Gahar Lake

Gahar lies at about 2,400 metres in a basin in the Oshtorankuh range of the central Zagros, a freshwater lake around two kilometres long with clear cold water, surrounded by peaks rising to well over four thousand metres and by alpine meadow. There is no road: the approach is a walk of several hours from the trailheads at Tio or Kamandan, or by mule, and there is nothing at the lake but camping ground, which keeps it as it is. Trout live in the water. The area is a protected zone within the Oshtorankuh reserve. Snow closes the route for much of the year and lies in the corries into early summer, so the season is short. Nomadic Bakhtiari herders bring flocks to the surrounding pastures.

History

The first person known to have recorded the lake was the Austrian geologist A. Rudler, in 1888, and the English traveller Isabella Lucy Bishop, who explored the area for three months in 1890, made it known to Europeans; the oldest known photograph of it dates from 1891. The lake was most likely formed by a landslide set off by movement on the main Zagros fault (Wikipedia, Gahar Lake).

What's there

• A clear lake at 2,400 metres - cold water in a mountain basin.
• Oshtorankuh peaks - summits above four thousand metres around it.
• Alpine meadow and herders - Bakhtiari flocks on the summer pastures.
• Camping at the water - the only accommodation there is.

When to go

June to September; snow closes the route the rest of the year. Two days minimum, camping at the lake. A guide and proper equipment are needed. Nights are cold even in midsummer.

Things to know

This is a genuine mountain trek with several hours of walking each way at altitude and no facilities at all. Litter left by campers is a serious and growing problem. Weather changes fast. Permits or registration are sometimes required for the protected area.

Nearby

Dorud is the usual base; Bisheh waterfall lies west on the railway.

Key facts