Hike to Bhardwaj Lake in Haryana

the crystal blue Bhardwaj Lake 

How outdoorsy a person, are you?As for yours truly, I am almost there of being out of doors. 😉

camels carrying loads 

It was through the Facebook post of DelhibyCycle page, I had come to know about the proposed hike to Bhardwaj Lake in Asola Wildlife Sanctuary. Asola Wildlife Sanctuary is a forested area on the Delhi-Haryana border. DelhibyCycle was started by a Dutchman Mr Jack Leeners. You can check their FB page. The travel freak in me immediately grabbed the opportunity to go on this hike. With this on mind, I hurriedly emailed to inform Mr Jack Lenners of my intention to join the hike. As mails were sent and received back and forth, my participation was finally confirmed.

As the morning for the proposed hike dawned, to my great relief I woke up early. Waking up early at the crack of dawn specially on weekends is the biggest challenge for a non-morning person like me. Always a typical late riser! The challenge becomes even tougher in the winter months. The night before the hike had a tough time dealing with the inevitable thought of whether I will be able to wake up early to go for the hike or not. Also, I don't wanna give the impression of being a latecomer and keep everybody waiting.

Without any further delay, I arrived on time at Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, where everybody were supposed to assemble. It must be mentioned the meeting point was far from my flat in Lajpat Nagar. Thankfully the autowalla brought me safe and sound to the exact spot. As I got out from the auto, I realized a motley bunch of people were already assembled and animated conversation was going on amongst them. They all turned out to be mostly foreigners. Initially I felt a bit shy. Typical me! I brushed aside my damn shyness and approached the group and asked for Mr Jack Leeners, our guide for the day as well as the organiser of today's hike. I introduced myself to Mr Jack and we got talking. He is ever so smiling and so warm.

The group consisted of sixteen adults and six kids. Without further ado, we finally set off in four different vehicles around 9:15 a.m. After about a fifteen minute drive through the smooth Surajkund Road, we arrived at Kant Enclave. The vehicles were parked somewhere here and from there we made an entry to Asola Wildlife Sanctuary.

the trail route to Bhardwaj Lake 

Well not to appear or sound too cliché, but the group were excited to be outdoors and do hiking. The weather was perfect neither very hot nor very cold. The silence was broken only by the chirping of the birds as we walked through the trails with lots of thorny bush plants (kikar). The Asola Wildlife Sanctuary is mostly a thorny bush plants (kikar) forest. Its leaves are small.

big rocks/boulders along the trail route 

the hikers negotiating the big rock/boulders

as we climb a hillock 

A mixture of sand, gravel, pebble, and rock surfaces characterized the trail route. It wasn't a proper or a well-marked route. The soil of the Aravalli Hills is red and grainy. As we hiked deeper and deeper into the hills through the narrow trail, we had to negotiate carefully the thorny bush plants, climb small hills, and encounter big boulders on the way. It was fun and challenging tackling those boulders on the way. Our shoes were covered in mud, but it hardly bothered anyone. While chatting with the fellow hikers, I realised majority of them were Dutch and so mostly from Netherlands. One of the guys was from France and another girl was from Singapore. And the rest were Indians i.e. three of us.

It was great to see the place clean with no trace of trash anywhere. Around 11:00 we halted for a short break at the top of a flat hillock. Everyone bought some snacks and fruits. We shared and ate and rested for a while. The kids were having so much fun. Their energy was on full display. The view from the top is beautiful.

the hillock offered good views 

a short break of eating and resting at the hillock 

roll, roll down the hillock 😀

We resumed the hike after the short break. We had to climb down from the hillock. The soil was grainy. As we descended through the grainy soil, our shoes sank deep into it. 😁 The kids simply slided down. Mr Jack ran all the way from the top to the bottom through it.

first view of Bhardwaj Lake from top of the ridge

one for the memories at Bhardwaj Lake 

hikers admiring the view of Bhardwaj Lake from the top of the ridge

We hiked further on along the trail. We then reached a cliff. What a surprise awaited us at the cliff! The first visual of the beautiful Bhardwaj Lake from the cliff was a WOW moment! It's for the first time I have seen such a crystal blue lake and that too in NCR. The water shimmered in the rays of the shining sun. We half circled our way to the lake. Again we had to climb down from one side of the cliff. We landed on the sandy shore of the lake. The pristine lake looked more beautiful from close at hand. The water was very cold. A cool breeze was blowing from the lake. There were a few migratory birds wading peacefully in the lake. The pet dog of Mr Jack enjoyed its moment in the cold water of the lake.

sandy bank of Bhardwaj Lake

up close with Bhardwaj Lake  

water lapping the shore

doggo had its fun at Bhardwaj Lake 

hikers enjoying on the sandy bank of Bhardwaj Lake 

Bhardwaj Lake is a man-made lake formed as a result of unchecked mining in the areas. The lakes were open pits once upon a time and it got eventually filled up with groundwater and rain water. Mr Jack informed us that there are a few more such man-made lakes nearby. A few more photos of Bhardwaj Lake given below.

notice the thorny bush plants (kikar)

once upon a time it was an empty mine pit

Bhardwaj Lake 

Wished we had stayed longer at this beautiful place! But as usual we had to leave and come back to civilisation. It took us nearly three hours and a half in total for the hike and exploration of the limestone lakes. The hike had been a great experience and a much needed workout for the lethargic body in the beautiful surrounding of the Aravalli Hills. Our hike came to an end by 1:00 p.m. While returning we spotted an animal (can't exactly remember what it is called...was it antelope, because it was black in colour and tall)🤔 while exiting the sanctuary in the vehicle.

time to say goodbye to Bhardwaj Lake 

Throughout the hike, Mr Jack and his wife, Mrs Noreen kept enquiring, "How are you doing...how are you finding the hike...are you finding it easy or difficult to hike...are you tired...so on". I felt good both of them took great care of all of us besides managing their three kids. Mr Jack said, "The most important thing is to be outdoors and to enjoy the beautiful nature." And that's exactly what we did on that particular Sunday morning besides bringing back with us memories of grainy sand, thorny bush plants, and the mesmerizing visuals of Bhardwaj Lake.

I hope the netizens of NCR come and explore these lakes which is located in their own backyard. When you do come to hike here then:

• wear sturdy walking shoes
• wear appropriate hiking clothes
• bring something to eat and water/juices to drink 
• keep the place clean, don't trash, and bring back your trash to the city and dispose it properly
• Oh yes, better come in groups. Don't venture out here alone. 

If you are at a loss what to do during the lazy weekends in Delhi and NCR, then the above mentioned hike to Bhardwaj Lake in Haryana is the apt answer.

Thank you for stopping by!
Happy Travelling feet!

Hiked on: 16 February 2014

©All content and images are copyright of Hema Hazarika (thehaflonggirl).