‘It is at that corner bhai, just a few more feet up’. Exclaimed
Akhil.
I ran up by-passing other trekkers.
Akhil Bhai, Is this Roopkund?
No dude, just around the corner.
Come up fast.
I walked and walked and noticed that Akhil was going up further &
further.
Suddenly the landscape opened up and Junargali was clearly visible.
Lo & Behold, Roopkund
appeared and I was more elated than anything else.
I hugged Akhil tight and thanked him & his team for guiding us
safely to Roopkund.
After completing my Hamta Pass
trek in September 2012 I promised my mom and my senior in office that I won’t
go for any more Himalayan treks. I must confess that if you make the mistake of
bumping into the Himalayas even once you are doomed. The mountains are embedded
with whitish magnets which attract you to come back to them no matter what. I
registered for the Roopkund trek on June 2013 to be done immediately after my
exams get over. I was excited to visit the Himalayas again within a gap of
just 9 months from my previous expedition. The packing was almost over and I
was ready to leave in the next couple of days. But as luck would have it the
news channels were beaming with the floods that devastated Uttarkhand
completely.
Should I be thankful to god that the floods
came in just a couple of days before I was about to leave or be angry on him
for killing so many people? I was really confused and frustrated.
May 17th – Chennai to Delhi
I registered for the 2014 May 18th
Batch with Indiahikes. The D-Day was just around the corner and I had to finish my pending works
in office like as if I’m not going to come back from the trek.
Landed at Delhi when the mercury
was at its peak. It was my first time in Delhi airport and the airport was
massive. I checked in at terminal 1D. I’ve heard that terminal 3 is awesomely
posh but this one was also good. The perimeters of the airport adorned the
posters of the newly elected PM Narendra Modi.
While the entire country was
reeling under the ‘Modi Wave’, here I was, the only guy thinking about
Mountaineering legends like Colonel Narendra Kumar, Reinhold Messner, Arjun
Vajpai, Apa Sherpa, George Mallory, Noel Odell.
Took the Airport express to New
Delhi. It is an infrastructure which every city in India badly needs it. Quickly I switched trains and
reached Chandni Chowk. I was dying to taste the street foods and went straight
to the narrow street of Paratha wale galli. The aroma was seductive. I tasted
foods at almost all the stalls and my belly was overly full.
![]() |
Terminal 1D Image Courtesy: Google |
The train to Kathgodam was
scheduled to leave at around 4:20 pm from Old Delhi railway station. The
station was stinking 10 times more than that of Chennai Central.
After boarding the train I was furious that my window seat was hijacked by a huge Hindi speaking family. I had a tough time in negotiating with them as they couldn't speak English. After a prolonged battle I had to give up because of language problem. I became worried as my cell phone
displayed low battery. Since I’m not fluent in Hindi and didn’t book the night
stay at Kathgodam I had no clue as to where to spend the night.
I ended up sitting near two Delhi
university student's. I was surprised when one of the guys (Deepak) asked me like if
I’m going for trekking anywhere after seeing my huge bag. We became good
friends.
Having found a Hindi & English speaking guy
I quickly asked him if he could negotiate and book a room for me at Kathgodam.
He negotiated over the phone for
close to 15 minutes but unfortunately the guest house which I knew in Kathgodam was full. I
tried desperately to catch up with one of my trekking batch mates.
Krishnan sir came on the line
much to my relief and I quickly caught up with him & his team at Kathgodam.
Thank god, if not for Krishnan sir and Deepak I’d have ended up staying at Kathgodam
station for the night.
Deepak was from Haldwani and told
me about the tourist spots in & around his place. We spoke for hours
together about our travel experiences and he was a nice guy to be with. He told
me not to miss Patal Bhubaneswar near Almora when I visit Uttarkhand next time.
And also to have a girlfriend
with me next time when I do a similar trip.
What the Hell man? I thought to myself.
He disembarked at Haldwani and I promised
to meet him when I visit Delhi again.
Krishnan sir was really a cool
man. We were discussing politics for dinner instead of Alu Paratha’s and Rajma Chawal. I saw a mini Arnab in Krishnan sir.
The temperatures dipped at
Kathgodam and it was pretty cold. I must confess that I recovered from fever just a day before leaving Delhi and I thought that the cold weather is
going to play spoilsport with my health.
After a good night’s sleep our
cabs were ready to drive us to Lohjang from Kathgodam.
Day 1: May 18th - Kathgodam to Lohjang (12 hours drive):
I, Krishnan Sir, Ajith, Ragini,
Namratha and Divya travelled in the same cab. It was a long drive. The route perfectly resembled that of Ooty-Mettupalayam road. To break the jinx
we played antakshari. Everyone in my cab were kannadigas excepting
me & the chauffeur and they sung songs of which I couldn’t understand even a
word. I was forced to sing as well. When I sung the majority of them were
confused if I’m singing or speaking.
We reached Lohjang at around 5 in
the evening. It was a small & remote hill station with very little
shops and houses. It was quite cloudy and the snow capped peaks remained hidden
due to the mists.
Perfect. I was waiting for many
years to visit a place like this where there is very minimal population, shops,
vehicles. Salman and Acqui from Indiahikes welcomed us at the residence at
Lohjang.
Day2: May 19th
- Lohjang to Didna:
The trek officially started
today. The trail lay just behind the backyards of our guest house. During the
briefing I suddenly noticed the shy Nanda Ghunti (6309m) appearing herself from
the clouds. I must confess that I became excited like a kid on seeing her. I
quickly took out my cam and shot her before she disappeared into the mist
again.
Chanderbhai in his early thirties
was our guide-leader for the entire trek. Deepu was his assistant. He was a
cool guy aged about 17 with lots of energy who is out for the trek for whiling
away summer vacations.
At Lohjang Residence Photo Credits: Harisha |
Man, what a way to spend the vacations!!!!!!
I made friends with Chanderbhai
and Deepu and walked along with them asking about the history of Roopkund Lake, the mysterious skulls & bones at the lake, the
stories of the locals and much more (in
my terribly broken Hindi).
Unlike my previous Himalayan trek
leader who claimed that he had a French girlfriend Chanderbhai was married and
had a kid.
Today was supposed to be a five
hour trek. The trail was clearly marked. We descended first and gradually made
way into a forest. There were huge trees all around. It was a bright sunny day
and the heat took its toll. We came across numerous streams and bridges before
finally reaching Didna at around 12:30 pm.
Man, the foods were really delicious throughout
the trek. One can’t cook tasty foods in that climate and altitude unless he/she
loves that job.
I noticed a little kid aged
around 5. He was shyly peeking out from his house and then ran back inside. He
was doing this for several times.
Oi, Aapka naam kya Hei?
Manu. And he ran off.
He was really cute and I couldn’t
resist pulling his cheeks. We played for hours together by running around the camp site. I gave him
some toffees and he gladly accepted it with a smile. Innocence ran across his face completely.
I was the happiest man in the
world. The surrounding mountains, playing with the cutest kid, falling
temperatures, pin drop silence and delicious dinner made my day.
I somehow failed to take a snap
of him for which I feel like cursing myself even now.
The briefing for the next day was made.
![]() |
Didna Village |
Day3: May 20th – Didna to Bedni Bugyal via Ali Bugyal
I was very eager to start for the day as we will come across Ali Bugyal and Bedni Bugyal which has the reputation of being Asia’s most beautiful grasslands. The day started with steep ascent into the forests. We were privileged to walk in the shade even though the sunlight filtered through the forests. It was a complete ascent much similar to CTC treks. The climb was exhausting. As we were ascending all the way for close to 3 hours there was a clearing and landscape suddenly opened up.
![]() |
The ascent to Ali Bugyal. Clearing from Forest to grassland. |
We stood before lush meadows
which were running into several acres. The mountains and Didna village were
right behind us. There were only a handful of people with me at Ali Bugyal. I
must confess that unable to contain my excitement I dropped my bags and ran across
the meadows jumping and shouting like a kid.
Thank God no one noticed it.
![]() |
Ali Bugyal |
We started off to Bedni Bugyal
which was to be our campsite for the 2nd day. We were walking
through the plush grasslands and were greeted with rasna en
route by one of the support staffs at Indiahikes. After walking for over an
hour there was a small turn in the right and then towards the left.
![]() |
En route Bedni Bugyal |
This is Bedni bugyal. ‘Exclaimed Chanderbhai’.
Once again I was surrounded by acres and acres of lush green meadows.
Once again I was surrounded by acres and acres of lush green meadows.
![]() |
First view of Bedni Bugyal |
I was enthralled and swept off my
feet by the sheer beauty of that place. In fact I’m running short of words to
explain the beauty of bedni bugyal. The place was greener than Ali Bugyal. Our
campsite perfectly resembled that of a stadium.
We settled inside our tents and were
called for a game of cricket.
A game of cricket? I was thrilled.
We split ourselves into two teams
and Vinay was the official umpire. Vinay’s umpiring skills were equivalent to
that of David Shepherd or of a referee in a football match. His decisions were
harsh and there were frequent India Gate like protests by the players at times.
We played two matches of 10
over’s each and had a gala time. Deepu played really well and his in-swing
deliveries gave nightmares to every batsman thus earning the nickname zaheer
khan.
![]() |
High Altitude Cricket at Bedni Bugyal (11,800 feet) Photo Credits: Harisha |
Our pitch was so beautiful and
flat that there was absolutely no chance for the cricket balls to get lost in
the sprawling meadows.
After a small briefing we retired
to our tents.
Woke up to the irritating barks of a dog which was following us from Lohjang. It was only 5:45 am and my tent mates were still sleeping. The moment I came out of the tent I was excited and surprised. The sky was crystal clear. The shy Nanda Ghunti and the majestic Trisul stood before us with a towering smoke from its summit. The sun rays were slowly settling down over the mountain. My happiness knew no bounds. I quickly took out my camera and shot a couple of pics. I stood there gazing at its remarkable beauty with my favourite songs in the run.
I must confess that I listened to all my favourite songs at heart's content by gazing at the beautiful mountains which I badly missed out at Hampta Pass Trek.
![]() |
Trisul from Bedni Bugyal |
![]() |
The gully |
There were few slips here &
there. We reached at a clearing between Patarnauchani and Bedni bugyal. The
entire snow capped peaks of Nanda Ghunti, Trisul and other smaller peaks
suddenly appeared before us with a fantastic closer view. The place was really
beautiful and the entire team stopped there to take rests and couple of shots for
pics.
![]() |
This pic represents only 1% of the beauty of that place. |
The previous batches were returning
from Roopkund. I met Indhu, an avid Himalayan trekker who has done close to 10
Himalayan treks. Her words disappointed me when she told me that Roopkund Lake was
not visible due to heavy snow. She bid adieu and promised us that the trek
would be really awesome.
We started to Patarnauchani after
a small break. It was an easy descent.
Lunch was served at Patarnauchani
and I was damn hungry as I skipped breakfast. Hot maggi’s caught my eyes
and I quickly attacked it. I thought of dozing for a while after lunch but to
my remorse we had to start to Bhugwabasa immediately after lunch.
My belly was full and I had
little difficulty while ascending. I cursed myself for having heavy lunch. It
was a lesson well learnt.
The trail to Bhugwabasa via kalu
vinayak was clear and was like a line drawn in pencil on the mountain ranges.
After steep ascends with lots of zigzags and u-turns we reached Kalu Vinayak.
The Maharashtrians in our batch were singing songs dedicated to Lord Ganesha
and I joined them in their prayers. After little offerings to the deity we
started off to Bhugwabasa camp.
It started snowing heavily. The
road ahead was not clear but the other guys insisted on moving further. I was
slowly following the footsteps of the person before me. The route was so narrow
& snowy that a single mistake may send us sliding down the hill.
![]() |
Snow storm en route Bhugwabasa camp. |
One needs to be really careful while negotiating the snows after Kalu
Vinayak and should not panic during hailstorms or blizzards.
Every step was met with caution.
We reached Bhugwabasa campsite
amidst heavy snowfall. We were at an altitude of 14,500 feet.
Chai and hot samosas were served.
Sipping chai in such a cold
weather was really pleasing. We quickly got into our respective tents and dozed
off for good. The snowfall stopped after an hour or two.
We came out of our tents and were
simply awestruck. The snows settled down in every nook & corner. It was
spine chilling cold but the sheer beauty of the surrounding snow capped peaks
and snows made us forget everything. We were called for a briefing.
![]() |
View from our campsite |
We were introduced to Akhil who
was to be our guide on the D-day. He was a fair and slim man in his late
twenties. He speaks fluent English & Hindi and has trekked extensively
across the Himalayas.
I was elated to interact with
someone who had considerable knowledge in mountaineering. We were discussing
about the 1924 British Reconnaissance expedition to Everest, Messner’s solo
attempt in 1980, Jon Krakauer’s Into thin
air and much more.
We also had a heated debate about the
virginity of Trisul which became a subject matter of entertainment for a few guys.
The night was really cold. I
skipped dinner. I must confess the sleeping bag was so warm that I was too lazy
to come out of it.
![]() |
Sunset at Bhugwabasa |
At around 8:30 one of the support
staff’s came knocking and asked me if I’d like to have bournvita.
Bournvita at this
temperature, that too at the doorstep of your tent?
Yes was the immediate call and I
gulped down 2 glasses of piping hot Bournvita in no time.
Big five star hotels and those in the hospitality industry definitely need to learn from these guys.
Day5: May 22nd – Bhugwabasa to Roopkund and back to Patarnauchani.
The D-day has finally
arrived. Today was supposed to be the longest day ever. We were instructed to
wear the crampons. Started off at sharp 6am. It was quite sunny. Akhil
instructed us to follow his footsteps.
![]() |
Starting to Roopkund |
The route had its own ups &
downs. I slipped frequently.
We had to negotiate very steep curves and the support teams were really very helpful. The steep climbs continued. I could feel the air getting thinner and walked really slow. We rested at a small clearing.
Chanderbhai was of the opinion that it could take atleast 2 more hours to reach Roopkund.
We had to negotiate very steep curves and the support teams were really very helpful. The steep climbs continued. I could feel the air getting thinner and walked really slow. We rested at a small clearing.
Chanderbhai was of the opinion that it could take atleast 2 more hours to reach Roopkund.
2 more hours? I thought if the lake really exists in this
topography where you have nothing in front of you other than crazy snow capped
peaks and steep cliffs .
We started off after a small
break. The route got no better. I followed Akhil’s footsteps blindly with
nothing in mind other than reaching Roopkund. We stopped for the 2nd
break and I was quite relieved when Deepu told me that Roopkund can be reached
in another hour.
We walked, walked & walked and it
felt like Roopkund can never be reached. I must
confess that I even felt like turning back at times.
Akhil, this look like Roopkund? I exclaimed
‘It is at that corner bhai, just a few more feet up’.
I ran up by-passing other trekkers.
Akhil Bhai, Is this Roopkund? I asked.
No dude, just around the corner. Come up fast.
I noticed that Akhil was going up further & further.
Suddenly the landscape opened up and Junargali was clearly visible.
Lo & Behold, Roopkund
appeared and I was more elated than anything else.
I hugged Akhil tight and thanked him & his team for guiding us
safely to Roopkund.
The Roopkund lake was completely
frozen and was visible like a dot.
I was really happy that I reached
new heights in life today. We were at an altitude of 16,000 feet. Our happiness knew no bounds. The view from Roopkund was simply fantastic.
Quickly we took out the proud Indian flag and hoisted it. The youngest members of our team held the flag followed by national anthem and a devotional song dedicated to Lord Ganesha for giving mental strength to everyone. There were screams of Ganpathi baba moriya everywhere.
While it took us lots of energy & efforts to reach Roopkund, I understood the difficulties faced by the unknown
soldiers who selflessly guard our borders at Siachen and at other hostile places where
-30 degree is the average temperature. Really hats off to them.
Quickly we took out the proud Indian flag and hoisted it. The youngest members of our team held the flag followed by national anthem and a devotional song dedicated to Lord Ganesha for giving mental strength to everyone. There were screams of Ganpathi baba moriya everywhere.
![]() |
National Anthem at Roopkund. Photo Credits: Harisha |
We were now at the outermost
boundaries of Nanda Devi Sanctuary. Nanda Devi (7816m) is the highest mountain
which lies entirely within the boundaries of India unlike Kanchenjunga whose
slopes are shared with Nepal.
We couldn’t climb to Junargali
due to hard snows. Beyond Junargali lies Homkund which is the base camp for
those attempting the majestic Trisul.
![]() |
Junargali from Roopkund |
We left Roopkund after staying there for close to half an hour. The descent was trickier thanks
to the melting snows. We were told to anchor the snow with our heels to avoid
slipping. We slid down the slopes at three places. It gave me adrenaline rush
that could last for more than a year or so.
![]() |
Sliding down the slopes |
More than 3 hours of walk and we
reached bhugwabasa with loads of memories & happiness across our faces.
At Bhugwabasa I had a
conversation once again with Akhil about mountaineering and told him about my
desire to meet Bachendri Pal once and & get an autograph from her. He called
up someone named Mahaveer and introduced me to him.
Mahaveer is a mountaineer who works very closely with Bachendri Pal. Mahaveer was one of the coach for Indian brave
heart Arunima Sinha who summited Mount Everest with artificial legs.
![]() |
With Akhil. |
Human spirits can Endeavour anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We quickly had lunch and reached
Patarnauchani at around 6.
Day 6: May 23rd – Patarnauchani to Ghairoli patal via bedni
bugyal
Today was a very relaxed day. I
must confess that I made up my mind to walk alone in the trail & listen to
my favourite songs.
I got completely pissed off as my
music player ran out of charge. We crossed the snow patches and were descending
to the meadows at bedni bugyal. The flowers were blooming and I couldn’t resist
plucking a few of them.
I must confess that doubts raised
amongst my batch mates as to for whom the flowers are being collected. I couldn’t
answer them as I was also not aware of the person for whom the flowers are being collected.
Ironically those
people failed to see me offering the flowers at the temple at Bedni Kund L. The doubts were
lingering and spread like wildfire.
After reaching bedni bugyal we
played cricket again. This time Krishnan ji was the official umpire. Vinay
upheld the principles of democracy by allowing us to protest against his
decisions but Krishnan sir threatened to ban us for 7 years if we go against
his decisions. Some admired his autocratic decisions and there were even umpire ki jai screams at times.
We played 2 matches and left for
the camp site at Ghairoli Patal. It was a complete descent. Hot
& Spicy Chowmein was served and I couldn’t remember how many rounds of it I had
as it was too tasty.
After sun set we set up camp
fires and sung songs. I really enjoyed each & every moment of the camp
fire. Shrikanth sung really well and Damaru orchestrated the dialogues of
Bhakta Prahaladha with the same tone & rage as depicted in the movie.
![]() |
Ghairoli Patal Camp site |
It started raining and we dived
into our warm sleeping bags amidst the spine chilling cold.
Day 7: May 24th – Ghairoli Patal to Wan village.
I woke up to the sound of showers over the roof of my tent. I was too lazy to get out of my tent as it was really cold.
I woke up to the sound of showers over the roof of my tent. I was too lazy to get out of my tent as it was really cold.
The rains stopped after an hour.
It was very cold. I felt it to be colder than the snowy Bhugwabasa
camp. After breakfast we started to Wan.
We met lots of cute little kids on the way who were neatly
dressed in school uniforms and greeted us with sweet 'Namaste'.
Wan is the last point of our trek from where we will be driven back to the base camp at Lohjang. It was full of descent and little
ascents. .
Sanju had lots of toffees with
him and distributed to the kids all along the way.
We reached Lohjang at around 3 pm.
It was uchith’s b’day and I was
invited for a small tea party. (By that
time the news of the flowers for whom I was collecting reached Krishnan sir’s
ears).
After reaching the tea shop I
realized that I was lured in the name of treat. I was treated like
an accused in a trial and was made to sit before the table with Krishnan ji being the judge & jury himself. I had no chance to escape from the court as
I was walled by the other guys.
Krishnan Ji was leading the trial like Arnab’s
newshour debate. He rarely gave me a chance to speak but would interrupt in 8
Nanoseconds. Uchith & 2 more guys were happily building up stories to trap
me.
I pleaded not guilty.
After thorough examination of the
witnesses and the accused (me) I was free to go. :D
Day 8: May 25th – Lohjang to Kathgodam:
The day arrived to leave back home.
I got up from the bed with a heavy heart.
The thoughts of missing the
down-to-earth friendly people, delicious foods, innocent & cute children, the pristine jewels of the Himalayas hugging
the village were lingering in my mind continuously.
At this point I’d like to give
credit to my family members for allowing me to enjoy life outdoors, the cooks
for the delicious food, the support staffs who cared for us 24*7, the friendly
batch mates, the youngest members of our batch Krishnan Ji and Pratap Roy Ji
who inspired all of us with tremendous amount of energy and the weather gods
who didn’t bother to give us much trouble.
As I was getting ready to leave
Lohjang the shy Nanda Ghunti appeared from the mists once again. I must confess
that I fell in love with Nanda Ghunti the day I saw her at Lohjang and
considered her as my girlfriend. I slowly bid adieu to my shy girlfriend with a
promise that I will be back soon to meet her counterparts in Jammu &
Kashmir or Sikkim.
![]() |
My shy Girlfriend |
Last but not the least; let me
confess that the title of this blog was inspired from the blogs of Hemant
Soreng, an avid Himalayan Trekker and globetrotter.
Thanks for the patient read.
Cheersss,