The Wandering Soul's Wander Tales..

Gulmarg - Jammu & Kashmir

Srinagar, Kashmir - Paradise on Earth!

Date of Journey : 17 May 2008>> Gulmarg - Jammu & Kashmir

My very first and strong memories of Kashmir were from the lines of my Telugu prose chapter called Kashmira Darsanam of class Vll. Neither do I remember the author nor his/her agenda in the chapter but all that remained in the years to follow was his/her description of our own paradise on earth. The lure of the pristine and lofty snow covered mountains was always there only to be fueled by its appearance in the popular media, for instance movies like Kashmir ki Kali or Roja. While the former showed the beauty of the valley in a lighter tone, the latter showed the crisis of militancy that was ripping the state apart. I was still in school and I used to wonder if matters would ever turn for good and if I’d ever get a chance to go to Kashmir. Let’s fast forward 15 years, it is 2008 and right now I am sitting in a nondescript cubicle trying to earn my living – dreams of Kashmir all forgotten.

I have to tell you until the summer of 2008 I was not the person (read travel freak) that you now know. You should also understand that I had just bought my camera and so forgive my gross injustice to the place in the photos. All I wanted was to have a good job, good income, good food, good movies and the likes of such - nothing of consequence. So you can imagine the shock when my dad calls me up one fine evening and tells me we are going to Kashmir. It took me weeks before I actually believed him. But turns out the old man was not kidding. Weeks later I was flying to Srinagar with my family. Needless to say what followed in the days to come had shaped me to what I am today- for better or for worse! ;)

ISN'T SHE GRACEFUL?

Jammu & Kashmir is the northern most state of the Indian Sub-Continent and it falls in the vicinity of the Karakoram and north-western Himalayan ranges. This state shares border and conflicts with Pakistan and China on either side. The state is divided into three divisions – Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and each one of these areas is completely different from one another in every aspect starting from landscape to culture.

15 comments

, by Neelima Vallangi

himalayas

All you want to know about Roopkund Trek!

Date of Journey - Sept 28th(Kathgodam) - Oct 6th(Delhi) 2009

Now that you’ve seen and heard all about Roopkund, I think you might be interested to know about the logistics of this trek. Read the detailed individual day posts for all the information and pictures of the trek. Also look for the myths, mysteries and more about Roopkund trek through the links given below. Look for FAQs below the links to the day posts.

Read about my first Himalayan trek here - Reminiscing Roopkund - My First Himalayan Trek

Read about how we reached Lohajung here - Kathgodam - Lohajung/Loharjung

Read about the mysteries, myths and 11 things to do on Roopkund trek here - Roopkund - Myths, Mysteries and Magnificence!

Day 1 : Lohajung - Didna

Today is a five to six hour moderate to slightly difficult trek from Loharjung village to Didna which is another village perched on the mountain slope. No change in altitude, remains 8500 ft. you'll need to get down the valley and a tough climb all the way up to reach Didna. The camping spot is just above Didna Village. Click here for pictures and details.

Day 2 : Didna - Bedni Bugyal

Today is one of the spectcular days of the trek. This is a 5 hour moderate trek from Didna to Bedni Bugyal. The initial ascent from Didna to the first clearing at Khopal Top is on the tougher side and then you make your entry into the most beautiful bugyals. It's a relaxed walk from here to Bedni at 11800ft. Click here for pictures and details.

Day 3 : Bedni - Ghora Lautani

Today is a 3-4 hour leisurely and easy trek from Bedni Bugyal to Ghora Lautani with an altitude change of 2000ft. This will be a good idea for better acclimatization else you can proceed towards Bhaguabhasa. Ghora Lautani is a secluded campsite on a slope and all surrounded by high peaks. Click here for pictures and details.

Day 4 : Ghora Lautani - Bhaguabhasa

Today is a 3 hour difficult trek from Ghora Lautani upto KaluVinayak Pass at 15500 ft and then an easy get down to Bhaguabhasa. Altitude change of 1500 ft and today you will be closer than ever to your destination Roopkund. Bhaguabhasa is a very cold place with uneven ground. Click here for pictures and details.

Day 5 : Bhaguabhasa - Roopkund - Bedni

Today is the summit day to Roopkund and Junargali at 16200 ft. It is definitely a difficult day with the early morning cold and snow. It takes 3 hours to go up and come back to Bhaguabhasa. After that, you'll cross Kalu Vinayak Pass and get down to Bedni Bugyal which takes 3 hours. Click here for pictures and details.

Day 6 : Bedni Bugyal - Wan

Today is the last day of the trek from Bedni to Wan village passing through the most beautiful moss infested forests and sparkling gurgling Neel Ganga river. It can be tiring descent but you can make it more fun by cutting across the slopes instead of following the trail. Once you reach Wan, take a jeep to get to Lohajung. Click here for pictures and details.

Where is Roopkund?

Roopkund Lake is situated in Nanda Devi National Park in the Gharwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand. The approximate height of Roopkund Lake is 15500 ft and if you are going until Roopkund, it only is expected that you also climb to Junragali ridge 750 ft above Roopkund to get an astounding unobstructed view of Nanda Ghunti and Trishul massif. The climb to Junargali can get tricky depending on weather and snow conditions.

How difficult is this trek?

This is certainly not a trek you want to try out if you have no prior trekking experience or physical activity. Roopkund - Junargali is a moderately difficult trek and some amount of physical fitness is required before embarking on this journey. Also there is the added fear of AMS. These two factors together can make it a difficult trek at times. But if you have been engaging in some form of physical activity for atleast a month before this trek, this is easily doable.

How can I go to Roopkund? And what is the base camp?

This lake is accessible only on foot and one needs to trek from anywhere between 3 to 6 days. You can start the trek either from Lohajung/Loharjung or Wan village in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand. Both are small villages nestled in the slopes of Himalayas and you can get nothing more than your basic ration for the trek. So you need to come prepared with all your trekking gear to the base camp.

Will I need guide/porters? if yes, where can I hire them?

Although the trail is clearly marked, on the summit day one may require the help of a guide to reach Roopkund lake if the trail is covered in snow. If you have prior experience with trekking in Himalayas on your own, you can make do without a guide. The air tends to get thinner as you gain altitude and you may feel the weight of your backpack pulling you down. It might be a good idea to hire mules/porters to carry your luggage. Guides/porters can be found in any of the base camps for this trek - Loharjung or Wan.

Lohajung or Wan village? Which one do I suggest?

I’d suggest start the trek from Lohajung as this trail passes through Asia’s finest Bugyal – Ali Bugyal. Alternatively you could start the trek from Wan to reach Bedni in a day which would save one day but the best of the views would be lost. Wan will be the exiting point for either option.

What’s the best time for this trek?

This trek can be done in two windows – either in May-June which is just before monsoons or August - September which is after the monsoons. Now if you chose to do the trek in May/June, the bugyals will be greener than ever and the lake will be thawed which means you get to see the skeletons. However, there won’t be much snow on the trail during this time.

Should you chose to do the trek in September, the bugyals will be a little on the browner side, still beautiful, but towards the end of the month, there will be snow - lots of it. And in all probability, the lake will be frozen. So chose your pick – skeletons or snow!

How many days are required for this trek?

6 – 4 days.

6 days if you start from Lohajung. And take an additional day to camp at Ghora Lautani between Bedni and Bhaguabhasa. If you go directly from Bedni to Bhaguabhasa in a day it will be 5.

5 days if you start the trek from Wan. And 4 days if you start from Wan and skip the additional day at Ghora Lautani and head to Bhaguabhasa instead.

What is the maximum height attained? And do I need to worry about AMS?

The maximum height gained is 15500 ft for Roopkund and 16200 ft for Junargali and this height qualifies the trek as a high altitude trek. Any height above 10000ft is prone to affect the trekkers with AMS and if you don’t know what AMS is, check this link.

AMS is more overrated than it should be and it is not a thing to worry about if you take care properly. Should you feel like AMS is getting to you, take it slowly by gaining not more than 2000ft altitude in a day. In this particular trek, you can either go from Bedni to Bhaguabhasa or take an additional day to camp at Ghora Lautani just to acclimatize. Make sure you drink lots of water and don’t be in a hurry straining yourself.

28 comments

, by Neelima Vallangi

Pages

Street Art of Bangalore : A Photo Feature

Murals of Bangalore : A Photo Feature.

Find more pictures at my Facebook Page - The Wandering Soul's Wander Tales.

Gulmarg - Jammu & Kashmir

Srinagar, Kashmir - Paradise on Earth!