Roopkund trek, Uttarakhand

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5 th Sept 07 : We started the trek at 0900 h after doing the packing. The stone paved route slowly climbs to ridge via stone thatched village huts. Villagers were very friendly and offered tea. From the ridge, the track descends to a small river bridge through forested area full of flowers and long trees. From the bridge, the roue climbs steeply to Ghairoli Pathal. A forest office has been constructed recently (2007) and is in closed condition. The route climbs steeply to Bedni Bugyal at 3354 m. Now we are above the tree line and Bugyals are high altitude meadows. Bedni Bugyal and Ali Bugyal are the main grass meadows in this area.

Night stay in tent near the Forest rest house. Forest rest house can accommodate 5 to 8 people group in two separate rooms. It has a brick wall and a tin sheet roof safe from cold wind.

Forest official at Bedni Bugyal will collect a sum depending on the number of days of camping and number of persons attending the trek including guide, cook and porters. Trial management fee @ Rs 60 per tourist and @ Rs 20 per porter and or guide. Camping @ Rs 100 per day. Non biodegradable waste recycling fee @ Rs 10 per person.

I paid Rs 200 for my guide and myself for 2 days camping. The night in the tent was sleepless and there was mild rain.

Annual Nanda Devi festival is conducted in the month of September (12 to 16 Sept 2007).

Bedni Bugyal

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6 th Sept 07 : By 0630 h I started the trek to Bagubasa with another Bengali group of four, guided by Lakhpath Singh Bist. The route gently climbs to Pather Nachini and we had a refreshing hot tea there. From there the steep climb to Kailu Binayak starts. On top there is a small shrine of Lord Ganesh. A 2 km walk leads to Bagubasa cave and the track leads to the camping site. The campsite can accommodate around 30 to 40 people. Stone huts are there and are not used. There was raining with small ice balls. It make my hand numb and I started shivering. When I reached the camp, our porter help me to warm the numb hands in hot stove lighted under a huge boulder cum cave.

Survival in high altitude depends on your cloths and equipment. If it is of poor quality or inadequate, it can be dangerous to life. My rucksack was not waterproof and I was not carrying plastic sheet to cover the bag. My bag become heavy after the rainfall and it become difficult to walk.
So please don't compromise the quality of survival equipment for the sake of reducing weight or any other reason.

We, the two groups, pitched the tents around one kilometre beyond the main campsite of Bagubasa. The area is full of Brahm Kamals and other type of flowers. Brahm Kamal is a high altitude Himalayan flower believed to be showered by Lord Brahma from heaven.

After having 'kicchadi', we all went to sleep. Our porter and cook stayed in the cave nearby. It was a sleepless night due to headache and the chilly weather. Luckily there was no rain. At night a shouting sound was heard - "Mohan Singh, Mohan Singh ....". My guide rushed out of my
tent to the cave nearby. A bharel was killed for meat that night by the greedy porters.

Bagubasa photos

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7 th Sept 07 : We started an early trek at slow pace to Roopkund. The area is prone to shooting stones and rolling pebbles. On the route and at the lake one can see Neel kamal (blue) and Fen Kamal flowers (white). At the lake there is a shrine of Nanda Devi where trekkers make offerings - one rupee coins and food items. A steep climb leads top Roopkund, a lake having 20 m diameter covered with thin layer of ice over water. At the centre of the lake there was a huge boulder and is visible over water. Few human bones (that of lag and hand) are left presently. A skull and few bones were collected by trekkers and is placed on a rock. Trekkers take human bones as memento, thus reducing the number of bones to few tens with a single skull. Undecayed flesh attached to bones show the weather conditions around the lake.

A further 30 minute climb on a clear route leads to Zorawar gali, a pass at 5350 m. The pass has good views of Mt Trishul and Nanda Ghunti peaks at close quarters.

Getting a fair weather at high altitude is a luck. Normally morning time up to 1000 h is good with clear sky. Afternoon will be having unpredictable climate with high wind velocity. The weather can change within minutes from sunny to rainy/windy/fog. It is 6 hour to and fro trek from Bagubasa.

From Zorawar gali, the route leads to Homkund via Sila Samudra. During Nanda Devi Jat Yatra, a four horned ram will be set free at Homkund lake. From Homkund, interested trekkers can climb to Ronti Saddle (5850 m) and get out to Ghat road head.

We reached Bagubasa camp by 1300 h and had our lunch. I cannot eat food because of altitude sickness. I eat some glucose powder and dry fruits. After a rest of one hour, we packed our tent and started the return trek. By 1700 h, we crossed Kailu Binayak and reached a place called Pather Nachini. Mohan Singh and I pitched the tent on the wayside and we were the last humans on this route that night. Rice & dal for supper, I was again unable to eat it due to altitude sickness. Again a sleepless night with persistent headache. A Crocin released the pain but sleep was still away.

The next day was a clear day with great views of the snowy range mainly Trishul and Nanda Ghunti. Though tired, I wished to trek again to Zorawar gali !. Only a lucky few get such clear weather in high altitude. Normally sky gets clear during the first half of September.

Roopkund &Zorawar gali

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8 th Sept 07 : By 0630 h, we packed our tent and started the last phase of our trek to Wan. I was in good health condition and glucose helped me to be energetic. By 1500 h we reached Wan and had a late lunch. While packing my items, I am shocked to see a big meat piece in Mohan Singh's bag - the bharel which we all lost.... By 1700 h, I get a share jeep to Lohajung at Rs 30. Night stay in a nearby hotel to catch the 0400 h direct bus to Haridwar.

9 th Sept 07 : An early start at 0400 h and a good driver take me safely to Rishikesh at 1500 h. A long 11 hour drive through the zig zag Himalayan road. Night stay near the Delhi bus stand. An evening visit to Shivanand jhula bridge, Chotiwala restaurant having a live mascot and the ashrams - Swarg ashram and Gita Bhavan - on the bathing ghats of holy Ganga. Rishikesh is a holy city to Hindus where the mighty Ganga embrace the plain. It is the citadel of Yoga and home to many sadhus.

10 th Sept 07 : By morning 1000 h, I reached the Muni Ki Reiti office of GMVN to return the two men tent and sleeping bag. I thanked the very co-operative GMVN staff for helping me by giving the good quality items for the trek. On return, I visited the nearby temples, ghats and Sangam ghat.

By 1200 h, I got a bus to Delhi and reached ISBT by 1700 h. Night stay at Kerala guest house near Pahad ganj / New Delhi railway station.

Rishikesh photos

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11 th Sept 07 : Conducted tour of Delhi @ Rs 100.

12 th Sept 07 : Visited Jama Masjid, Zoo, Purana kila, crafts museum and Shankar's doll museum.

13 th Sept 07 : Visited Humayun's tomb, Nizamuddin shrine and Rail transport museum at Chanakyapuri.

14 th Sept 07 : Visited Jantar Mantar solar observatory, Connaught place, Palika bazaar and the Metro railway station.

15 th Sept 07 : Return journey by Mangala Express to Kochi. Reached Kochi in Kerala on 17 th Sept at around 1200 h. A visit to Arabian sea completes my Sky to ocean expedition.

[kinkhab]

I want to know the route from baloni top through devikund to roopkund.I am talking about baloni top near kathaliya in sunderdunga region.Do anyone know about it?Please help me.