Trek to Roopkund

Being the weakest link in my group hadn't it been for their helping hand, sharing of my luggage and their constant moral support, I wouldn't have been here all in one piece sharing our unique experience with you.

Disclaimer: Since I do not have any academic background in life sciences, though the identification at genus level may stand the test of time, the species level identification is subject to inaccuracy. Any additions, omissions, errors reported will be delightfully devoured.

- Sandeep Tambe

Basic Information

Day From Altitude Time To Altitude Time Distance Mode Remarks
Day1 Mussoori 2005 7:00 Ghat 1331 17:00 243 Bus
Day2 Ghat 1331 8:00 Sithail 2192 13:00 15 Trek Gradual uphill
Day3 Sithail 2192 8:30 Kannol 2800 12:30 15 Trek Gradual uphill
Day4 Kannol 2800 9:30 Wan 2439 11:30 10 Trek Gradual walk
Day5 Wan 2439 8:00 Bedni 3354 12:00 10 Bus Steep uphill
* Bedni 3354 Roopkund 5029 12 Trek V. Steep climb
* Roopkund 5029 3354 12 Trek V. Steep climb
Day6 Bednial 3354 11:00 Wan 2439 13:30 10 Trek Steep downhill
Day7 Wan 2439 9:00 Mandoli 2134 13:00 16 Trek Gradual uphill
Mandoli 2134 15:30 Kausani 1700 20:30 90 Bus
Day8 Kausani 1700 8:30 Mussoori 2005 24:00 Bus

Day Wise Break Up

Day 1: Mussoorie to Ghat

Food: Roadside Dhaba

Night Halt: PWD Guest House, 3 rooms

Carried packed breakfast and lunch from the academy. The institute had hired the bus for the duration of the trek. On the way to Dhanaulti had the awesome view of the snow clad Chaukhamba (7138m) due north. Had breakfast at Dhanaulti at 8:00. Reached Tehri a couple of hours later. The mighty Bhagirathi had been tamed here by a remarkable piece of engineering. The dam wall, around 270m high was coming up here, the river had been diverted through two tunnels and after a subterranean journey of 2 km it rejoined its course. Had lunch at Srinagar at 1:00 pm. After Srinagar the tinge of autumn in the tree cover could be seen in the orange and red hues.

Day 2: Ghat to Sithail

Food: Shop

Night Halt: Forest Rest House, 2 rooms, running water

The altitudinal zonation of flora was starkly visible here. Chir [Pinus roxburghii] and Oak [Quercus incana] giving way to Deodar [Cedrus deodara] and Blue Pine [Pinus wallichina] as we reached Sithail. Saw a flock of Scarlet Minivets [Pericrocotus flammeus] along the way, flitting from branch to branch of a Pine tree. The glistening black and red of the male contrasting brilliantly with the black and olive yellow of the female. Also saw a pair of Yellow Billed Blue Magpie [Cissa flavirostris] flying awkwardly amidst the undergrowth. At Sithail we met a Pune based trekking group, returning from Roopkund, they had bad news for us. There had been heavy snow beyond Bedni Bugyal, and we would be extremely lucky to make it to Roopkund. Also all the high altitude alpine flowers, including the divine Brahmakamal [Saussurea obvallata] had wilted in the snow.

Day 3: Sithail to Kannol

Food: Cooked ourselves

Night Halt: Forest Rest House, 2 rooms

Weather was cold and breezy, it started drizzling towards the latter half of the trek. One peculiarity of the climate in the Himalayas is that during night time, as the temperature falls, the clouds condense and descend into the valley. The skies become clear, and stars come out, raising false expectations of a clear day ahead. However just after daybreak, clouds start forming again, and it becomes overcast within no time. Hence early mornings are the best time for trekking and photography since it invaribly rains in the afternoons. One subgroup got strayed inspite of having a local guide along with them and reached two hours late. It is advisable to mark ones direction with arrows on all forks, as an indicator to the subgroups following. The Forest Rest House is located three km from the village. At the Forest Rest House there was the Himalayan Whistling Thrush [Myiophonus caeruleus] and the Pied Wagtail [Motacilla alba] to greet us. The harvesting operations in the village were in full swing. The crops being Ramdana, Marua, potato and tobacco. Due to the low level of solar radiation each of these crops takes around six months to mature.

Day 4: Kannol to Wan

Food: Cooked ourselves

Night Halt: Forest Rest House, 2 rooms, running water

Around one hour from Kannol, after the uphill climb, one comes across a beautiful Bugyal [meadow]. The view of Trishul [7120m] and Nanda Ghunti [6309m] piercing the heavens is absolutely breathtaking from here. We missed this sight because of the clouds. The wind was very chilly, and all of us pulled out our woollens and cold creams. Along the trek there were stands of Oak [Quercus incana] almost leafless and sporting a colony of rusty coloured epiphytic ferns. The Burhans [Rhododendron sp.] trees which had completed their flowering for the season, soon took over. The Wan Forest Rest House is located amidst centuries old giant Cypress [Cupressus torulosa] and Spruce [Picea smithiana] trees. A beautiful kitchen garden of multi-coloured Dahlias was maintained around the compound. We took our first bath in days in the nearby stream, and were soon greeted by a hailstorm and heavy drizzle. The chances of our reaching Roopkund, dimmed further, but we were still hoping for the best. All of us jettisoned our sundry items, in preparation of the back-breaking trek to Bedni Bugyal. The Wan village is located one km downhill from the Forest Rest House.

Day 5: Wan to Bedni Bugyal

Food: Cooked ourselves

Night Halt: 2 rooms, take key from forest guard at Wan Forest Rest House

Very tiring and stiff climb. The trail was swampy and water-logged. Passed through forests of Spruce [Picea smithiana] and Rhododendron. The leaf litter of these trees was heavy forming a thick humus layer on the ground. We had sent a scout team to check the condition of the trail and accommodation at Bedni. We had a breath-taking view of Trishul after an hours trek. As we reached the end of the treeline, the Rhododendron showed stunted growth with gnarled and twisted limbs to minimise exposure. Once we crossed the treeline at 11:00, it was the mosses and lichens that took over. Crustose lichens formed green patches on the marble rocks. Some lichens secrete acids, to dissolve the upper crust of the rocks, accentuating secondary succession of grasses and herbs like - Anaphalis, Leontopodium and Gaultheria. The sporophytes of the moss was beautifully visible. The blast of chilly breeze which hit us directly, above the tree line, succeeded in blowing a couple of caps down the ridge. As we rounded the last bend a celestial sight met out eyes. The huge mountain peaks, barely a couple of kms away were fully laden with snow. In the afternoon light, the snow was radiating with a dazzling glow. It appeared as if the whole mountain range had been covered with a thin Silver foil. We managed to reach the rugged accommodation of Bedni using the last ounce of our energy. On reaching Bedni we found out to our dismay that the chances of our making it to Roopkund were as good as nil. Two groups, one from Australia and one from Delhi, returning after an unsuccessful attempt gave us the bad news that the route to Roopkund was under three feet of snow and it was still snowing out there. After a lunch of steaming Khichadi we made our way up the snow clad peak. It was the first experience with snow for most of us. Surprisingly the snow was crystalline and not at all cold. The subgroup which had started off earlier, braved the snow and chilly gusts of wind managed to reach up to BokaVasa, which is at an altitude of 4000m. With the ominous darkness of an impending snow-storm spreading fast, and the wind screaming like a possessed demon, threatening to blow us off the ridge into the snow chute below, we thought it prudent to return back to Bedni. There was a snowfall in the evening followed by a freezing night, with sub-zero conditions prevailing outside our sleeping bags. There was a saint [Raman Giri] staying in the room alongside ours. Incidentally he was a Mech. Engg. from IIT Kanpur, 72 batch. Had a nice enlightening discussion with him. Inspite of the harsh climate prevailing everyone was in high spirits and oblivious of the bleak conditions prevailing outside.

Day 6: Bedni Bugyal to Wan

Food: Cooked ourselves

Night Halt: Forest Rest House, 2 rooms

We packed our bags reluctantly, had Maggi and headed down. The snow flakes lodged in our woollens, caused numbness as it melted due to the body heat. We stumbled and slithered down the slippery trail. The Phyllitic clay caused water logging, and there was more than ankle deep slush at places. Came across a pair of Plumbeous Redstarts [Rhyacornis fuliginosus] fishing in the river. Though all of us returned with that feeling of a mission unaccomplished, we knew that one day we would be back, and if lady nature was condescending enough to lift her mysterious veil, we would get a glimpse of its celestial beauty.

Day 7: Wan to Mandoli

Food: Shop

Night Halt: Forest Rest House Kausani, Palatial Forest Rest House, 3 suites

The last leg of the trek to Mandoli was quite steep. On the mountain faces, due to the weathering action of running water, soil formation/deposition had taken place on the concave portions, making this macrohabitat suitable for the Pine trees which were the climax species. The convex portions of the mountain faces had just grass and no trees. The windward side of the Pine trunk served as an ideal microhabitat for the lichens, moss and epiphytic ferns. All along the trail, marble was amply available, indicating that limestone rock had undergone a high degree of metamorphosis. Came across a Brown Dipper [Cinclus pallasii] fishing in a fast flowing stream. It could remain underwater for extended periods of time and was swimming upstream effortlessly. The local children were very beautiful and shy. The standard norms of their greeting was, Namaste, mithai do and if you said, Nahin hain, back came the prompt reply, Paise do. At Mandoli Forest Rest House, our bus was waiting for us, and after a quick lunch, we decided to head towards Kausani, which is a very famous hill station. On the way right in the middle of a pristine Pine forest, the front tyre of our bus got punctured. As we disembarked, cursing our luck, we were struck by the awe-spiring view of the three peaks of Trishul [hence the name], clothed in a thick blanket of snow, piercing the heavens. To its west was the Nanda Ghunti. After a late dinner, we managed to get accommodation in the Forest Rest House, which is around two km from the town market. Kausani is famed for the breathtaking vista it affords of the whole Himalayan range. One can enjoy the whole range, [from Wast to Eest] Chaukhamba [7138m], Nanda Ghunti [6309m], Trishul [7120m], Nanda Devi[7817m], and Nanda Khat[6611m]. Our bad luck followed us here too, and we got up at 5 am only to find clouds masking the panoramic view.

Day 8: Kausani to Mussoorie

Food: Roadside Dhabas

Night Halt: Academy

After a tiring bus journey, reached the academy at midnight.

Budget

Total: Rs 650/- per head

Misc. Information

  • To guard against inclement weather and thus having a realistic chance of reaching Roopkund, carry snow boots and fur coats along.
  • We had along with us two cooks and we had hired two porters and one mule from Ghat. The porter rates are Rs 75/- per day and they can carry around 20kg/head. One has to arrange for their food though. The mule rates are Rs125/- per day and it can carry around 80kg/mule.
  • Keep Chlorine tablets (Aquapura) along with you, and use it diligently to guard against hill dysentery. Avil is a must incase of allergy (against woollens) and Avomin against motion sickness.
  • Gram (Chana) and jaggery (Gur) provide instant nourishment and should be carried in large quantities to satiate incessant hunger.

Appendix

5.1 Tree List

S. No. Common Name Scientific Name
1 Deodar Cedrus deodara
2 Himalayan Cypress Cupressus torulosa
3 Silver Oak Grevillea robusta
4 Himalayan Spruce Picea smithiana
5 Chir Pine Pinus roxburghii
6 Blue Pine Pinus wallichina
7 Poplar Poplus ciliata
8 Bang Oak Quercus incanaa
9 Quercus semecarpifolia
10 Burhans Rhododendron sp.
11 Walnut Juglans regia

5.2 Herb List

The Species No. and Plate No. refer to [2], and the subscript (s) refers to [3]

S. No Scientific Name Species No. Plate No.
1 Impatiens edgeworhtii 255 21
2 Impatiens sulcata 250 21
3 Aster thomsonii 228(s) 50(s)
4 Gnaphalium hypoleucum 648 61
5 Lentopodium jacotianum 650 61
6 Anaphalis busua 219(s) 48(s)
7 Anaphalis margaritacea 652 61
8 Anaphalis triplinervis 651 61
9 Inula grandiflora 656 59
10 Senecio sp. 256(s) 57(s)
11 Saussurea obvallata 723 68
12 Cicerbita macrorhiza 759 61
13 Satyrium nepalense 1353 113
14 Spiranthes sinensis 1356 113
15 Pteracanthus urticifolius 1085 99
16 Ipomea purpurea 996 92
17 Nicandra physalodes 364(s) 77(s)
18 Roscoea purpurea 1379 119
19 Cannabis sativa 1257
20 Geradiana diversifolia 479(s) 105(s)
21 Silene edgeworthii 197 18
22 Parochetus communis 328 28
23 Desmodium multiflorum 114(s) 26(s)
24 Anemone sp. 8(s) 2(s)
25 Delphinium sp. 27 5
26 Geranium pratense 78(s) 16(s)
27 Androsace lanuginosa 286(s) 62(s)
28 Swertia sp. 355(s) 74(s)
29 Stachys melissaefolia 429(s) 91(s)
30 Salvia sp. 1166 105
31 Parnassia cabulica 494 41
32 Rumex sp. 449(s) 98(s)
33 Bistorta millettii 441(s) 93(s)
34 Sarcococca coriacea 473(s) 101(s)
35 Pedicularis sp. 378(s) 79(s)
36 Pedicularis hoffmeisteri 1044 95
37 Dipsacus inermis 630 57
38 Gaultheria trichophylla 821 77

References

  1. The Nanda Devi Affair - Bill Atkinson
  2. Flowers of the Himalaya - Oleg Polunin and Adam Stainton
  3. Flowers of the Himalaya: A Supplement - Adam Stainton
  4. The book of Indian birds - Salim Ali