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Tourism
Roopkund is a picturesque and beautiful tourist destination in the Himalayas, located near the base of two Himalayan peaks: Trisul (7120 m) and Nandghungti (6310 m). This place is famous among the masses because of the annual Raj Jat yatra. There are no roads to this place yet, so one has to undertake a 3-4 day trek to reach the skeleton lake starting from Gwaldum in Chamoli district. The skeleton lake is covered with ice for most of the time during the year. However, the ourney to Roopkund is an enjoyable experience. All along the way, one is surrounded by mountain ranges from all the sides.
There are different routes for a trek to Roopkund. Generally, trekkers and adventurers travel to Lohajung or Wan by road. From there, they climb a hillock at Wan and reach Ran ki Dhar. There is some flat area where trekkers can camp for the night. If the sky is clear, one can see Bedni Bugyal and Trisul. The next camping spot is at Bedni Bugyal, which is 12-13 km from Wan. There is a huge grazing ground for mules, horses and sheep. There are two temples and a small lake that add to the beauty of this place. One can see a lot of Himalayan peaks from Bedni Bugyal bridge. Trekkers then go up to Bhaguwabasa, which is 10-11 km from Bedni Bugyal. The climate at Bhaguwabasa is hostile for most of the time of the year. One gets a closer view of Trisul and other peaks higher than 5000 metres. Many waterfalls and landslides are visible on the extreme slopes of the surrounding mountains. From Bhaguwabasa, trekkers either go to Roopkund and come back or they go to Shila Samundra (Ocean of Stones) via Geonaragali Col Pass, which is just above the lake, and then proceed with the trek up to Homkund.
At Roopkund, one can find a frozen lake during September. Most people get sunburns. One can see the clouds below and a clear sky above. One has to walk through a snow-covered, slippery ridge to reach Zohra Gully. An unobstructed view of Trisul and Nand Ghungti is visible.
Access
Kathgodam – Ranikhet – Garur- Gwaldam – Debal (1220 m) – Bagrigad (1890 m) – Mundoli village – Lohajung pass – Wan village (2590 m) – Bedni Bugyal (3660 m) – Ghora Lotauni – Kalu Vinayak – Roopkund
Organized Treks
A number of trekking organizations organize treks to Roopkund starting from Kathgodam or Rishikesh.
Roopkund skeletons in Popular Culture
Roopkund’s skeletons were featured in a National Geographic documentary “Riddles Of The Dead: Skeleton Lake”.
References
Aitken, Bill. The Nanda Devi Affair, Penguin Books India, 1994. ISBN 0-14-024045-4.
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