thrillophilia-logo
INR
Login
Roopkund Lake Trek Overview

The Roopkund Lake is situated high up in the Garhwal Mountains in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. This lake is of much historical and religious importance. It was also called the Mystery or Skeletal Lake after a large number of human skeletons were found in it in 1942 by a Forest Officer.

Following this discovery, a number of scientists visited the lake to find out the reason for the skeletons being there and it was eventually concluded that the skeletons belonged to some pilgrims who were caught unawares in a flash hailstorm.

Due to the huge chunks of ice that came with the hailstorm, the pilgrims died due to injuries to their skulls. This story was aired in national and international media and since them the Roopkund Lake has become a popular tourist destination.


The trek to Roopkund Lake showcases the best of Himalayan beauty. The trek begins at Lohajung, which is situated at an elevation of 3200 metres and goes on for five days till you reach the lake, which is at an altitude of 5000 metres. The first couple of days will take you through beautiful villages, forests, rivers and Bugyals.

The air will get thinner and thinner as you ascend and gain altitude. So it is very important that you are in the best of health and fitness when you set out for this trek. Higher energy levels will allow you to adjust better with the changing environment and enjoy the views offered by the region. Your team leader will also offer you tips on how to cope with the changing levels of the atmosphere.

The trekking trail followed during the Roopkund trek coincides with that of the Raj Jay Yatra pilgrimage route. This is conducted during a festival dedicated to goddess Nanda Devi and the residents of nearby village participate in this festival dressed in their traditional attire.

Best Season: August - October
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Max. Elevation: 5020 m

The Roopkund Lake is situated high up in the Garhwal Mountains in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. This lake is of much historical and religious importance. It was also called the Mystery or Skeletal Lake after a large number of human skeletons were found in it in 1942 by a Forest Officer.

Following this discovery, a number of scientists visited the lake to find out the reason for the skeletons being there and it was eventually concluded that the skeletons belonged to some pilgrims who were caught unawares in a flash hailstorm.

Due to the huge chunks of ice that came with the hailstorm, the pilgrims died due to injuries to their skulls. This story was aired in national and international media and since them the Roopkund Lake has become a popular tourist destination.


The trek to Roopkund Lake showcases the best of Himalayan beauty. The trek begins at Lohajung, which is situated at an elevation of 3200 metres and goes on for five days till you reach the lake, which is at an altitude of 5000 metres. The first couple of days will take you through beautiful villages, forests, rivers and Bugyals.

The air will get thinner and thinner as you ascend and gain altitude. So it is very important that you are in the best of health and fitness when you set out for this trek. Higher energy levels will allow you to adjust better with the changing environment and enjoy the views offered by the region. Your team leader will also offer you tips on how to cope with the changing levels of the atmosphere.

The trekking trail followed during the Roopkund trek coincides with that of the Raj Jay Yatra pilgrimage route. This is conducted during a festival dedicated to goddess Nanda Devi and the residents of nearby village participate in this festival dressed in their traditional attire.

Best Season: August - October
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Max. Elevation: 5020 m

Read More

Tourism Board Alliances

Roopkund Lake Trek Reviews

Traveller image gallery
review-img
Abhijeet Saxena
Reviewed: 17 Jun 2018
5.0/5
"Roopkund is a beautiful trek with heart-filling views throughout the trek. You travel from forests to meadows to rocky areas to snow in a matter of 4 days with landscape changing every day. Trek though tiring is worth trying even for beginners & first timers (like me). You just need to follow the t... Read More
Abhijeet Saxena
Abhijeet Saxena
Abhijeet Saxena
Abhijeet Saxena
Abhijeet Saxena
Abhijeet Saxena
(1+)View All
review-img
Pradeepta Mohanty
Reviewed: 16 Jun 2018
5.0/5
The awesome journey started from the station Kathgodam itself where we could see the ubiquitous Pine and Fir trees that we had seen previously only in TV. We had a warm welcome from the UTT staff in Lohajung where we plucked some peaches and relished along with the briefing. We met the trek leaders,... Read More
Pradeepta Mohanty
Pradeepta Mohanty
Pradeepta Mohanty
Pradeepta Mohanty
Pradeepta Mohanty
Pradeepta Mohanty
review-img
Nimit Bandopadhyay
Reviewed: 13 Mar 2020
5.0/5
I did this trek with my friends and we all enjoy this very much, the view was superb, the guide and food were fantastic, the adventure activity was amazing, but the best part was the Roopkund Lake. The very beautiful whole covered with ice. Mesmerizing. camping was very comfortable and I never forgo... Read More
review-img
Mukul Ahluwalia
Reviewed: 10 Mar 2020
5.0/5
When I was in Uttarakhand with my friends so one of them suggest me to do roopkund trek so I book the trek from Thrillophilia and this gives me lifetime experience, the location was good relaxing, the guide was funny and polite in nature and food was ok-ok but we had a memorable experience.
review-img
Adhrit Menon
Reviewed: 06 Mar 2020
5.0/5
The guesthouse was the best to stay, the food was ok on all the times. The guide was good and well experienced, this place is for those people who seek for adventure. I was there with 3 other solo travelers, try to go with bigger groups.
review-img
Gajadhar Gandhi
Reviewed: 04 Mar 2020
5.0/5
It was a unique experience when I was surrounded by the snow so we friends start playing with it and we trek nicely. camping was good and we take many pictures for memories, the guide was professional but the food was a little bit spicy but overall we can say this was one of the best vacations I spe... Read More

Why Choose Thrillophilia