A trek to Kapuche lake: Out of place and out of time–in the time of global warming

Standing in front of Nepal’s lowest glacial lake, I could not help but wonder how global warming affected Nepal’s glaciers and the Himalayas. The Kapuche lake, around two decades ago, was a full-fledged glacier. But, as years went by, due to increasing temperatures, the ice melted creating a turquoise lake and giving rise to yet another trekking destination for both domestic and foreign trekkers.

Kapuche is remote, located at the base of the Annapurnas. The path to the lake is not the easiest. It goes up and down several hills. One has to walk past one jungle after another to get to the lowest glacial lake in the country. There is even a section where a landslide has whipped out an entire section of the jungle, which makes you wonder who was the first to walk this treacherous path and why.