Roopkund Trek

Duration : 7 Night 8 Days

Roopkund is situated at the ht. of 5029 mts, in the lop of trisul massif this is usually called the “MY STERY LAKE ” since human skeletons and the remains of horses were found here the lake, surrounded by rock strewn glaciers and snow clad peaks is magnificent and an chanting the Mystery lake of Roopkund has brought here many a besotted treveller since the discovery of human skeletons in the lake and the glaciers descending in to it tor many years the origin of the skeletons remained a mystery some thought it to be the remains of general Zorawar’s army that lost its way while returning from Tibet. But the popular belief, narrated in the folk traditians a bout the pilgrimage to nanda devi undertaken by raja pasdhawal his wife the Garhwali priness rani balampa, who perished in a hailstorm. At turangali appears to be closer to the truth e specially since the corbom dating of the skeleton and its anthropological studies point forwards the authenticity of this fock- core

DAY 01
After breakfast, we drive to Kaldu Bugar which is about 5 Km after Karanprayag. On the way we first cross Devprayag, site where the Alaknanada meets the Bhagirathi to move ahead as Ganga. The road then follows the Alaknanda River up to Karanprayag. On arrival we check in to a hotel by the river and run by The Garhwal Vikas Nigam (GMVN).

Day 02
At around 7am we begin our 5 hour journey drive to Loh Jung and then follow the Pindar River up to Tharali. The road conditions are good until Karnprayag, thereafter which there are often rough sections to Mandoli- but we don’t have to worry too much about these conditions as soon we start trekking down into Gyan Ganga valley. For the initial two hours, this walk will take you through rhododendron and oak forest with a steep downhill road by the side of the river after we which we climb up to Didana to set up our camps for the overnight stoppage.
Day 03
Today starts with a serious uphill section through the forest. In about 3 hours you will reach the tree line from where if the weather allows you will be able to catch a spectacular view of the Chaukhamba and Nilkanth peaks. At this point we are on a grassy ridge leading to the meadows of Bedni Bugyal. This high meadow is the main area used for camping by travelers on the great pilgrimage to Roop Kund which takes place every 12 years. It is a beautiful and interesting place dotted with shrines and temples and the alpine camp here rivals the best in the Himalayas as well as the wildflowers in the meadows remain in bloom until mid September and are also magnificent during the monsoon months of July and August. In the morning there will be a tremendous view of Trishul above the Shilasamudra glacier, as well as Nilkanth to the north-west. Overnight camp after a strenuous trek of 5 - 6 hours.
Day 04
We take this day for acclimatization for which we trek higher for almost 5 hours and then drop back to the camp at Badni Bugyal meadow. You will feel much more comfortable with the air once you have finished this drill and can comfortably end the day at the camp. Day 5
The 5 hour trail crosses a hump to reach Bistola and then climbs up to Bhugu Basa- an improvised stone shelter that is generally used by local pilgrims. Frankly compared to the beauty of Badni Bugyal it is hard to imagine that this coarse stone structure made as makeshift shelter points could exist in this close vicinity the lower alpine meadows. Never the less we stop here for an overnight camp.

Day 6
If the weather is clear in the morning then you will be lucky enough to get a good view of the Trishul peak and the other mountains around. An arduous trek of about 3 hours gets you to Roop Kund. At Roop Kund, if the snow is not too deep, the mysterious skeletons and remains of human beings and horses can be seen, as detailed in the books of Shipman and Tilman. There are also great views of the surrounding glaciers and high peaks. The lake in itself is very scenic and peaceful and is worth following the trail which is often snow covered till early June, making route finding a problem. Even post monsoons, there are some steep, rocky sections which may require a bit of scrambling. We hike another 30 minutes or so up to the ridge above the lake to explore the area and return back to Bhagu Basa for an overnight camp.

Day 7
The route from here is different than the standard trek to allow a shorter itinerary. Our day begins with a 3-hour return trek to Badni Bugyal - a long steep descent through a fine forest of firs and rhododendrons and across a beautiful clearing. After another drop down, we reach the river which is a good place for lunch. The latter part of the day is another 4-5 hours of walking and is spent in climbing upwards to reach the main valley, and onward to Wan village which lies at the head of this valley. We camp above the village on a wide tree lined terrace with the sacred grove of Latu just above us. Latu, again is another one of the local devta (spirit) here and his temple is built right under one of these huge Deodar trees. You will be pleasantly amused to see that the villagers at Wana have not lost their traditions and still wear the brown, home spun Garhwali wool blanket across their chest. This is just one of the many Garhwali traditions you will get to experience firsthand during this expedition.

Day 8
A well built road is connected to the village Wan from the other side and we simply have to walk down for roughly 4 hours to the vehicles lined there to drive (10 hours) back to Rishikesh, which marks the end of this trek.

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Roopkund Trek