Brahmatal Trek

• Bekaltal: 3,000 m/ 9,950 ft
• Trek Distance: 6 km | Duration: 4-5 hrs
• Altitude Gain: 700m/ 2,150 ft
• Difficulty: Moderate level of ascent through a forest
• One-third of the trek is through a village and the rest is through the forest
• Hot lunch at campsite
• Water Source: Springs and manmade water sources 
• Bekaltal is 15 minutes walk from the campsite
• Take an evening walk to Bekalatal Lake and enjoy a sunset view
• Stay: in tents (twin-sharing) 

This is the first day of trekking and we will start from Lohajung to Bekaltal campsite. After a hearty breakfast, we will start towards Bekalatal and along the way, you will be greeted with mesmerizing views of Mt. Nanda Ghunti. Trekking to a coniferous forest of Oak and Firs, the trek concludes at the Bekalatal Campsite after 4 to 5 hours. You will stay overnight here in twin-sharing camps.

The trek to the Bekaltal campsite is 6 km long with a gradual incline. The paths are well-defined here and a short walk into the trail will lead you to the first mountain settlement, Mandoli. Mandoli village will be on your left as you tread along the trail. The trail keeps ascending gradually, twirling along the mountains, curving and bending along the way. You will be able to spot the Kali Valley, the meeting point of Kali and Pindari Rivers. After Mundoli, you will mostly walk to dense forests of Oak, Fir, and Cedar along with a distinguished amount of Rhododendron trees. The forest has a distinct woody scent. Late winter and early spring see the Rhodendron in bloom, adding blush to the beauty of the mountains. The trail remains blanketed in snow during the winter months.

2 hours into your trek, you will come across the next landmark, a 10 m long wooden bridge that runs over a stream. You can ration water at this water source. Crossing the bridge you arrive at Begum, a scenic and tranquil resting point. Nanda Ghunti dominates the skyline here and one can get amazing mountain views from here as well the splendid sight of Navali & Bagdi Bugyal. 20 minutes of further walking brings you to Gujreni and you will spot two streams here. Some trekkers also prefer to camp at Gujreni, we will move a little further and camp beside Bekaltal. Gujreni is also a great spot for bird watching and you may spot Himalayan bird species like Asian Barred Owlet, Woodpeckers, Solitary Snipe, and Blue-fronted Redstart here. 

You are now at the last part of today’s trek. Trek for an hour and a half more and you will arrive at the grassy shores of Bekaltal. The lake is 15 minutes away from our campsite. Once the tents are set up, you can refresh and head to the lake in the evening. The Bekaltal Lake rests beautifully amidst an Oak forest and the still lake waters after the hike is a truly welcoming sight.

The Lake is surrounded by a dense cluster of Oak trees and the lake water remains brown all year round. The distinct brown color of the lake is due to a high amount of organic matter dissolved in the water. These organic matters stain the color of the water and it receives a brown undertone. Sometimes when the weather is a little chillier, a thin sheet of ice forms over the water. After watching a beautiful sunset from Bekaltal, head back to your camps where a delicious dinner awaits you at night. After dinner, sleep comfortably in your tent.

• Brahmatal: 3,200 m/ 10,450 ft
• Jhandi Top: 3,400 m/ 11,150 ft
• Trek Distance: 7 km | Duration: 6 to 7 hrs
• Altitude Gain: 400 m/ 1,300 ft
• Steep ascent for 1.3 hours via Bekaltal followed by gradual ascent. A steep descent in the next section and the final leg has a gradual descent till the campsite.
• Hot lunch provided at the campsite
• Water Source: No water source on the way, so carry at least 2 liters of water from the campsite with you.
• A very scenic day can see Shivalik and Greater Himalayas
• Go for an evening walk to Brahmatal Lake, about 500m from the campsite.
• Stay: in tents (twin-sharing basis)

It’s a 7 km long trek today that will take you to Brahmatal. Traversing along forest trails you will arrive at Telindi top with the most enchanting views of the Himalayas and a further walk through the snow-covered meadows will take you to Brahmatal campsite. We will stay overnight in tents.

Start your day with a glorious sunrise view at Bekalatal and after a hot and savory breakfast at the campsite, get ready to trek towards Brahmatal Lake. It is a steep climb through covers of Oak and Rhododendrons, which slowly softens into a gradual ascent making the trek a little easier. The trail gradually descends until you reach the Brahmatal campsite. The initial steep ascent follows the dense forest cover as the Bekaltal Lake slowly retreats away. The canopy of the forest here is so dense that it barely allows any sunlight inside. The lake of sunlight in the region sometimes sustains patches of snow even during the early spring months. Walk for another hour and you will arrive at Telindi top, a viewpoint that offers expansive views of Mt. Trishul & Mt. Nanda Ghunti. Another kilometer from Telindi top is the Jhandi Top, a stunning vantage point that allows you to capture unobstructed views of the mountain ranges ahead. The wide-open skies and the mountain line in the distance are going to leave you awe-struck. You can also get a bird’s eye view of the entire trail leading to Roopkund from here. Jhandi top is the highest point on the ridge and from here on it descends up to Brahmatal.

On reaching the campsite area, we will pitch the tents and you can go for a scenic walk by the Brahmatal Lake. Brahmatal Lake is 500 m away from the campsite. There’s also folklore associated with Brahmatal Lake. It is believed that Brahmatal was the meditating place of Lord Brahma long ago and the Lake waters are dedicated to him and hence the naming of the Lake. Spending some time at the Lake, head back to the campsite area, and post-lunch retire in your tents. The night temperature can drop really low here, as low as -7 degrees C during the winter. So it is recommended that you dress warmly and appropriately according to the weather. 

• Daldum Altitude: 2,850 m/ 9,350 ft
• Brahmatal Pass Altitude: 3,500 m/ 11,570 ft
• Trek Distance: 12 km | Duration: 8 to 9 hrs.
• Difficulty: Moderate ascent till Brahmatal Pass. After Pass, descend till Daldum Campsite via Jhandi Top.
• Walk across Rhododendron and Oak forest.
• Packed lunch at the summit
• 360-degree views from the summit
• The First 180 degrees covers Chaukhamba, Mana, Mandir, Neelkanth, Nilgiri, Nanda Ghunti, Trishul, Maitoli all the way to the Panchachuli Ranges and the rest are the Shivalik Himalayan Ranges.
• Water source: None. Carry at least two liters of water with you.
• Stay: in camps (twin-sharing)

Get ready to reach the highest point on your trek today, the Brahmatal Pass. We will trek to the pass and descend to our campsite in Daldum. Walking through a mountain ridge, it takes about 2.5 hours to reach Brahmatal Pass. The highest point on the Pass unfolds exotic views of snow-covered mountains. Relishing the view, we will move towards the Daldum campsite.

Beginning with a steep ascent, you will arrive at the beautiful Brahmatal Lake 20 minutes into the trek. The Lake is settled beautifully amidst a clearing that remains steeped in snow during the winter months. Beyond the lake, the trail continues to ascend gradually merging with the ridge. Passing through Chota Jhandidar and Bada Jhandidar, you will walk along a magnificent ridge that slopes on either side. During winters, the ridge is covered with snow and our team will provide microspikes and gaiters depending on the conditions of the snow. It takes about two and a half hours to reach the peak and astonishing views of mountains welcome you on the top. It is a grand spectacle of various mountain peaks including Chaukhamba, Neelkanth, Nanda Ghunti, Kamet, Trishul, and Hathi Ghoda Parvat.  It feels as if you are watching the mountain ranges on a theatre screen, it is such a surreal sight.

From this point, it is a downward trek to Daldum, which takes about 3 hours. The trail slowly retires into the valley below. This part of the trek is also covered with a forest of Oak and Rhododendrons. At the Daldum campsite, you will enjoy a delectable dinner before you retire in your tents.

• Lohajung Altitude: 2,350 m/ 7,700 ft
• Trek Distance: 4 km | Duration: 3 to 4 hrs
• Altitude Loss: 500 m/ 1,650 ft
• Gradual and steep mixed ascent
• Walking stick and knee cap will help a lot
• Water source: One water source along the way
• Stay: In a guesthouse

From Daldum take the trail on the left to reach Lohajung. It\'s a short trek of 4 km and takes about 3 to 4 hrs. The descent to Lohajung takes place along a well-marked trail crossing a few streams and again through the forest cover of Oak and Rhododendron that you came along. It’s the same path that you came in initially. Crossing the forest cover, you will come across a group of shepherd’s huts used by locals to keep their livestock. Follow the stone-paved path from here, this path connects the mountain villages to Lohajung. Once you reach Lohajung, you can freshen up at the guesthouse and in the evening explore the settlement. Sunset from Lohajung is quite impressive as we mentioned before. So you can enjoy a nice sunset here and also head to the local market if you want to buy yourself a souvenir from the trip. A piping hot dinner will be served at the guesthouse. Have a good night’s sleep and we will drive back to Rishikesh tomorrow. 

• Distance: 210 km
• Drive Duration: 10 hours
• After morning tea travel towards Rishikesh (breakfast and lunch on the way)
• Reach Rishikesh by 6:00 PM

Today we will drop you off at Rishikesh marking the end of the incredible trip. Having your final tea with the TTH team, we will head out towards Rishikesh. Rishikesh is 210 km away from Lohajung and it approximately takes 10 hours to drive back. You will reach Rishikesh by 6:00 pm. The time taken to reach Rishikesh may vary depending on the traffic and road conditions. We will drive along the same mountain roads back to Rishikesh. From here on you can book your journey onwards or spend a few more days sightseeing around Rishikesh, Dehradun & Mussoorie. These are great tourist destinations and will not disappoint you.