Roopkund Trek — The mystery lake of skeletons
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Uttarakhand · India

Roopkund Trek

The mystery lake of skeletons

Max altitude15,750 ft4,800 m
Duration8 days
Distance53 km
BasecampLohajung
DifficultyModerate–Difficult
Best seasonsApril · December · June · May · November · October · September

The trek

A glacial tarn ringed by human bones, reached across some of the most spectacular high meadows in Garhwal.

Roopkund is a small, half-frozen glacial lake at nearly 16,000 ft, and it is famous for the wrong-sounding reason: each summer, as the snow recedes, human skeletons surface along its shore. Genetic study now points to travellers caught and killed by a catastrophic hailstorm many centuries ago — but the mystery, the silence and the altitude give the place an atmosphere no explanation can quite dispel.

The legend is the hook; the walk is the true reward. The trail climbs out of Lohajung and onto Ali and Bedni Bugyal, twin alpine meadows so vast and rolling they feel oceanic, with the trident summit of Trishul and the elegant cone of Nanda Ghunti standing over every camp. Above the meadows the route turns serious — a steep, exposed haul past the Kalu Vinayak shrine to the lake itself, and on to the wind-scoured ridge of Junargali.

This is a high, cold and genuinely demanding trek, and we run it as one. It rewards trekkers who already have a moderate Himalayan route in their legs and who want to test themselves against real altitude, long summit days and the strange, beautiful pull of the skeleton lake.

Highlights

  • The legendary skeleton lake set in a glacial bowl beneath Trishul
  • Ali and Bedni Bugyal — among the largest high meadows in India
  • Constant close views of Trishul and Nanda Ghunti
  • The exposed ridge of Junargali above the lake
  • A true high-altitude climb to 15,750 ft for experienced trekkers

From

₹16,499

per person

Moderate–Difficult
Book now
  • Free reschedule up to 21 days out
  • Small groups, certified mountain leaders
  • Oximeter, oxygen & evacuation plan on every route

Day by day

The itinerary

8 days from Lohajung. Tap any day to read the detail — distances and altitudes are planning figures and may shift with conditions.

Begin your Himalayan trek with an early morning scenic drive from ISBT Dehradun to Lohajung Village (2,450 m). Spanning roughly 290 km across 10 to 11 hours, this mountain route traces the Ganga and Alaknanda rivers, passing sacred confluences like Devprayag, Rudraprayag, and Karnaprayag before navigating Tharali, Dewal, and Lohajung. Tucked into the Chamoli district, Wan is the gateway to some of Uttarakhand's finest alpine trails. Spend the evening amidst slate-roofed homestays and towering deodar forests, finalizing your trekking gear and preparing for the trail ahead.

What's included

  • All camping equipment and meals on the trek
  • Certified high-altitude trek leader and crew
  • Permits and forest entry fees
  • Safety equipment, oximeter and emergency oxygen
  • Mule/porter support for common loads

Not included

  • Transport to and from Lohajung
  • Personal gear, insurance and offloading of personal bags
  • Anything not explicitly included

In the field

The country you'll walk

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Ready when you are

Walk Roopkund Trek with us

Small groups, honest briefings and a crew that has done this route many times over. From ₹16,499 per person.