Roopkund Trek
also Roopkund Lake, Mystery Lake
Roopkund is a 8-day trek in Trishul massif, Chamoli, Uttarakhand, topping out at 5,029 m. On TrekBaba's normalized scale — the same formula applied to every trek in this catalogue — it scores 72.1/100, which puts it in the Difficult band: this is for trekkers with prior high-altitude experience; the grade comes from altitude and long days, not just distance. Operators usually market it as "Moderate/Difficult"; the gap between that label and the computed grade is exactly why the grade exists. With a high point of 5,029 m, AMS risk is severe — this altitude band demands proper acclimatization and the willingness to turn back.
Operator says Moderate/Difficult — normalized grade: Difficult.
Photo: Schwiki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Explore the route
Scrub the trail — satellite view, live altitude. 18.6 km
Route drawn from real OpenStreetMap geometry (1,291 sampled points simplified to 123), elevations from the Copernicus DEM. Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics | Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Roopkund route, point by point
3 recorded points from Lohajung to Roopkund over about 19 km. Operators' day splits vary — compare them below.
- Day 1LohajungRoadhead · 2,350 m
- Day 3Bedni BugyalCamp · 3,350 m4 peaks in view
- Day 6RoopkundLake · 5,029 m2 peaks in view
Why Roopkund is graded Difficult
- Max altitude 5,029 m — altitude is weighted 35% and non-linearly, because AMS risk climbs steeply above ~3,500 m.
- Total ascent 3,600 m over 8 days — how much climbing your legs actually do.
- Longest day 12 km (about 9 h) — one brutal day makes a trek harder than the average does.
- Trail type: snow — exposure (snow, scree, ice, pass crossings) is weighted 35%, the same as altitude.
Score 72.1/100. Bands: Easy <40 · Moderate <64 · Difficult <85 · Very Difficult ≥85. How the formula works. Easier alternative: Bali Pass. Next step up: Shrikhand Mahadev.
What you'll see from Bedni Bugyal
From Bedni Bugyal and Roopkund, a line-of-sight computation over the terrain model proves Trisul II (6,690 m), Tharkot (6,099 m), Bhanoti (5,645 m), Nanda Ghungti (6,309 m), Dak Danda (4,247 m) and Chholiya Minsingh (3,683 m) are actually visible — not merely nearby. The model looks 40 km out, so a famous giant further away (Kangchenjunga from the Singalila ridge, say) is not listed even where it is visible.
Only peaks proven visible by line-of-sight over the terrain — not nearby-but-blocked ones — placed by true bearing and sized by how much they fill the view.
Dawn & dusk from Bedni Bugyal
In April, sunrise breaks right behind Tharkot at 05:45 — from Bedni Bugyal.
- Tharkot1°
Nothing lines up this month.
Nothing lines up this month.
- Bhanoti11°
- Dak Danda15°
- Tharkot23°
Sun times and azimuths come from the NOAA solar-position equations for this viewpoint's GPS; the peak bearings are our own viewshed moat. Times assume a flat horizon — a ridge to your east delays real first light on the ground, often by 20–60 minutes, while a high summit opposite catches it a few minutes early. The 12° and 35° bands are editorial choices, not physics: a peak 90° from the sun is side-lit, which is often the better photograph.
What you'll see from Roopkund
Only peaks proven visible by line-of-sight over the terrain — not nearby-but-blocked ones — placed by true bearing and sized by how much they fill the view.
Dawn & dusk from Roopkund
In December, last light leaves Trisul II at 17:12 — from Roopkund.
Nothing lines up this month.
Nothing lines up this month.
Nothing lines up this month.
- Trisul II15°
Sun times and azimuths come from the NOAA solar-position equations for this viewpoint's GPS; the peak bearings are our own viewshed moat. Times assume a flat horizon — a ridge to your east delays real first light on the ground, often by 20–60 minutes, while a high summit opposite catches it a few minutes early. The 12° and 35° bands are editorial choices, not physics: a peak 90° from the sun is side-lit, which is often the better photograph.
Best time to do Roopkund
The best months for Roopkund are May–June and September. October is shoulder season — doable, with more weather risk. July–August are risky (Jul–Aug: high AMS + slush on the summit climb to Junargali). The route is effectively closed in November–April. Expect snow on the trail in November–April. Reanalysis climate data for the route's own altitude puts the coldest camp night at about -19 °C in January, and the warmest daytime high near 6 °C in July.
Jul–Aug: high AMS + slush on the summit climb to Junargali
What the thermometer actually does up there
Computed from 10 years of Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis (2016–2025), with every sample point lapse-rate-downscaled to its true altitude — this is Roopkund at 4,792 m, not the valley town. Temperatures are downscaled to the point; wet and snow days come back at the reanalysis grid scale (~10 km), so read them as weather over the area. A climate estimate, not a forecast.
Roopkund trek cost — operators compared
Roopkund costs ₹8,800–₹32,000 per person with an organised operator (10 of 10 listed operators publish a price; the cheapest captured is Trekveda). That works out to roughly ₹2,050 per trek day. Fees typically cover meals, tents and guides from the base village; transport from the railhead, gear rental and permits vary — see the inclusion grid below. Prices are read from each operator's own page (latest capture 2026-09-22) and link straight to it.
- ₹8,800as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ✗Transport
- ·Meals
- ✓Stay
- ·Permits
- ✓Gear
- ₹10,800as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate to Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹12,999as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate to Difficult
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹13,850as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹14,499as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ✓Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹18,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
Show 4 more operators
- ₹18,250as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- Indiahikes ↗ATOAI₹18,450as of 2026-09-22+₹4,500
- Days
- 9
- They grade it
- Moderate-Difficult
- ✗Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ✓Gear
- ₹18,500as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- —
- ·Transport
- ·Meals
- ·Stay
- ·Permits
- ·Gear
- ₹32,000as of 2026-09-22
- Days
- 8
- They grade it
- Moderate to Difficult
- ·Transport
- ✓Meals
- ✓Stay
- ✓Permits
- ·Gear
Operators self-declare difficulty. TrekBaba grades every trek by one formula — normalized: Difficult. We link out to each operator; we never copy their words or photos. Prices were read from each operator's own page on the date shown — confirm with the operator before booking. Where we have read a price more than once, the sparkline is our own dated capture log, not the operator's.
Not affiliated with any operator. Prices are dated facts read from each operator's own page; confirm before paying. See every operator on the operators index.
How to reach Roopkund & staying safe
To reach Roopkund, the nearest railhead is Kathgodam and the nearest airport is Dehradun (Jolly Grant). The road ends at Lohajung / Didna, near Lohajung, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Dewal / Tharali — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Lohajung.
Plan 2 acclimatization days into the itinerary. At its most remote point the route is about 8.1 hours from the nearest drivable road (near Roopkund) — a floor for any evacuation, not a promise. The nearest hospital is District Hospital Gopeshwar, 90 km from the trailhead. Water: Reliable to Bhagwabasa; melt above; none on summit day.
How far you are from a road
Computed against our own route line and the OpenStreetMap drivable road network over Copernicus GLO-30 elevations: hours = (crowfly_km x 1.4) / 4.0 + max(0, elev_point - elev_road) / 600 [terrain factor 1.4, 4 km/h walking, 600 m/h descent]. It is a floor, not a promise — a real evacuation with a casualty is slower, and a crow-fly line ignores what stands between you and the road. Read it as relative remoteness: which part of this trek commits you. Nearest drivable ways: unnamed tertiary, unnamed track.
Estimated, not measured. Remoteness is computed from our own route geometry against the OpenStreetMap drivable road network (motorway-track) and Copernicus GLO-30 elevations; mobile coverage is a terrain line-of-sight estimate, not a carrier guarantee. Treat both as planning aids.
OSM-mapped masts only, carrier unknown — a mast-in-sight proxy, not a coverage guarantee. Carrier-by-carrier coverage needs a cell-tower dump; no open, no-signup one exists today, so we publish nothing rather than guess. Last point on the route with a mast in sight: 7.0 km in.
Roopkund permits & restrictions
Permit required: Yes · Uttarakhand Forest Dept
⚠ NGT/Uttarakhand HC restriction: overnight camping near Roopkund/Bedni Bugyal curtailed to protect the lake — check current status before booking.
Crowding, and where to go instead
When the interest arrives, relative to this trek's own busiest month (December).
A percentile of trailing-12-month English Wikipedia pageviews for Roopkund (44 months observed)— measured within TrekBaba's own catalogue, bots excluded. It is a proxy for attention, not headcount. Read with care: the 'Skeleton Lake' mystery draws general readers, not only trekkers — attention here overstates footfall.
Same state, within one difficulty band, and at least half the peaks — and quieter: it scores 7/100 against this trek's 99.
Roopkund trek FAQ
How difficult is the Roopkund trek?
Roopkund is graded Difficult (72.1/100) on TrekBaba's normalized scale, which weighs max altitude (5,029 m), total ascent (3,600 m), the longest day (12 km) and terrain exposure identically for every trek. Operators label it "Moderate/Difficult".
What is the best time to do Roopkund?
May–June and September. October is shoulder season — doable, with more weather risk. July–August are risky (Jul–Aug: high AMS + slush on the summit climb to Junargali). The route is effectively closed in November–April. Expect snow on the trail in November–April. Reanalysis climate data for the route's own altitude puts the coldest camp night at about -19 °C in January, and the warmest daytime high near 6 °C in July.
How much does the Roopkund trek cost?
Between ₹8,800 and ₹32,000 per person with an operator, based on 10 published prices captured from operator pages (latest 2026-09-22). The cheapest listed is Trekveda.
How many days does Roopkund take?
8 days is the standard itinerary; operators run it as 8/9 days including travel from the base town. The longest walking day is 12 km (~9 h).
What is the maximum altitude of Roopkund?
5,029 m (16,499 ft), which TrekBaba rates as severe AMS risk. Plan 2 acclimatization days.
Is a permit required for Roopkund?
Yes — issued by Uttarakhand Forest Dept.
Which operators run Roopkund?
Trekveda, Moxtain, Universal Adventures, Thrillophilia, Trekos, Himalayan Hikers, Bikat Adventures, Indiahikes, Trek The Himalayas, Himalaya Shelter list Roopkund. Each is linked to its own trek page above with the captured price, days and inclusions.
How do I reach the Roopkund trailhead?
To reach Roopkund, the nearest railhead is Kathgodam and the nearest airport is Dehradun (Jolly Grant). The road ends at Lohajung / Didna, near Lohajung, which is where the walking starts. Withdraw cash before Dewal / Tharali — it is the last dependable ATM. The last reliable shop is at Lohajung.
Is Roopkund suitable for beginners?
No. Roopkund is graded Difficult; TrekBaba recommends prior high-altitude experience.
Which peaks can you see from Roopkund?
From Bedni Bugyal and Roopkund, a line-of-sight computation over the terrain model proves Trisul II (6,690 m), Tharkot (6,099 m), Bhanoti (5,645 m), Nanda Ghungti (6,309 m), Dak Danda (4,247 m) and Chholiya Minsingh (3,683 m) are actually visible — not merely nearby. The model looks 40 km out, so a famous giant further away (Kangchenjunga from the Singalila ridge, say) is not listed even where it is visible.
Treks like Roopkund
DifficultUttarakhandBali Pass
Govind Pashu Vihar → Yamunotri, Uttarkashi
8 days↑ 4,950 mfrom ₹17,000May–Jun and Sep–Oct
DifficultUttarakhandPangarchulla Peak
Nanda Devi Biosphere buffer, Joshimath (Chamoli)
6 days↑ 4,590 mfrom ₹7,300Mar–May and Sep–Oct
ModerateUttarakhandGaumukh–Tapovan
Gangotri, Uttarkashi
7 days↑ 4,463 mfrom ₹13,599May–Jun and Sep–Oct
ModerateUttarakhandKedartal
Gangotri NP, Uttarkashi
6 days↑ 4,750 mfrom ₹13,500May–Jun and Sep–Oct
Difficulty grade, peak horizon, per-camp climate, remoteness, sun alignment and the crowding index are all computed — the moats — and every one of them is an estimate, labelled as such where it appears. Found-fact and operator values are public approximations pending field + source verification, not citations. Peaks named on this page: Trisul II, Tharkot, Bhanoti, Nanda Ghungti, Dak Danda.