ROOPKUND TREK

Arrive in Haldwani early in the morning and board your vehicles for the drive to Lohajung, the Roopkund trek's starting point. The road winds its way through the scenic Kumaon valley. We travel through the towns of Almora and Kausani. You'll get some stunning views of peaks like Kamet and Panchachuli along the way. By the evening, we'll arrive in Lohajung and check into a guesthouse for the night. At 2300 metres, the town of Lohajung (the starting point of the Roopkund Trek) also serves as a small mountain pass that connects the Gwaldam and Wan sides of the mountain. Spend some time in the evening at Lohajung's small market, which closes very early, or take in a lovely sunset from the balcony of your guest house. Take your dinner early and rest for the night.

Our day's trail is better than the rest of the journey, and we quickly get engrossed in its elegance. Following the Neel Ganga, we trek through the jungle. The trail is easy at first, but gradually becomes more difficult. As the trek progresses, we settle in and begin negotiating the ascent to Ali Bugiyal. We arrive in Didina after a long hike. Tolpani is a gradual 1 km climb from Didina.

We're getting up early today, not just to take advantage of the best views, but also because it's going to be a long day. We'll stroll through Ali and Bedni's twin meadows. When we meet Ali Bugyal, the trail is steep. The trail then consists of long stretches of rapid climb. On the hike, you'll see that these meadows are among the best in the world. Nanga Ghunti and Trishuli are prominently visible in the east as you pass across the Ali Bugyal. We stick to the well-marked route. You'll come across a small stone building. It's a shrine, after all. A cluster of green fibre huts can be seen just to your right. Find a good place for the packed lunch here. A part of the trail ahead of you, beginning at the stone structure, is uphill and in a zigzag pattern. We start our trek after lunch and arrive at Bedni Bugyal Campsite in the afternoon. The journey is quick from here. Since the next campsite is not far away, walk quietly and gradually. 

When you abandon the Bedni Bugyal campsite, there is only one steep climb. Following that, there are parts of gentle climb before we reach Patar Nachauni, which is located at the foothills of the peak, on top of which is the Kalua Vinayak temple. Remain in the camps.

After a long Day 4, the day is set aside for relaxation and acclimatisation.

While today's trek is not particularly long in terms of distance, it contains one of the steepest sections of the entire journey. Getting a head start is often beneficial. 

To get to the summit, you must ascend the mountain directly in front of you. The trek begins with a flat walk before ascending steeply to the Kalua Vinayak Temple. Mountains obstruct the view in Patar Nachauni. However, once you arrive at Kalua Vinayak, you will be treated to a panoramic view. Kedarnath, Chaukhamba, Neelkantha, Trishul, and Nanda Ghunti are some of the prominent peaks seen from this vantage point. The trail descends from Kalua Vinayak to Bhgwabasa camps. Early in the afternoon, we arrive at Bhagwabasa camps. It is the Roopkund trek's highest campsite. It's bitterly cold here at night. The base camp for the trek to Roopkund Lake is Bhagwabasa.

Today, getting a head start is crucial. If the evening progresses, the snow begins to melt, making the climb more challenging. The snow is new and quick to walk on in the morning. Today's hike is a 4-kilometer gentle climb with steep stretches in between. To get to the Roopkund, you'll have to descend 250 feet in the final stretch (lake). Roopkund is located at an elevation of 15750 feet. We'll hike to Junargali, which is just 250 feet higher than Roopkund, if the weather permits. We'll return to Patar Nachauni after spending some time exploring. By late afternoon, you should be there.

Break camp early and travel to Wan. The trek today will take about 6-6.5 hours. We arrive in a village. We'll stop for a while at Ghairoli Patal, which also serves as a nice camping spot. We must descend to the valley's floor, where the river Neel Ganga awaits us. After a strenuous downhill trek, washing in the water is a good idea. It's a half-hour climb uphill from the river to Wan. It's another one and a half hour downhill from Wan village to Kasar Bagad, which is the route ahead. From here, we board a bus. Drive all the way up to Lohajung. In Lohajung, check into the Guest House. The Roopkund trek comes to an end here.

Board the vehicle for the return trip to Haldwani in the morning. Arrive in Haldwani in the evening. It is recommended that you book your return flight from Kathgodam/Haldwani after 9 p.m. to ensure that you have enough time in case of road delays.