Towards the end of this year, I went to the Brahmatal trek with my friends in India. Brahmatal is a captivating high-altitude lake and trekking destination in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India. Situated at around 3,800 meters above sea level, Brahmatal offers a mesmerizing blend of natural beauty, panoramic views, and a tranquil ambience. The trek to Brahmatal starts from the village of Lohajung in the Chamoli district of Uttrakhand. From Lohajung, the trail goes through dense oak forests, gradually ascending towards higher altitudes.
I used Tripsaa to help me plan the trip, and they handled our stays and food on the trek. Overall, it was an enjoyable and memorable trek because of the gorgeous scenic views present during the trek and the people I met. However, our accommodations were not reasonable enough and were uncomfortable. But since I got a discount on the market price from Tripsaa, I didn't feel severely disappointed in their services.
Here's how the trip was planned:
Day 1: Traveling to Lohajung (Base Camp) via Rishikesh
I reached Rishikesh from Delhi with my friends early in the morning. We took a late-night bus from Delhi, which took around 6 hours, to get to Rishikesh.
Then, around 8 am, we left for Lohajung, the base camp site. Lohajung, as the locals say, is where Goddess Parvati had a war (Jung) with the demon Lohasur. Hence, the name translates to 'War with Lohasur.' The drive was supposed to be picturesque, however, the misty and hazy conditions somewhat obscured the promised beauty.
Despite the visual setbacks, after a long drive, we finally reached our homestay in Lohajung in the evening, around 5:30 p.m. We had an early dinner and then walked to the market to rent some trekking accessories.
Day 2: Trek to Bekaltal Lake (8-9 Kms)
We started the trek from our homestay at around 9 a.m. The first part of the trek goes through a slightly paved path with some shops/dhabas around it. People can take a break and rest at these spots. The second half of the trek involves going through a beautiful forest trail. While the trek itself isn't that hard, people doing it for the first time were having a slightly hard time. It was also challenging to keep pace as a group because some people were new to trekking and were catching their breath quickly. Nonetheless, we made it to the camp by 3 p.m. and had a nice lunch soon after. Later, we hung out by the bekaltal lake and watched the sunset.
Day 3: Trek to Brahmtal Camp (8-9kms)
On day 3, we left the camp at 8 am and continued trekking through the oak forests. We hiked for a few hours uphill through the woods until we reached the top of a mountain ridge. The views from the top were breathtaking, and I felt at peace when I was overlooking the valley down below. The tiring uphill hike seemed worth it now. After a brief stop, we continued hiking on the ridge towards our camp. Soon, we reached Jhandi top, which offered great panoramic views of the snow ladden Mt. Trishul. The camp was now a couple of hours away, and we could see it from the site. The hike, however, became very rocky and challenging to traverse. I also started feeling a bit dizzy. I later realized it was probably because my head wasn't covered, and it was windy at Jhandi Top. We finally made it to the camp by 3 p.m. Overall, I enjoyed the trek on Day 3, despite not feeling well for the last few kilometres.
Day 4: Trek to Brahmtal Top and back to Lohajung (12-14 kms)
We left the camp early to trek to the Brahmtal Top and see the sunrise. I had never hiked at night, so this was a new experience.
It took us around 1.5 hours to get to the top, and hiking under the bright moonlight was beautiful. When we made it to the top, it felt incredibly peaceful. There were few people when we reached it, so I could enjoy the panoramic views. However, by the time sunrise happened, it was very crowded. The presence of too many people with their tripods ruined the moment for me. Nonetheless, I felt it was worth it to wake up early to catch the sunrise and do the hike. We continued the hike towards Lohajung and reached the homestay by noon.
Day 5: Drive back to Rishikesh and to Delhi
The final day was reserved for a long drive back to Rishikesh and then to Delhi. It took us 8 hours to reach Rishikesh and another 6 hours to reach Delhi. But before heading towards Delhi, we spent a few hours in Rishikesh. We hung out by the banks of the Ganga, reminiscing about the beautiful memories we made on the trek. Overall, we all had a great time on the trek and felt it was worth it.
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