area, and that can affect travel insurance for overseas visitors. Check recent local news and current advice before setting out, especially before attempting the Chitta Katha trek.
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