India Tours
Duration: 08 Days - 07 Nights
Best Time: April – June
On arrival at Kathgodam, proceed towards Loharjung. From Kathgodam, you will travel through the scenic hilly routes in order to reach your destination. On arriving in this little village, find your lodging and rest for the day.
Roopkund trek begins near the bus stand of the town. You start climbing from an altitude of 10,500 feet and walk through a picturesque forest comprising Himalayan cedar and oak trees. After an easy walk for about 2.5 hours, you will reach the spot called Ruan Bagad, where you cross an old bridge across the Neel Ganga River.
Alternatively, you can also take the road through Wan village, and on the way along this route, you pass by the village of Kulling. From here, the steepness of the trail towards Ruan Bagad increases, which continues till you reach Didna. The hike from Ruan Bagad to Didna village, despite its tough terrain, takes only about 1.5 hours.
Continue Roopkund trekking after waking up early in the morning and climbing to Ali Bugyal. There are two routes that you can take to reach your destination. You can either climb the mountains directly or take a detour and continue through Tolpani. The first route is difficult due to the high gradient of the climb while the other one can take two hours more than the former. Whichever way you choose, you should try to reach Ali Bugyal by noon to behold the enchanting views of Nanda Ghunti and Trishul peaks.
Today being the fourth day of your trek, you will feel a little tired. So, you can sleep in just a bit more than usual and start out later than usual. Your destination for the day is Ghora Lotani which is a great camping spot. On you way through picturesque locations, you will reach Patat Nacholi, an unused vast piece of land. For the day, you will be making a climb from 12,500 ft to 14,500 ft. So, the change in weather and altitude are likely to take a toll on your body. There will be exertion from the climb as well. However, the support from your trek mates and the breathtaking beauty around you will give you all the strength you need. After a journey of 10 kms, you will reach Ghora Lotani. Sleep on time for tomorrow is going to be an important day of your trek.
The ensuing stage of this Roopkund trek is relatively tougher because of the considerable gain in altitude. As you will enter an area of high elevation, you will need to take all necessary precautions to avoid altitude sickness. Hiking up a zigzag path, you reach the temple of Kalu Vinayak, which houses an idol of Lord Ganesha. The temple is constructed by arranging irregular pebbles and bricks atop each other. You may stop here and pray to the deity for good luck before hiking further.
Up here, you can enjoy the stupendous views of Chaukhamba, Neelkanth and Hathi peaks. Depending on the season, you will find snow here as the terrain becomes a little harder. At a short distance from here is located the campsite of Bhagubasa. Reach the campsite and acclimatize yourself to the altitude. Overnight stay in tents.
Multiple checkpoints today to cross on what will seem like a long day. You will be walking around 15 kms in a duration of 10-15 hours. It is a crucial day which will begin with you heading out for Roopkund Lake at 1600 ft, the highest you will get on this trek.
Starting out from Bhagwabasa, your first checkpoint is Chirianag (translated to snake like ladder) which will lead you to the mystery lake. On a lucky day, standing at the edge of the lake, you can look at hundreds of human skeleton pieces. This view alone is chilling and makes the long trek so worth it. From here on, the steep climb and rugged terrain will lead you to Nanda Devi temple, a picture perfect spot. This temple lies close to the Nanda Devi Biosphere.
Climbing up to Junargalli (16,700 ft) is optional. It is a steep climb and will take you 45 minutes on a good weather day.
On the return journey, you will be passing the cave of Bhagwabasa or ‘abode of the tiger’. Walk down to reach Patal Nauchaniya and from here; walk back through Ghora Lotani back to Bedni Bugyal.
It will have been a long day of trekking so you would sleep like a child at night in your camps.
Rise up today to trek down the gorgeous meadows, forest sections of pine, rhododendron and oak to reach a village called Wan. The village is overlooked by a lot of hills and mountains on the edges. Interact with locals and visit the temple here. The trek ends here. The distance of descent covered today is approx 18 kms and will take around 10 hours or less.
Once in Wan, drive back to Loharjung from here. Once arrived, spend the night in tents at the beautiful campsite.
After breakfast, drive back to Kathgodam railway station. Carry mint and tablets to prevent nausea. The trip ends here.