Jumla and Rara lies northwest of Kathmandu in the remote area of Karnali. The route is very much 'off the beaten track' and affords glimpses of cultures and scenery very different from the rest of Nepal. The clear, high altitude lake is ringed with pine, spruce and juniper forests, and mirrors snowcapped Himalayan peaks. In summer rainfall is low, ideal for trekking. In the winter there is often snow on the ridge surrounding the lake but the autumn season trekker is rewarded with a profusion of alpine flowers. Except for the army assigned to the park, nobody has lived at the lake since the government resettled the people of Rara and Chapra when the area was declared a national park.