Surma Sarovar

Surma Sarovar is the far west's holiest high lake — an alpine basin at roughly 4,300 metres in upper Bajhang, beneath the unclimbed peak that carries its name. Locals call it 'Mini Kailash', and like its namesake it is a destination of faith as much as scenery.

A small stone temple at the shore belongs to Surma Devi, counted in local tradition among the sister goddesses of the Durga family. Hill ballads tell how she was banished from her sister's home and wandered the high country until she chose this lake as her seat. Her great jatra falls around Janai Purnima (August) and is traditionally held in alternate years, stewarded by the villages of the Surma valley; pilgrims walk in from across Bajhang and Darchula to bathe in the icy water, sing kirtan through the night and leave offerings at the shrine.

Getting there is a genuine expedition. From Chainpur, the district headquarters, the trail climbs for about four days through villages, herders' meadows and a high rocky pass approaching 4,900 metres before dropping to the lake. There are no lodges — this is camping country, with mule support arranged locally — and the reward is a corner of Nepal that sees a handful of outside visitors a year: wildflower meadows grazed in summer, Himalayan monal in the rhododendrons, black bear in the forest below, and the snow walls of Jethi Bahurani and the Saipal range filling the horizon.