ROOPKUND TREK

ROOP KUND TREK, A SOULFUL TREK
LOCATION:  UTTARAKHAND, INDIA

When it comes to RoopKund Trek, it covers everything for a travelling enthusiast Deep virgin forests, gurgling brooks, breath-taking campsites, miles of undulating meadows, snow and ice, and the taste of a great adventure as you climb from 8,000 ft to 16,000 ft in 4 days.

Your trek starts at Lohajung (7,700 ft), a tiny pass, in the heart of the greater Himalayan range, 85 kms from Karanprayag.

Trek Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Day (Base camp – Lohajung)

• Arrive at Kathgodam (on your own)
• Indiahikes will arrange transport from Kathgodam to Lohajung at 6.30 am. The cost of this will have to be borne by the trekkers.
• The journey to Lohajung will take around 11 hours.
• After team briefing, camp over night at Lohajung.

Day 2: Lohajung to Ghaeroli Patal

• Start the day with an hour’s drive to Wan
• From Wan, trek for 4 hours to Gaheroli Patal.
• The trail is a combination of steep ascents and short descents.
• The bridge over Neel Ganga is a beautiful place to relax during the trek.
• The second half of the trek is through lovely oak and rhododendron forests.
• Reach Ghaeroli Patal by late noon and camp there.

Day 3: Ghaeroli Patal to Bedni Bughyal

• Start leisurely. The day consists of just 2-3 hours of trekking.
• The initial half hour is a steep descent through forests, at the end of which you emerge into a meadow called Ali Bughyal.
• From Ali Bughyal, it’s a pleasant walk through acres and acres of meadows.
• The trail switches back towards the end of the day’s trek. From here, Bedni Bughyal is an hour away.
• It takes around 3 hours to cover around 5 km.
• Camp over night at Bedni Bughyal.

Day 4: Bedni Bughyal to Pathar Nachauni

• Today’s trek is an easy climb following by a gradual descent to Pathar Nachauni.
• It takes 4 hours to cover the distance.
• There are two routes. One requires you to trace back the previous day’s trail for ten minutes and continue on that trail. The other trail is from your campsite.
• You can visually trace the second trail from your campsite for 3 km until it disappears into a saddle in the mountain.
• Walk along this trail. Ghora Lotani is a good place to relax.
• On a clear day, the view from this trail is beautiful. You’ll also begin to see the first traces of winter snow.
• From Ghora Lotani, Pathar Nachauni is a short climb away. It is at the foot of the hill that holds the Kalu Vinayak Temple.
• Camp at Pathar Nachauni for the night.

Day 5: Pathar Nachauni to Bhagwabhasa

• Today’s trek will take a total of 5 hours.
• It starts off with a flat walk, followed by a steep ascent to Kalu Vinayak Temple and then a gradual descent to Bhagwabhasa.
• The air gets thinner by the minute, so ascend as slow as possible, to acclimatise better.
• Just as you finish the climb from Ghora Lotani, you’ll reach Kalu Vinayak Temple, where there’s a shrine with a black idol of Lord Ganesha in it.
• Bhagwabhasa is 2 km from here, following an easy, gradual descent.
• There will be snow on this trail. By June, this snow might be slippery.
• Reach Bhagwabhasa and camp there. The nights get extremely cold and windy. Keep warm clothes in handy.

Day 6: Bhagwabhasa to Roopkund, further up to Junargali and back to Pathar Nachauni

• Today’s trek is a long and tough one. Start early at 5 am to walk on fresh snow.
• The climb to Roopkund is a 5 km-long gradual ascent with a few steep gradients in between and in the end. It takes about 3 hours to reach Roopkund.
• Roopkund is a crater lake at a dip in the mountain face. It is at 16,500 feet. You have to climb down 50 feet to reach the edge of the lake.
• From Roopkund, if the weather permits, climb to Junargali.
• Junargali is a sharp ridge line that towers over Roopkund. It’s a 20 minute climb, but on a very steep surface. You may need ropes.
• Start your return by 9.30 am. It takes 3 hours to reach Bhagwabhasa.
• Stop for lunch at Ghora Lotani and head down to Pathar Nachauni.
• Camp at Pathar Nachauni for the night.

Day 7: Pathar Nachauni to Lohajung

• Today’s trek will take around 7 hours.
• You’ll be trekking from Pathar Nachauni all the way to Wan, and then driving for an hour to Lohajung.
• The trek is through the meadows of Bedni Bughyal and then through the forests over Wan.
• Watch out for a deviation from the route you took earlier. Instead of going from Bedni Bughyal to Ali Bughyal, you’ll be directly taking a right turn and entering the treeline.
• Pause to take in the view at Ghairoli Patal, from where you get astounding views of Mt.Trishul.
• Stop at the bridge over Neel Ganga, where you can quickly wash up.
• From the bridge, it’s a half hour climb to Wan and a further one and a half hour’s descent to Kasar Bagad, where you meet the road.
• Drive to Lohanjung and camp there for the night.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Difficulty Moderate-Difficult. 

Trail typeCircular; returns to base camp.

AltitudeRoopkund: 15,750 feet (4,800 mts). Junargali 16,000 ft (4,878 mts, highest point)

Rail headKathgodam. You can reach Kathgodam by an overnight journey from Delhi. Ranikhet express leaves Old Delhi station at 10.40 in the night to get to Kathgodam by 6.30 in the morning. Indiahikes pick up is lined up with the Ranikhet Express.

Base CampVillage Lohajung (Chamoli District, Uttarakhand)

Best SeasonMay 3rd week to June end; Mid September to October end.

Temperature in May, JuneDay: 15° to 20°C. Night: 4° to 7°C. Temp at highest camp, Bhagwabasa: Day 5°C to 10°C. Night: 3° to -2°C.

RainsRainy season is from the second week of July to mid September. May/June is not the rainy season but afternoon showers are very common in the mountains. These are not the monsoon rains.

Temperature in Sept and OctDay: 13° to 20°C. Night: 2° to 7°C. Temp at highest camp, Bhagwabasa: Day 3°C to 10°C. Night: 3° to -4°C.

SnowHigh snow in May from Kalu Vinayak onwards. Decreases in June. Comfortable snow during the last half of June. September has little snow. In the first week of October, the first winter snow is likely to fall in the upper reaches. Usually melts in a few days.

PreparationPhysical preparation mandatory.