Winter Brahmatal Trek

The first day of the trek starts from Lohajung to Bekaltal which takes about 4-5 hours. Get up early in the morning, have breakfast and get ready to begin. Just beside Lohajung follow the ascending human-made stone trek. Along the way, you would encounter some startling views of the Nanda Ghunti Peak. The walk is mostly inside the jungle of the conifer, Cedar, Oak and Fir. Spot the Kali valley as you climb higher and it is marked by the union of Kali and Pindari rivers. At Bekaltal, we will be served a hot lunch at the campsite. Bekaltal lake is a 15 minutes T walk from our campsite is surrounded by Oak trees and can be seen in the semi-frozen conditions during the winters. Evenings are reserved and are utilized by exploring the vicinity.

The start of the trek will be a steep ascend through the Oak and Rhododendron forest. This section of the forests is one of the densest and it is a nice setting to be walking under the shade of these trees before the sight opens up to the meadows of Telandi. This is certainly one of the most fun and adventurous section of the trek as winters fill these meadows with an abundance of snow.

The trail dives straight into dense Oak and Rhododendron forests with a steep incline for the next hour. As you walk higher, you will see an idyllic view of the Bekaltal Lake retreating slowly below. The canopy of the forests is almost impenetrable, keeping most of the sunlight out. This allows patches of snow to sustain on the trails even in early spring season.

After an hour or so, the forest opens up to a spectacular meadow, called Talindi Top which offers some phenomenal views of Mt. Trishul and Mt. Nanda Ghunti. 1 km from here is the Jhandi top that sets a stunning vantage point surpassing the views offered earlier at Talindi Top. With the skies wide open and several layers of jewel-blue mountains decked one over the other, the spectacle is absolutely surreal to behold.

Jhandi Top marks the highest point on the ridge. The trail begins to descend beyond this point. The Brahmatal campsite is only 1.5 km of a downhill trek on the ridge from here.

After you reach the campsite, you can visit the Brahmatal Lake which is only 500m from the campsite. The Brahmatal lake is believed to be the place where Lord Brahma meditated long ago. This lake is completely frozen during winter season and is a marvel to behold.

Being the Summit day, expect an early start. We start our walk through the magical Oak and Rhododendron forests all the way until Brahmatal lake. On a bright sunny day, you with recall your science lectures about reflection and refraction due to the change in colours when the sun changes its angles. The lake sits in the middle of grassland and offers a very scenic view with a thin layer of ice formed atop.

Beyond the lake, the trail ascends moderately and envelopes into a ridge. You will notice the Brahmatal lake retiring in the valley below as you steadily gain altitude. The first ridge is a stretch of gentle ascent that leads you to the final ridge climb.

The final ridge eventually opens up tp a breath-taking spectacle of snow-capped mountain ranges standing so close to you that you feel like you are watching them on a theatre screen. Try spotting Mt. Trishul, Mt. Nanda Ghunti, Mt. Chaukhamba, Mt. Neelkanth, Mt. Kamet and Mt. Hathi Ghoda amongst the ranges.

Although Mt. Trishul and Mt. Nanda Ghunti accompany you throughout the trek, the close-up view from the summit is still thrilling to behold. Spend some time at the top immersing in the experience before heading back to the campsite.

The descent to Lohajung is easy and goes through Oak and Rhododendron forest with two small streams in between to traverse. We continue further for some time to reach the village, Wan. Here a vehicle will be arranged which will be dropping us to Lohajung. Take rest and explore village and enjoy your last dau of this trek. After reach at Lohajung then departure for Kathgodam.