Brahmatal | March 13 - 17 | 2022

…On the very first day of my trek, my trek leader asked me 'Why Brahmatal?'. I replied 'well...I was hoping to see a frozen lake!'. Ofcourse back then I had no idea about the journey that lay ahead of me....

Brahmatal is an alpine lake situated at an altitude of 10,440 ft (3,182m) in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. Its accessible only on foot and is a popular destination for both first-timers and experienced trekkers. It's best known as a winter trek and therefore the months of December, January and February are typically crowded.

I happened to visit in the month of March ( 14th to 17th to be exact) and am therefore in a good position to describe exactly what the landscape looks like at the transition period between winter and spring. For those expecting snow, plenty can be found at the upper reaches. Infact there was a particular patch where our team had to waddle across, knee deep in snow.

On the way to Brahmatal Top

For those looking for colours other than white, brahmatal has much to offer at the lower reaches of the trail, with patches of rhododendrons setting fire to the horizon and fields of wild mustard painting it in a bright, rich shade of yellow. The month of March definitely seems like a time when the best aspects of both spring and winter are found together.

Wild mustard along the way

Rhododendrons

The trail is no less than paradise for photographers. Apart from breathtaking views of some of India's tallest mountains, one can also find a variety of birds, starting for the Himalayan Griffon vulture to the Himalayan Buzzard. With some luck, one might also spot the beautiful Himalayan Monal.

The trek is spread over a period of 4 days, starting from a quaint little village called Lohajung situated at an altitude of 7,600 ft (2,316 m). Mt. Nanda Ghunti is a constant companion throughout the Journey.

Every campsite has a story. The very first one, Gujrani (pronounced Guj-raye-ni), is named after the late Queen of the Gujjar Nomadic Tribe who was buried there after she died. Some say her spirit still roams there at night, whispering to the local folk who often put out food and water as offerings to her.

Gujrani

On the way to the 2nd campsite at Tilandi, we come across a lake called Bekaltal which has its own story, details of which are best enjoyed by engaging the locals in some conversation. Snow had piled up wherever it had found some shade from the sun.

Bekaltal

Tilandi is situated on a ridge and is therefore a constant subject to very strong winds. In the evening, we experienced a minor storm which blew off the covers of our dining tents and almost wrecked it. It was quite an experience. Since Tilandi was above the tree line, some of us started experiencing slight issues with out oxygen saturations.

Sunset at Tilandi

Summit push to Brahmatal Top (12,250 ft | 3734 m) began early next morning. We starting walking around 5am, hoping to catch the sunrise against Mt. Trishul from Jhandi top. The initial stretch was uphill, so it was quite tiring but the view of the sunrise more than compensated for it. The view of the sunrays setting ablaze the peak of Mt. Trishul is said to have brought tears to the eyes of many.

Sunrise from Jhandi Top

Post Jhandi, it was a long and tiring walk to Brahmatal Top. We were faced with quite a few tricky sections along the ridge which had to be crossed slowly and carefully. There was an unobstructed view of an entire range of mountains from there. The Nanda Ghunti and Trishul massif being right at the center.

View from Brahmatal Top

From here we had to climb down to to 10,440 ft to the Brahmatal Lake and our final campsite.

Legend has it that the birds there don't let human generated waste litter the lake. They have been known to pickup and dispose any form of plastic or other human waste that may have fallen into the lake.

Wildlife that can be found includes Himalayan bears and leopards. Due to their presence, we weren't allowed to venture out of our tents alone at night. Neither, however, graced us with their presence while we were there.

We stayed a day at brahmatal and then, 4 days and an unforgettable experience later, made our way back to Lohajung the next day...

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