Brahmatal Trek

Your journey will begin from Rishikesh, we will drive to Lohajung, the base village for our trek. Lohajung is situated in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and is 250 kilometers away from Rishikesh. It would take around 10-11 hours to reach the village.

From Rishikesh, you will drive through scenic roads across the mountains to Lohajung. On a clear day you can see the Garhwal Himalayas at a distance when driving towards them.

Enjoy your drive along with a tranquil setting with the River Ganga keeping you company. Along the way, you will come across three of the five major holy confluences of the country;

Devprayag, Rudraprayag, and Karanprayag. Devprayag sees the confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Rivers. You can see distinct turquoise and teal colors of two rivers merging together. Passing Srinagar, you will come across Rudraprayag, the confluence of Mandakini and Alakananda River, and about 33 kms from Rudraprayag lies the third confluence on your route, Karanprayag - the confluence of Alaknanda and Pindar River.

Lohajung brings you closer to the majestic Nanda Ghunti peak. If we arrive before sunset, you can catch a beautiful sunset on the mountain peak. There is an interesting folklore revolving around the naming of the village. The locals say that Goddess Parvati had a war (jung) with a demon named Lohasur here and hence the naming of the village.

As you reach Lohajung you check into the guesthouse. Freshen up, witness the sunset if possible, then stroll around for a short walk. Although it's important to prepare with all the essentials before your trek, if something is missed, Lohajung has a small market where you can find last-minute necessities.

Lohajung is a high-altitude village so you can expect it to be cold, especially at night and it can also be rainy and foggy depending on the season. Pack appropriate clothing to help you adjust to the weather. Then at night you will be briefed about the upcoming days trekking routine, then you can enjoy a warm meal and rest for the next day.

Today you will wake up to beautiful morning views in the mountains, you can have breakfast. Then we will begin with our trekking. Today we will head to Gujreni from Lohajung. You will follow a well laid out manmade trail that will take you upwards toward Gujreni. As you ascend through the upper region of Lohajung, the trail leads you through a charming forest path, punctuated by a few scattered houses. A short trek, and you could see the Mundoli village.

From there, keep following the water pipes, and you will come across a cluster of homes. This patch is adorned with exquisite rhododendron trees that transform this part of trail into a vibrant spectacle from February to March, while during winter they remain covered with snow. After a couple of hours of trekking, a well-deserved rest awaits at Begum, a vantage point offering splendid views of the Himalayan meadows. About 10 minutes more of walking from Begum, and you will arrive at a stream crossing, and then after an hour of trekking, you will arrive at the Gujreni stream, your campsite will be near the stream. The campsite is surrounded by a dense forest covered with golden oak, silver oak, maple and rhododendron trees.

The campsite is also great for birdwatching, you might spot Himalayan avian species like the Himalayan woodpecker, Asian Barred owlet, blue- fronted redstart, and solitary snipe. After reaching the campsite, you can rest for a while, have a hot lunch. Then in the evening take short acclimatization walks around and watch the beautiful evening sky. Then at night have dinner and rest for the following day.

Today we will trek from Gujreni to Tilandi, it might take around 4 hours. The trek today is comparatively shorter than the previous day.

In the morning, you will be served a good breakfast, then we will start heading towards Tilandi. As you ascend, the trails lead you into the embrace of the Oak and Rhododendron forest.

The meadows along the trek are stunningly covered in snow during the winters while during the spring they appear colorful because of the blooming flowers. As you move forward, the majestic Oak trees take over, covered in snow they add serenity to the path. After approximately an hour of trekking through this picturesque forest section, you will notice the tree line slowly disappearing, giving way to the vast meadows.

Stepping into the meadows, a sight of unparalleled beauty unfolds before your eyes. The majestic panorama of Mt. Trishul and Mt. Nanda Ghunti accompanied by their associated mountain ranges, graces the horizon with their awe- inspiring presence. The grandeur of the Himalayas would leave you mesmerized.

Our next campsite, Tilandi, is situated on the edge of the meadows. It is a breathtaking expanse of open meadow, stretching out under the wide sky. Here the gentle rustle of the grass and the cool mountain breeze create a peaceful environment and make it the perfect spot to rest and reconnect with nature.

The trek today might be short, but you get an enchanting experience of the mighty Himalayas. As you reach the campsite, you can rest for a while then have your meal, you can take short acclimatization walks. The Tilandi campsite has the best views during the sunsets, you can click beautiful pictures and enjoy the mesmerizing view, the day does not end with sunset. Tilandi also gives you the best experience of stargazing and night sky photography, then you can sleep in your tents.

We will trek till Brahmatal camp. On our way to the campsite we will cross Jhandi top, Brahmatal top and Brahmatal lake. The trekking distance for today is about 6 kilometers and might take up to 7-8 hrs.

In the morning we will begin early to get the best view of the mountain ranges. You can have a warm breakfast, with a majestic view of sunrise from the campsite. We will begin our trekking by walking on a ridge. We will make our way towards Jhandi top. As we keep getting closer to the view point, the beautiful mountain panorama begins to open up and from the top you can get an incredible view of Mt. Nanda Ghunti and Mt. Trishul. From there you can also map the entire Roopkund trail.

From the Jhandi top, you can enjoy beautiful morning views, click pictures and soak in the beauty. Then after a while we will resume our journey to the Brahmatal lake. From Jhandi top, take the trail on the right and you will climb onto another ridge that will lead you to Brahmatal top. Brahmatal top is the highest point on the trek with an altitude of 12,250 ft. The mountain views from this point are unparalleled. You can pause here for a while and click pictures.

From Brahmatal top we will descend to the major highlight of the trek, the sacred alpine lake, Brahmatal lake. The first glimpse of this lake is simply awe- inspiring. Adjacent to the lake, you may find a small temple, adding to the ethereal atmosphere. The Brahmatal lake in winters freezes over and, creating a magical reflective surface, surrounded by snow covered landscapes. The splendid sight of the lake will leave you spellbound. We will spend some time here around the lake, then trek towards Brahmatal campsite. The brahmatal campsite, situated at 10,700 ft lies about 500 meters away from the lake on the left side of the slope. Don't miss the chance to witness the magical sunset from this campsite. The campsite gives you a clear view of the sun setting in the Himalayan ranges. The breathtaking moment adds a finishing touch to your beautiful journey. After witnessing the sunset, rest for a while then have dinner and rest for the following day.

We will trek from Brahmatal to Lohajung. The distance is approximately 10 kilometers and we will complete it in around 8 hours. In the morning have a hearty breakfast at the campsite, then we will begin descending to Lohajung. The trail from there directly takes you to Lohajung. As you gradually ascend to Jhandi top, the sparse vegetation gives way to breathtaking mountain views.

From the summit of Jhandi Top, take the left trail to begin your descent towards Lohajung. As you venture onwards, the majestic mountain views will gradually recede behind you. Take a well deserved rest here, it is a beautiful clearing to be a campsite too. From here, another 1.3 kilometers of descent will lead to the main trail. Continue your journey through the enchanting Rhododendron forest before transitioning to the well-made, man- made trail. The trail serves as a vital connection between the mountain villages leading down to Lohajung.

After approximately an hour from your starting point, you will reach the shepherd's huts, known locally as Chhanni, where villagers and shepherds tend to their livestock. Continue on the well-laid trail, following the path that connects these mountain villages. As you will make your way through this enchanting landscape, cherish the memories of the magnificent mountains and valleys that graced your journey.

Soon you will reach Lohanjung, there you can rest in the guesthouse, you can then enjoy snacks. If you have time and energy you can stroll around the picturesque village of Lohajung and take more pictures, then have dinner and rest.

After morning breakfast we will head out towards Rishikesh. Rishikesh is around 210 Kilometer away from Lohajung, and would take around 10 hours to drive back. Breakfast and lunch for today are not included in the trek cost.

We will again drive along the same scenic mountain roads back to Rishikesh, on your way back you can enjoy the view along with cherishing the memories you made during the trekking journey.

You will reach rishikesh around 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM, while the time taken may vary depending on the traffic and road conditions. From Rishikesh, you can book your journey onwards or spend a few more days sightseeing around Rishikesh, Dehradun and Mussoorie. These are also great tourist destinations, worth the visit.

Note:

Keep a buffer day in your travel plan.

If buffer day is not used in the travel then it can be used to Explore Rishikesh.

Read the article Things to do in Rishikesh.

Distance, Altitude, and Trekking hours are approximate and rounded off.

Keep the original and copy of ID proof handy.

Come one day early if planning to come by flight.