Sangetsar Lake
A glacial lake above four thousand metres north of Tawang, full of the dead trees the 1971 earthquake drowned — and reachable only on a permit the army grants on the day, or does not.
Sangetsar
North of Tawang, on the road toward the frontier, a string of glacial lakes sits above four thousand metres in country that was fought over in 1962 and that remains militarily sensitive. Sangetsar is the best known of them, and it is unmistakable: an earthquake in 1971 altered the drainage and drowned a stand of trees, whose bare trunks still stand out of the water. It is widely called Madhuri Lake after a film shot there, which is how most drivers will refer to it. Reaching it requires a permit beyond the ordinary Inner Line one, granted by the army on the day of travel, and it is refused whenever the border situation or the weather requires — which is not infrequent. No itinerary can promise this excursion, and the package that names it does not: it states plainly what fills the day instead when the answer is no.
Explore Sangetsar Lake on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What to see
A high lake full of dead trees, and a great deal of very high country to get to it.
The lake
- The drowned trees standing out of the water, which are the result of the 1971 earthquake and are what makes it unmistakable.
- The water itself, which is glacial and changes colour with the light.
- The bowl it sits in, above four thousand metres and bare of everything except grass and rock.
The road
- The climb north from Tawang through high pasture, past other lakes in the same string.
- The military presence, which is continuous and is the reason for the permit.
- Yaks and the summer grazing settlements, which are seasonal.
If it is refused
- The Tawang valley villages, which the package names as the alternative programme.
- The Gorsam Chorten, a large stupa to the north-east, which is the other substitute named.
- Both are worth a day in their own right rather than being consolation.
Getting there
A permit first, a long climb second, and neither is guaranteed.
The permit
- A further permit beyond the Inner Line Permit is required, and it is granted by the army on the day.
- It is refused whenever the border situation or the weather requires, and no operator can override that.
- Your operator applies; you cannot arrange it yourself and it cannot be secured in advance.
The journey
- North from Tawang on a rough high road, climbing steadily above four thousand metres.
- A full day out and back, and it is a hard one.
- A vehicle and driver authorised for the route, which is not any vehicle.
Conditions
- Snow closes the road for much of the year and can close it at short notice in any month.
- The window is broadly May to October and is narrower than that in practice.
- Weather at four thousand metres changes within an hour.
When to visit
When the permit is granted and the road is open, which is the whole answer.
Time of year
- May to October is the window in which the road is passable at all.
- Even within it, snow can close the route at short notice.
- Outside it the excursion does not run.
Time of day
- Early start, because it is a full day and the weather deteriorates through the afternoon at this altitude.
- Permits are collected in the morning before departure.
- Being back down before evening is the standard arrangement.
How long
- A full day, out and back from Tawang.
- An hour or so at the lake, which is as much as anyone should spend above four thousand metres.
- The rest of the day is the road.
Visitor intelligence
The one excursion in this package that genuinely may not happen, and it is planned for accordingly.
It is not promised
- Treat the day as conditional from the outset. The itinerary that includes it does exactly that.
- A refusal is a border or weather decision, not a failure of the operator, and it is not appealable.
- The alternative programme — the valley villages and the Gorsam Chorten — is a good day in its own right.
Altitude
- Above four thousand metres, having already spent nights at three thousand.
- Move slowly at the lake, keep the stop short, and descend if anyone develops a headache or nausea.
- This is not the day to be dismissive about altitude.
Security
- This is a sensitive frontier area with a continuous military presence.
- Photography of installations, personnel and convoys is prohibited. Ask before photographing anything that is not scenery.
- Carry your permit and identification and expect them to be checked more than once.
Comfort
- Extremely cold and windy at the lake in any season; the sun is fierce at the same time.
- There are no facilities of any kind up there. Everything you need goes in the vehicle.
- The road is rough and the day is long; it is tiring in a way the distance does not convey.
Frequently asked
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