| Garhwal Roop Kund |
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| Roopkund is a lake situated at a height of 5029
mts. in the lap of the Trishul Massif, hidden below a ridge
on the periphery of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. It is often called
the “Mystery Lake”, as in it lie some 300 corpses
dated to the 14th Century AD, well preserved due to the cold
and only seen when the lake thaws. There are two versions for
these remains; one, that they are the remains of soldiers under
General Jorawar Singh’s army which was on its way to Tibet,
the other that they are the remains of people on a pilgrimage
to Trishul base about 600 years ago. |
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| High-up in the Himalayas, the Roopkund lake,
surrounded by rock-strewn glacier and snow clad peaks, is a
marvelous sight. The starting point of our trek is Mundoli village
situated in eastern Garhwal Himalaya. To get to this starting
point all trekkers are required to initially reach Kathgodam
by over night train from Delhi. From Kathgodam guests would
be driven to Mundoli, accompanied by a Wayfarer escort. |
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| Day-0 : Take the overnight train
from Old Delhi Railway Station to Kathgodam (Train No. 5013,
Departure 22.40 hrs. IST) |
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| Day-1 : Arrive at Kathgodam
railway station 06.30 hrs. Received by Wayfarer escort and transferred
to a waiting vehicle after a short break. Drive to Ranikhet
(90 kms. 3 hrs.) for quick wash and change at Wayfarer Solitaire.
After refreshing ourselves we continue with our drive. Our destination
is Mundoli village (1750 mts. 115 kms.; 4 to 5 hrs.) The drive
to Mandoli is across a scenic countryside past the hill towns
of Kausani, Baijnath and Gwaldham. We camp here for the night.
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| Day-2 : Mundoli to Wan (2439
mts./13 kms.. 5 to 6 hrs.) : Today’s walk is not difficult
but a bit long. Stepping out of Mundoli we trek up to Lohajung
Pass (2,133m). From here a clear path leads northwards to Wan
(2439m). The ascent is quite gradual. At Wan the campsite is
beyond the Forest Rest House on a ridge that offers marvelous
views of Trishul peak. |
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| Day-3 : Wan to Bedni Bugyal
(3354 mts./8 kms.; 4 to 5 hrs.) : The trail from Wan ascends
to Bedni which is acres and acres of meadow scooped out of lush
mountainscape, a steep ridge arching up into the dusk, and above
it, the enormous western flank of Trishul. The spot is absolutely
romantic and the campsite is divine. |
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| Day-4 : Bedni to Begubassa (4667mts./9
kms.; 5 to 6 hrs.) : Today is a tough day. The trail from Bedni
ascends to the remote village of Begubassa, where we camp for
the night. |
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| Day-5 : Begubassa to Roopkund
(5029mts./5 kms.; 3 hrs.) : It is an easy day and by mid-day
we are at Roopkund. The campsite is at the tip of the lake.
We have the entire afternoon to explore the surrounding area. |
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| Day-6 : Roopkund to Bistola
(4570mts./7 kms.. 3 to 4 hrs.) : We follow the same trail to
descend from Roopkund. Our overnight camp is at Bistola. |
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| Day-7 : Bistola to Ali Bugyal
(3300mts./10 kms.; 4 to 5 hrs.) : Ali Bugyal is another Alpine
like meadow that is just as charming as Bedni. We camp here
for the night. |
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| Day-8 : Ali Bugyal to Didana
(2700 mts./8 kms.; 3 to 4 hrs) : The descent from Ali to Didana
is easy and we pitch up close to a river. |
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| Day-9 : Didana to Mundoli and
drive to Ranikhet : From Didana we retrace our steps to civilization.
The walk to Mundoli is less than 8 kms. and this takes around
3 hrs. At Mundoli, after refreshing ourselves, we board a waiting
jeep that drives us back to Ranikhet (115 kms./ 5 hrs.). We
check in at Wayfarer Solitaire for the night. |
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| Day-10 : Ranikhet to Kathgodam
(90 kms.) : Today is a day when we can chill out and relax.
Late afternoon we board a vehicle that drives us to Kathgodam.
There is also the option of leaving Ranikhet after breakfast
and driving to the legendary Jim Corbett Park. The train to
Delhi departs from Kathgodam at 20.40 hrs. |
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