Himalayan Trek
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
For those who don’t want to be bothered with details, reading this section should suffice to decide about joining.
Highlights
Constant, ever-improving views of 20,000+ ft Himalayan giants; enchanting forests with gurgling brooks; gigantic alpine meadows considered the best in India; a mysterious high-altitude glacial lake; a thrilling knife-edge ridge at 16,000+ ft atop which towering snow-clad peaks will seem within touching distance.
Dates/Times
- Pickup: 6:00AM, 14 September, 2018 from Kathgodam and Dehradun.
- Drop Off: 5:00PM, 21 September, 2018 at weekend reunion (Bhimtal).
The Trek
6 days/5 nights of trekking. Daily distances of 5 to 15 km with elevation gains of 300 to 1000 m, carrying a daypack weighing 3-5 kg. Overnight stays in shared tents (4 nights) and homestay (1 night).
There will be two trek itineraries: a primary trek, and an easy “trek-lite”. The primary trek’s destination is Roopkund (elevation: 5000+ m/16,000+ ft), and trek-lite stops at Bedni Bugyal (elevation: 3600 m/11,500 ft). The additional difficulty in the primary trek is due to higher altitudes (lower oxygen levels) and steeper sections. You can opt for trek-lite beforehand, or at any time while on the primary trek.
Both groups will be together for the first two days/nights and last day/night of the trek. For three days in the middle, the trek-lite group will be taken on short treks in the scenic Bedni Bugyal area while the primary trek proceeds to Roopkund and back.
A day of road travel both before and after the trek with overnight stays in (basic) hotels.
Costs and Terms
For most people, the cost will be about Rs. 14,750 including road transportation, trek support, lodging and meals, porter service, taxes, and tips to trek staff. An advance payment of Rs. 4,495 to be made by 14 August.
Children joining have to be 12 years or older. All participants have to furnish a medical certificate from a physician which includes: normal blood pressure, no asthma, no serious injuries within 6 months before the trip.
Itinerary
The rewards of this trek are as much the journey as the destination. After an initial climb through dense pristine oak and rhododendron forests, the route bursts open on the huge alpine meadows of Ali and Bedni Bugyal (arguably, the finest in India) before taking you above the clouds and depositing you in the lap of the Trishul massif at Roopkund, a high altitude glacial lake. The icing on the cake is standing atop Junargali, a knife edge ridge on the cirque wall of Roopkund, where only thin air separates you from the entire face of 7,000+ m Mt. Trishul. Throughout the trek, you will have ever closer views of several 20,000 ft+ peaks (e.g., Nandaghunti, Mrigthuni, Chaukhamba, Neelkanth). You will also visit villages and shrines, be regaled with local and mythical folklore, and ponder the ancient mystery of a remote uninhabited site.
Primary Trek
Listed distances and elevation changes are approximate. Positive and negative values are used to indicate ascent and descent respectively. (Map for reference below.)
Trek-Lite
Days 1-3, and days 7-8 are identical to the primary trek. Days 4, 5, 6 will consist of the following three day hikes, staying in the same camp at Bedni Bugyal:
- To Ghoralotani (2-3 kms) and back.
- To start of Ali Bugyal (2-3 kms) and back.
- Exploration of Bedni Bugyal: historical sites and stories, and Bedni Kund.
Anyone suffering the effects of high altitude (or with any other difficulties) on the primary trek will be helped down to Bedni Bugyal and can join the trek-lite group.
Additional Details
Himalayas Heaven, a local agency with experience on the Roopkund trek, will be guiding our trek. On their website, please find a detailed description of the arrangements and sights on the primary trek to Roopkund.
The following subsections clarify some of the arrangements on our trek that differ from the impression formed by the website description.
Porter Service
Clothes and other items needed only at camp can be offloaded to be carried by mules during the trek. These can be packed in any bags of your choosing (i.e., they don’t have to be backpacks), but cannot be suitcases or wheeled bags. The weight of each such bag must not exceed 10 kg. Mule operators will have waterproof poly tarps for covering the bags - you can optionally chose to use a raincover for additional protection. Note that you will still be carrying a daypack with 2-3L water, raingear and extra layers, camera, cellphone, and first-aid/medical kit. Total pack weight is typically 3-5 kg.
Almost everyone should avail of this porter service without thought. The extra weight of a loaded 40-60L backpack will slow you down significantly (especially on ascents), place additional stress on your joints (especially on descents), leave you more susceptible to injuries, and make the whole experience less enjoyable. Having said that, with adequate training (carrying a fully loaded pack), if you are confident and comfortable toting all your belongings, go for it - you will be less wasteful of resources and kinder on the environment.
Plateware
All necessary plates and cutlery will be brought by the trek agency. Bring your own plate, cup, and spoon only if you want to avoid using items that someone else may have used previously.
Detailed Costs
The following subsections describe the detailed cost breakdown to account for all potential possibilities. In practice, the process will be much simpler: you will answer a couple of simple questions, upon which you will be informed of your specific payment responsibilities.
For most, differences in cost will only arise from the number of bags you need carried for you/your family, and whether you would like to have non-vegetarian meals. For the typical participant who will use the group transportation arrangements, have one bag to give for porter service, and eat standard meals, the expected total cost is around Rs. 14,750 (inclusive of taxes and tips).
Base Cost
Base cost for the trek per person is Rs. 9,439.50 (Rs. 8,990 + 5% GST), and includes:
- Lodging/tents for all nights, and sleeping bags (with fleece liners).
- All meals from dinner on Day 1 to dinner on Day 7. Meals will include vegetarian and egg selections. Note that food on the drive to Lohajung (Day 1), and the drive back from Lohajung (Day 8) are not included.
- Drinking (boiled) water and energy drinks/juices to take with you while trekking.
A more elaborate list of inclusions can be found on the agency website.
Porter Service
Rs. 1,800 per bag, with a maximum weight of 10 kg for each bag.
To reiterate, almost everyone should avail of this service without thought. One bag/person will be sufficient for most people. Families can possibly pool their belongings together into fewer bags. The number of bags must be informed in advance, and cannot be changed after August 30.
Non-Vegetarian Meals
Standard meals include vegetarian and egg selections. Non-vegetarian (only chicken) dishes can be arranged on 3 days. Those interested will incur an additional cost of Rs. 1,000/person, and can indicate their interest as late as at the end of Day 1 in Lohajung. If you do not sign up, please be good citizens and do not partake of these dishes on the trek. These are remote locations where all arrangements have to made in advance, and any actions inconsistent with prior arrangements will impact food availability for your fellow group members.
Transportation
Transportation arrangements cannot be changed after 14 August.
Group Arrangements
Group transportation on Day 1 and Day 8 (to/from Lohajung) will primarily be by Tempo Travellers, with additional smaller vehicles as needed. Pickup locations for the group on Day 1 are detailed in Arrival Logistics, and Day 8 returns are to the weekend reunion venue in Bhimtal. The precise pricing will be based on the mix of vehicles used (determined after participant selections are known), but is expected to be about Rs. 1,000/person for each of the two days.
Special Arrangements
Pricing for any special arrangements for pickups (on Day 1) or drop offs (on Day 8) at other locations will depend on each specific case, but will most likely be higher than the group rate.
Payment
The total of all costs mentioned in the previous subsections will be paid directly to the trek agency. An advance payment of Rs. 4495 (50% of the base cost) has to be made by 14 August to reserve your spot. The total base cost for the trek (Rs. 9,439.50, including GST) was to be paid in advance by 30 August, but this deadline has now been extended to 4 September. The remainder of the payment can either be made in advance, or when you arrive in Lohajung on 14 September. Payment on arrival has to be either in cash or by bank deposit/transfer.
Additionally, tips for cooks, and porters, and guides will be collected and paid together for the entire group. Exact amount to be determined, but expected to be about Rs. 1,500/person. Please have this available in cash when you arrive in Lohajung on 14 September.
Meals during the drive to Lohajung on Day 1, meals on Day 8, and incidental purchases (e.g., snacks, drinks) are not included and will be each individual’s own responsibility.
Bank Payment Details
Payments to the trek agency are to be made to the following bank account:
Account Name: Roopkund protection and mounterning club
Account Number: 37027414055
IFSC Code: SBIN0007688
Branch Name: State Bank of India Dewal
For any payments made, please send an email as follows:
To: himalayasheavenadventure@gmail.com CC: cirkaindia@gmail.com
Subject: IITK90 Roopkund Trek
Body: Full Name (of Primary Contact), Amount of Payment
Attach: Copy of Transfer Confirmation (with Reference#/Transaction ID)
Map and Elevation Profile
(Caveat: Distances and elevations shown will not match exactly between the two figures, and their level of accuracy is unknown. However, it should give you a representative idea.)
