Patlian Lake

Patlian lake is a high-altitude bowl 3.5 hours drive from Lawat town, Neelum Valley.

• The lake freezes over in November and thaws in March every year.
• There was a time when the whole lake used to be covered in snow all year round but the effects of global warming are quite visible now.
• The temperature at Patlian Top stays around 9 ⁰ Celsius during peak summers, so do bring along your thermal inners and jackets.
• Patlian Lake is at 3700 meters altitude which is around 12100 feet in height.
• At this height, you do feel out of breath, if you are not fit enough.
• To get to Patlian, you’d have to hire a local jeep from Lawat town, right on the Neelum Valley Road.
• You can drive about 20 minutes up to upper lawat town and then go off-road to Patlian, but I would not recommend it as the road has many tight turns and no protection on the sides.
• The local driver and their jeeps are adapted to these tight roads.
• Then you have Indian troops right across the Neelum River watching your every move till the time you reach Lawat Bala.
• Anyone that looks suspicious in a weird-looking car is fired upon – so don’t try to get your goose cooked.
• The best thing I liked about Patlian lake is the blue and pink high-altitude flowers that flutter in the breeze and give off a unique and pure scent that you do not get anywhere in the real world.
• Then the lake itself gets bluer as the winter approaches.