Roopkund Trek - A Unique High Altitude Museum

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned trekker, Roopkund trek will always be in the must-do bucket list of every thrill seeker. Located deep inside the Garhwal Himalayas, Roopkund trek is a unique adventure that calls for grit, resilience and a heart that is full of curiosity to welcome nature’s wonders. Journey to a height of 15000+ ft is not an easy feat! It requires not only physical but good mental preparations to ensure you complete the trek and reach a height to witness the unique natural museum, the Roopkund trek where more than 500 skeletons are preserved! No other trek in India has this unique appeal. Let us tell you more about the journey.

The Trail

Roopkund trek is a moderate to difficult grade of trek spanning over 8 long days. So, when you are planning for this trek ensure you have good knowledge and experience of Himalayan treks. While the journey is rewarding there will be long days of trek, involving early getting up and traversing through rough terrains. The entire experience will be unparalleled, however, physical and mental preparation to cope with what comes on the trail is essential to not only enjoy the trek but also successfully complete it. Reaching the top and witnessing one of nature’s marvels that no other trek offers is undoubtedly a unique feat and this should give you enough motivation to keep going.

From the base village Lohajung which is situated at an altitude of 7,662ft to reaching 15,696ft is no ordinary journey! Each day you will gain altitude and the trail will test your patience. But at the end of the day you will be greeted with heavenly views and a satisfaction like no other to write your own epic adventure!

The Villages

We talked about the strenuous part of the journey to prepare you mentally. But Roopkund is not all about only huffing-n-puffing and no rewards! In fact, nature’s bounty in the form of quaint mountain hamlets, shepherd’s huts, streams, alpine meadows all will greet you and charm you on the way.

You will be journeying through demanding trails every day of the trek. But what will recharge you is the welcoming villages on the way. Starting from Lohajung, which is a stunning small town in Chamoli district, you will be crossing on your way villages and hamlets like Kulling, Didna, Ali Bugyal, Tolpani and other settlements. The simplicity and freshness surrounding these settlements will rejuvenate your senses and offer you enough rest to continue your adventure ahead.

Stunning Views

Now this goes without explaining much that Roopkund trek will reward the trekkers with stunning views! The awe-inspiring views of Mt. Trishul and Mt Nanda Ghunti will fill your mind with reverence towards these stalwarts. You will also get to witness other famous peaks like Chaukhamba range, Kedarnath, Kedar Dome, Neelkanth peak, and several other mountain peaks! Camping at places where you will be flanked by the grandeurs of these stunning mountain peaks under the canopy of star-lit night sky is a luxury few can experience.

But mountain peaks are not not all the beauty that you get to experience in Roopkund trek. You will be journeying through ancient forests, reaching vast alpine meadows like Ali Bedni Bugyal, crossing lively streams and then finally reaching the mystical high altitude lake, the Skeleton Lake of Roopkund!

Highlights of the Trek

Any high altitude trek will boast of the amazing grandeur of sublime mountain peaks. But Roopkund alone is a trek in Uttarakhand that takes you to nature’s museum, a high altitude lake that houses more than 500 skeletons of unknown origin! There have been countell theories and researches to know the origin of these skeletons that Roopkund lake has preserved. But a view of this unique sight is enough to start packing our bags and set sails for this amazing trek!

The alpine lake at an altitude of more than 15,000ft has preserved these skeletons for eons due to the cold weather around and didn’t let these remains decompose. As per many researches that have been carried on to unveil the secrets behind the skeletons in Roopkund lake, it is believed that these are remains from the 12th to the 15th century and belong to local tribes who may have fought there or perished due to unfavourable weather conditions! But whatever the actual story may have been, the sighting of so many skeletons at one place in itself is a unique experience that has pulled many trekkers to undertake this strenuous journey.

So, if you are one intrigued by these stunning attractions of Roopkund trek then here is a short itinerary to help in your preparation.

Short itinerary

Day 1:

Arrive at Lohajung from either Rishikesh or Kathgodam
Altitude 7,662 ft.
Drive 210 km (10 hrs drive).
Stay will be in the guest house on a sharing basis.

You can quick restock your necessary personal items or rent trek gear from Lohajung local market. Network is available here.

Day 2:

Lohargunj to Didna village trek.
Total trek distance 6.5 km.
Altitude from 7,662 to 8,045 ft.
Accommodation will be in village homestay on a sharing basis.
No local market is here but all major networks are available.

Day 3:

Didna village to Ali Bugyal trek
Total trek distance 10.5 km.
Altitude today 8,045 to 11,320 ft.
Accommodation will be in sharing tents.
Tolpani is the last point for drinking water today so refill your bottles accordingly.

Day 4:

Ali Bugyal to Patar Nachauni via Bedni Bugyal and Ghora Lotani
Total trek distance 7 km.
Altitude today 11,320 to 12,818 ft.
Accommodation will be in sharing tents.
Acclimatization time will be provided at Ghora Lotani. From this point onwards the trail will get even steeper and towards higher altitudes.

Day 5:

Patar Nachauni to Bhagwabasa via Kalu Vinayak trek
Total trek distance 4 km.
Altitude today will be from 12,818 to 14,117 ft.
Accommodation will be in tents.

Day 6:

Bhagwabasa to Roopkund and back to Bedni Bugyal
Total trek distance will be 10 km.
Highest altitude day today – from 14,117 to 15755 ft.
Accommodation will be provided in sharing tent.

Day 7:

Patar Nachauni to Lohajung via Bedni and Wan
Total trek distance today will be around 15 kms, the longest one.
We will come back to lower altitude today – from 12,818 to 7,662 ft.
Accommodation will be again in guest house.

Day 8:

Last day of the3 journey – Back to Rishikesh or Kathgodam from Lohajung after a
10 hrs long drive.
Reach Kathgodam/Rishikesh by 6:00-7:00 pm.
On the way to Kathgodam at Kausani you can buy herbal tea and some souvenirs if you are returning to Kathgodam. In Rishikesh, the Yoga and Adventure hub, you have many other options to enjoy the last leg of your journey.
For more details and dates visit the detailed itinerary page of Roopkund trek and stay tuned!