5-6 AliBugyal

The Roopkund Trek

The trek continues from Kalu-Vinayak to Roopkund .... and then back to Bedni, Ali Bugyal and return to Wan

Within minutes we reached the first of the many snow flows

Bhagubasa huts could now be seen way down in that green patch

After an hours rest on Kalu Vinayak ridge we set off towards Bhagubasa and Roopkund at 10:00AM. Passing Bhanubhasa stone huts we carried on without losing much time here and crossed a series of 15-16 Glacier snow-flows. Each such snow ravine about 10-20M long. It was dry snow on top but often a wrong step could take your feet down 1-2 feet into watery depths! Most of these had to be crossed in a steep incline to the left. So a slip or a fall could have been troublesome. But sure-footed Debu and Mahendra held a steadying hand to help us cross some difficult ones.

Debu was leading the way,with his ice-axe, and finding a safe path

This was the last 3-4 of snow flows where we decided to turn back!

Dilapidated stone huts of Bhagubasa we reached in just 10 mins

Glacier snow-flows aplenty!

We crossed some 15 such snow flows, the 16th one was pretty dangerous, as we had to cling and skirt a towering upright rocky ridge on our right, with steep sloping snowfield to left and then make a U-turn and scramble up a stony-slate trail. We still had another 3-4 such glaciers to cross before reaching Roopkund lake some 500M away. Meanwhile looking up, we saw Trishul fully shrouded in clouds now! We then decide to turn back (at 11-45AM) with Trishul in thick clouds and the last 3 of the snow-ravines looking too risky for our liking! Debu tried to persuade us to complete trek to the top; but we decided it was not worth going up and not see Trishul.

So we started back, and by 1:30PM we were back at Kalu Vinayak temple where a group of Kida Ghass hunters were also resting. There was female group praying at the temple door and a male group talking and smoking bidis on nearby bulge on the ridge. Some of these hunters had been all the way to Shail-Samudra (i.e. beyond Roopkund and beyond Junar-gali and down into the Trishul's glacier called Shail Samudra). They were talking about it so casually! as if they went to some downtown work-site and are returning home now!

We were back at Pathar Nachani tent site by 3:15PM after a total of 20KM trek today. Throughout our trek today there was no rain! Rest of the day was just relaxing and resting in the camp-site.

22nd June 2008: We started from Pathar Nachani camp at 6:30AM. It was clear and partly sunny day. We got some awesome views of Trishul on way back and could see some of the eastern snow peaks like Tharkot. Beyond Tharkot is Kumaon region. We reached Bedni camp by 9:00AM.

Female group sitting outside the temple door and praying!

Male group sitting on a knoll ... laughing and smoking bidis!

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Is that Tharkot peak? 15 mins into return trek from Pathar-Nachani

Green everywhere - return trek from Pathar-Nachani to Bedni-Bugyal

Looking back at Trishul

Tharkot range? We saw this view from the trail, about 1 hour south of Pathar Nachani. View towards East. Must be Tharkot as per LP Map.

Trishul again (in zoom) ... with no clouds at 7:00AM

The clouds make a pattern

A transparent icy-look wild flower

Again those icy-white transparent bell-shaped wildflowers!

At Bedni we were thinking that we will go to Ali Bugyal after 1 or 2 hours rest; but then it started raining heavily. So we were tent bound rest of the morning. After lunch at around 2:00PM, the rain stopped a bit and we left hurriedly for Ali-Bugyal, armed with ponchos.

A wildflower by the trail

Nearing Ali-Bugyal the stone-hut before the final climb to zero-point

We reached Ali zero-pt at 3:30PM but the last 1km was in driving rain. So we got drenched a bit. But it stopped just as reached zero-point and so we could take out our cameras and shoot some good pictures of the pretty awesome Ali-Bugyal. We felt that Ali's meadows were much better looking than Bedni. Probably so because people do not camp at Ali due to lack of water source. We arrived back at Bedni camp at 5:20PM.

More wildflowers on way to Bedni

Vultures of Bedni

Ali - Bugyal greenery

Last meadow climb to Ali zero point

View on way to Ali Bugyal

Looking north towards trail heading to Bedni from Ali-Bugyal

Looking down at Wan village and tree-line from Ali-bugyal.

At the Zero-Point of Ali-Bugyal

Final look at Ali-Bugyal spread ... as we trek back towards Bedni.

23rd June 2008: We started from Bedni Bugyal at 5:45AM and retraced the same trail back to Wan. We reached Wan GMVN by 11:45AM and enjoyed another day of Wan stay in idyllic setting. The chowkidar went out and got some green vegetables and so we had a hearty lunch, without Aloo! Debu went down to the village and made a 5-seat booking for Deval jeep, for the morrow.

24th June 2008: We started in the Jeep at 6:30AM and reached Deval GMVN by 9:30AM, to collect our left luggage. We decide to move on to Kausani for 2-day R&R and so engaged a Jeep again. This time too it was the talkative Mahesh Juyal! We dropped Debu, Mahendra and Bhupen at Garur after settling their account and said a warm good-bye. They had indeed given us very good service!

It was an amazing trek. Sadanand and I really enjoyed it, despite the mild disappointment of not doing the last 500M, to the Lake and Junar Galli.

******** end of trek ********

Last Words:

Anybody interested in seeing all the pictures that I took during this trip can see it here: Flickr Set. I suggest you see it as a Slide-show and set ON the "Notes" button.

If you have Google Earth on your computer, you can visit the Roopkund Lake by downloading from Files page; when you have zoomed close to the Roopkund Lake slide the "tilt" button and see Trishul Peaks across the Shail-Samudra, from up close. A wow view!

To see our entire Trek Route marked with Google Earth place-marks download roopkund03.kmz file from Files D/L page.