Trekking has been one of the most exciting and thrilling adventures for mountain lovers. Whether you love extreme adventure or love mountains, trekking is the best rejuvenating feeling for all. India is home to some of the most beautiful mountain ranges and trekking adventures, and one such trek that is loved by many people is RoopKund. The one who traveled to Roopkund would agree that it’s one of the best treks in India. Whether you trek to Roopkund or not, it’s worth it every time. Roopkund, popularly known as Mystery lake in Uttarakhand, has some breathtaking views that take away all your tiredness of the trek. Do you want to know more? Let’s find out everything about RoopKund Trek.
Brief: Roopkund is one of the most beautiful treks you can go to, located in Uttarakhand, which lies near Trishul massif. Roopkund is popularly known for Roopkund lake also called mystery lake because numerous human skeletons were found near the edge of the lake. Lake is surrounded by snow-clad mountains and rock-strewn glaciers with a route passing through Ali & Bedni. Throughout the trek, you will get to experience some amazing views and breathtaking visuals of peaks such as Neelkantha, Kedarnath, Chaukhamba, and Nanda Ghunti. The campsite and amazing sights that trekkers, mountaineers, or adventure enthusiasts must experience.
Highlights:
Throughout the trek, trekkers will be blessed with breathtaking views and will get to explore some amazing natural wonders such as:
- Mysterious Human Skeleton lake where humans and animals were buried long years ago in the snow.
- Explore the lush alpine meadows of Ali Buhyal and Bedni Bugyal.
- Explore some of the remotest yet most beautiful villages of Uttarakhand.
- Camp under the shiny twinkling stars amidst gorgeous landscapes.
Itinerary: This itinerary will be based on an 8-day trek to Roopkund
Day 1: This one is the common, safe, and accessible route to Roopkund. You will begin your journey by reaching Kathgodam by train or any other means according to your travel guide or your plan. From Kathgodam you can either take a cab to reach the destination Lohajung or you can take public transport that will take you from Kathgodam to Gwaldam and from there to Lohajung. Although there is a direct route from Gwaldam to Deval which will be your final destination at Lohajung, that is not a safe option as there are damaged place throughout the road, so it’s better to move through Gwaldam. Throughout your journey you can enjoy some beautiful views of himalayan mountains and dense forest.
Day 2: Next day wake up fresh near nature, finish with your breakfast, and get ready for the trek. This trek will take you to the wan village, you can either use the trail behind the bus stand to reach the village or you can take the road, either way, will be good as the trek is easy, there are fixed trails to take you there. During your trek, you can enjoy the beauty of the mixed forest. After you reach wan, 6km from here is Kuling village, the village is filled with breathtaking nature views, exotic birds. You can enjoy your time near nature in a calm and peaceful environment. After your 6km to Kuling village, you will find a steep slope to Ruan bagad where your climb to the village didna will begin. When you begin your steep, you feel you move across a small stream descending from Neel Ganga, follow across and you will find a steel bridge. After crossing the bridge, start climbing to the right to reach the village didna. Spend your night here in an amazing landscape, under beautiful stars and weather.
Day 3: In your next trek, you will reach the destination Ali Bugyal, start early for the trek. There are three alternative routes you can try. From didna village take a trail to Tolpani, a beautiful trail in between a cluster of huts, you can see Tolpanni from the valley itself as it’s only 3 km away. On reaching rest for some time and enjoy the views. From here you can either move to Tolkaan then Ali Bugyal or directly to Ali Bugyal if you want to witness the views before the afternoon. The meadow trek to Tolkan has some amazing views from there you can move right to reach Ali Bugyal. Spend your night at Ali Bugyal, enjoy camping and stay in tents in a calm natural environment.
Day 4: Wake up early, spend your time in Ali Bugyal, have breakfast and take a trail to Patart Nachuni, it will be an easy trek as it’s straight to the destination via Bedni Bugyal and Ghora Lautani. Ghora Lautani is one of the beautiful places on this day 4 trek, one of the most picturesque destinations for Instagrammers.
Day 5: Get ready for some snow, as this route will take you near 14500 ft altitude and you will experience some chilly weather. Start your trek early in the morning as you have to reach Bhagwabasa before weather conditions become extremely harsh. The trek will go via Kalu Vinayak, an ascend and zig-zag trek that would take one and a half hours. From there Bhagwabosa is only 2 km. Throughout the trail, you might see snow patches and amazing scenic beauty and spend your night at Bhagwabasa.
Day 6: From Bhagwabosa to Roopkund, you need to start as early as possible, maybe 4 am. The later you begin, the more difficult it will be. The trek is snow-clad, your feet will not sink in during the later half of the day so it’s better to start early. To reach Roopkund, you will climb uphill about 3km from Bhagwabasa for 3 and half hours. On reaching Roopkund, you can enjoy some amazing and mesmerizing lake views with mysterious skeletons. From here you can either come back or climb to Jinargali if the weather allows, it will only take half an hour, and come back to Bedni Bugyal through Bhagwabasa. However, the trails might be tricky on this trek route, so make sure to be extra careful.
Day 7: Make your way back to Lohajung through the wan village, it’s an easy trail so will not get exhausted. You will enjoy some breathtaking views of Trishul peak and walk through the dense forest while descending through steep to Neel Ganga river. From here it’s a journey of around an hour to climb the ridge over the wan village. It will take a total distance of 6 hours to reach the wan village and then an hour drive to Lohajung and you can stay for the night.
Day 8: End of exhausting yet amazing trekking journey, enjoy your food and rive back to Kathgodam from Lohajung.
Best time to visit Roopkund
The harsh climatic conditions of the mountains in Uttarakhand , only provide a small window to trekkers for the Roopkund trek. Trekkers can enjoy the trek from 1st May to the 1st week of July and then from August to mid-October. From May to June, you will witness amazing views of meadows as they will be in their full spring while in August the weather is good and the sky is clear, so you can enjoy your trek easily.
To wrap up: RoopKund is a long trek, but one of the most amazing treks you will find in India. The trek is the perfect mix of easy and difficult trails to give you a thrilling and adventurous experience. Moreover, the reward of views you will never want to miss.
