Roopkund - Kuari Pass - Pangarchula Trek

The Roopkund, Kuari Pass and Pangarchula trek is an 18-day private traverse of Garhwal. Two well-known routes run end to end: Roopkund and Junargali Pass first, then Lord Curzon's trail over Kuari Pass to the summit of Pangarchula at 4,575 m.

From Lohajung you follow the Neel Ganga through forest to Didina, pass the shepherd huts of Tolapani and step out onto Ali Bugyal. Above the tree line the trail crosses Ghora Lotani to Patharnachauni, climbs to the Ganesha shrine on Kalu Vinayak and camps at Baghuabasa. One long day takes you to Roopkund and up the hard snow of Junargali Pass (5,150 m), then back to camp. Bedni Bugyal and Wan follow on the way down.

The second half is a different walk: Kanol, Sitel and Ghunni, Chechni Vinayak Khal, the Birahi Ganga and Pana, then Dakhwani above the trees. Kuari Pass leads to a high camp, and before dawn you climb Pangarchula. Khullara, Tali Lake, the meadows of Gorsons and Auli bring you to Joshimath.

The days are long and the trail is steep in places, but it is varied: forest, open meadow, snow, village paths and ridge. In May and June Roopkund lies under snow; in autumn the lake is usually open. Both seasons work. If you want only part of this route, see the Roopkund trek, the Lord Curzon's Kuari Pass trek or the Pangarchula peak trek.

• Duration: 18 days, 17 nights
• Route: drive Kathgodam to Lohajung, walk to Joshimath, drive to Rishikesh
• High points: Junargali Pass 5,150 m; Pangarchula 4,575 m
• Grade: Strenuous; walking days of 4 to 8 hours
• Season: May and June; late September to October

Your group is private, and the height comes in steps: 2,300 m to 3,400 m, then 3,887 m, then 4,300 m, before the Roopkund day.

• Roopkund, the skeletal lake: a small, round glacial lake that stays under snow for much of the year. Human bones show around it when the snow is thin.
• Junargali Pass at 5,150 m: a steep wall of hard snow, then a view of the Trishul massif, Nanda Ghunti and the Sheela Samudra glacier.
• Ali Bugyal and Bedni Bugyal: two big meadows, reached by switchbacks through forest and then open ground above the trees, with Trishul, Nanda Ghunti, Chaukhamba and Nilkantha in view.
• Kalu Vinayak: a steep two-hour climb from Patharnachauni to a small Ganesha shrine, and then an easy walk down to Baghuabasa.
• Villages between the two treks: Wan, Kanol, Sitel, Ghunni, Jhinjhi and Pana, with a suspension bridge over the Birahi Ganga on the way to Pana.
• Chechni Vinayak Khal: the first view of Kuari Pass, with Banderpoonch, Nilkantha, Chaukhamba and Nanda Ghunti around you.
• Lord Curzon's trail over Kuari Pass: an old route used by early British explorers, Eric Shipton among them, with a panorama from Chaukhamba to Nanda Ghunti.
• Pangarchula summit, 4,575 m: a dawn start by headlamp for a Garhwal panorama from Chaukhamba and Kamet to Nilkantha and Trishul.
• Tali Lake: Nanda Devi and Dunagiri together, sometimes reflected in the water among the trees.
• Gorsons: a rolling meadow camp with all-round views, and half a day to enjoy it before Auli and Joshimath.

Roopkund is a small, circular glacial lake, and it is surrounded by snow for most of the year. The skeletal remains that give it its name show around the lake mostly when the snow cover is thin. That is why the season you walk in changes what you see.

May and June

Early in the season the lake is snow-covered, and the snow covers the face of the place completely.

September and October

In autumn the lake is usually not frozen and the surroundings are less snow-covered, so the lake and its shoreline are open to see. Both seasons have their own charm, and we say so honestly: if the bones are what you want to see, aim for autumn.

The day itself

On this trek Roopkund is day 6, from Baghuabasa at 4,300 m. It is a 6 to 7 hour day for about 10 km, taken together with the Junargali climb. The climb to the lake takes around 3 hours. It is steady for most of the way, and the last hour is steep. You will find other trekkers on this trail, since Roopkund is one of Garhwal's best-known treks, so we start in good time and give you time at the lake before moving on.

Why the order helps

You reach Baghuabasa only after four days of gradual height gain: Didina at 2,450 m, Ali Bugyal at 3,400 m, Patharnachauni at 3,887 m, then Baghuabasa. Roopkund is a day for a body that has had the easier days first.

If Roopkund is the only thing you want, our Roopkund trek covers it on its own. This 18-day route is for those who want the lake as the first half of a longer walk.

Junargali Pass, at 5,150 m, is the high point of this trek. It is also the hardest half-hour of it. After Roopkund you leave the lake and climb a steep wall of hard snow to the pass.

What the climb is like

The slope is steep and the snow is hard, so it is difficult to climb without an ice axe, and a slip here would be serious. The climb itself is short, about 30 minutes over hard snow. That is the reason for the care, not for any drama.

The gear

We provide the ice axes and rope for this slope, and crampons where the snow needs them. You do not have to bring technical gear.

What it opens

The top gives a view of the Trishul massif, Nanda Ghunti and the Sheela Samudra glacier. These are the peaks of Trishul I, II and III, and Nanda Ghunti at 6,309 m, standing over the glacier valley on the far side.

How the day fits together

Roopkund and Junargali are one day, with the lake first. You go back to Baghuabasa at 4,300 m to sleep, which keeps your sleeping height lower than the pass you have just crossed. The next day you descend through Patharnachauni and Ghora Lotani to Bedni Bugyal.

Season

The day is planned around the weather. If conditions are wrong for the pass, your leader will say so and turn you back, and the lake is still a good day.

This trek crosses three of Garhwal's best-known high meadows, and each one is different in feel.

Ali Bugyal (3,400 m)

You reach it on day 3, after Didina. The morning starts with an easy walk to Tolapani, a cluster of six or seven shepherd huts. After that comes about two hours of switchbacks through forest, and then the trees open into the meadow. Ali is a lovely opening in the forest.

Bedni Bugyal (3,600 m)

On the way up you skip Bedni and go straight above the tree line: Ghora Lotani, Patharnachauni and then the climb to Baghuabasa. Bedni waits on day 7 when you come back down, and you camp there for the night. It is a soft, grassy camp with Bedni Kund, a small lake, near the tents, and the Trishul peaks stand above it. After the Roopkund and Junargali days it is a gentle place to arrive.

Gorsons (3,200 m)

The last meadow comes at the end, after Pangarchula. From Khullara you turn left to Tali Lake, where Nanda Devi and Dunagiri are seen together, and then a gentle climb brings you to Gorsons. It is a field of rolling green humps with all-round views of the snow peaks of Garhwal and Kumaon. The next day you have half a day to enjoy it before the walk down to Auli.

Why three meadows matter

Camping on meadows is part of why we run this route unhurried. The big climbs are separated by days when you walk through open grass, and you have time at camp in the evening.

If you want only the Kuari side of this, with Tali Lake and Gorsons, see our Lord Curzon's Kuari Pass trek.

When you come down from Bedni Bugyal to Wan, the Roopkund half of the trek is over. The second half is a village trail that connects to a different route altogether.

Wan to Ghunni

Day 9 is a 6 to 7 hour walk from Wan, crossing Kukina Khal to reach the village of Kanol, and then on after lunch to Sitel. Day 10 is a 4 to 5 hour walk to Ghunni. These are lower days, at village height, and they give your legs time after the high ground.

Chechni Vinayak Khal

Day 11, from Ghunni to Jhinjhi, is a long day of 5 to 6 hours with steep climbs. The reward is the top of Chechni Vinayak Khal: Banderpoonch, Nilkantha, Chaukhamba and Nanda Ghunti open up, and you get a first glimpse of Kuari Pass. The descent winds down to the opening of Sem Kharak and then to Jhinjhi.

Birahi Ganga and Pana

Day 12 starts with a descent to the Birahi Ganga and a suspension bridge in the forest. A gradual climb takes you to Pana, and the tents are pitched above the settlement.

Dakhwani and Kuari Pass

Day 13 is a harder day. You descend to Sartoli, a summer grazing ground, cross a bridge at Domabhitti and then climb switchbacks. About 3 hours of climbing brings you above the tree line to Dakhwani. Day 14 climbs to Kuari Pass, which looks across from Chaukhamba on the Gangotri side to Nanda Ghunti in Kumaon, and then on to the Pangarchula high camp.

This is the same Lord Curzon's trail that has been walked by early British explorers. If you want it on its own, it is our 8-day Lord Curzon's Kuari Pass trek, and the Kuari Pass trek is the other way into the same pass.

Pangarchula, at 4,575 m, is the last big day. Roopkund and Junargali have taken you higher, but a peak has its own pull, and this region gives a panorama of Garhwal from Chaukhamba and Kamet to Nilkantha and Trishul.

The summit day

You sleep at the Pangarchula high camp on day 14, after crossing Kuari Pass. On day 15 you start before dawn, with headlamps, to be on top when the light is best. The day is 7 to 8 hours, ending at Khullara, so it is a long one. If water at the high camp is short, the plan can change to Khullara, and that is a judgement your leader makes on the day.

How the 18 days are paced

The first day is a long drive from Kathgodam to Lohajung, 7 to 8 hours. After that the height comes steadily, with no big jumps, and the Roopkund day is placed after four climbing days. The second half drops to village height before it rises again to Pangarchula, and the last two days are the walk from Gorsons to Auli and Joshimath, then the drive to Rishikesh.

Who it suits

The grade is Strenuous. Walking days run 4 to 8 hours, and a few go to 8 or 9. It suits people who have done multi-day treks before, who enjoy long days, and who want two classic routes and a summit in one trip, with a small private group and a local team. If you would rather do one part, our Pangarchula peak trek and the Roopkund trek are shorter alternatives.

Tell us your dates, your experience and your pace, and we will shape the days with you.