Ice Lake / Kicho

For this side trip, you start off by walking past the Bhraka gompa and the old settlement of Bhraka. After you cross the settlement of Bhraka you follow the faint trail towards the east. 10 minutes after the turn to the east, the trail will take a sharp turn towards the north and thus your tough walk to the Ice lake begins. Your climb should be easy if you follow the blue and white stone markers. They are the secondary New Annapurna Trekking Trail (NATT) trail markers. After the first 45 minutes of your walk you will come across your first flat land with some devals paying tributes to the dead people around. You will come across one more flat land like this with devals which will give you the false hope of having reached your destination. After some 3-4 such flat lands that give you false hope you will finally make it to the Ice lake. Warning again! The first lake that you see is not the ice lake proper. Another bigger lake is just a little further away. So yes, there are two lakes above the 4500 m mark. The second much bigger lake is the lake that every trekker drools for. We suggest you not to take this side trip during winter and during snowfalls as the route to the Ice lake can be very very slippery and dangerous. So be very well prepared if you are willing to take the risk of seeing the lake in its frozen state. This side trip is perfect for acclimatization purpose and is well worth the 4-5 hours hike. You need to be really well prepared for this side trip as it will take up a chunk of your time and energy to reach the lake. Take a lunch pack with you as there won't be anything on the way or at the lake that will help kill your hunger. Also, energy bars will definitely help. And surely we don't need to remind you to take your water bottles. And no points for guessing why it's named Ice Lake either the alternative name being Kicho Tal (Tal translates to lake). You will not come across any thick vegetation but rather sparse shrubs and barren lands during the summer seasons and in winter all you will see is snow. Once you reach Ice lake you will be blessed with beautiful panoramic view of Annapurna III, Gangapurna, Singhu Chuli and other smaller mountains. If your luck favors you can have some yak milk by paying the yak shepherds who live just beside the lake. Usually, they are there during grazing seasons making ghee from yak milk. On your way back look around as you will see glorious view of Manang and the Gangapurna lake. You will also be able to spot some other small lakes as well. The view of the landscapes and the mountains will definitely make your trip back a lot more relaxing. Altitude: 4627 m/ 15180 ft Lunch pack: necessary!