Brahmatal Boys

Brahma Tal is a hidden and secluded lake amidst the ridge, where Lord Brahma meditated according to the mythology. The peak view from the route is captivating. From east to west one can see the High Himalayan ranges. From right to left on one side we can see Mrigthuni, Trishul, Bethartoli Himal and Nandaghunti. On the other side we can see the massive Chowkhamba, Nilkanth, Kamet, Hathi and Ghoda peaks. This is just the opposite ridge of the famous Roopkund trek and offers a Birds-eye view of the route including Ali Bugiyal, Bedni Bugiyal, Roopkund and Junargali inlcuding far poised the famous Ronty saddle. The best season to explore this trail is either winter or in the springs. During winter weather normally remains clear and panoramic beauty of the surrounding is unmatched. In Spring the trail is bountiful with Rhododendron blossoms while the last patches of snow start melting. On 24th of February , a group of 30 trekkers boarded a bus from Roorkee in the morning and reached Lohajung (~ 2300m, 7500ft) which is 240 Km away at around 10 in the evening. The journey took around 16 hours with a break or two. The road was through the Kumaon region and mostly went along wide spread valleys of Shivalik Himalaya. From Gwaldam onwards the road entered in the Garhwal administrative region and the road wass gradually winding and went through the conifer forest. The last stretch of the journey from Deval to Lohajung had considerable height gain. The sunset from Lohajung needs a special mention . Warm colours on Nandaghunti massif made everyone speechless. The trek started the next day. Having had their breakfast in the morning, the group started walking on a gentle gradient up encircling the mountain. On the route, everyone was enchanted by the magnificent view of Didna village and Nandaghunti mountain while looking back, and the far stretched ridge lines and Mandoli village in front. The walk was mostly inside the jungle of conifer, Cedar, Oak and Fir. After walking for 2 hours, a small lake down to the left was seen, called Khopdalia Tal. In the next 15 minutes the group arrived at the camp at Bekhal Tal (~2750m, 9000ft). It was a moderate sized rectangular lake. A temple stood lone at the edge of the Tal. The group continued walking through the forest while going up and reached the edge of the “Bugiyal”, the high altitude meadow of the Himalayas. The fringes of the forest are the residing place for Himalayan Monal during winter. From here onward the right hand view, i,e, the north-east side opens up and the magnificent panorama of the peaks of Mrigthuni, Trishul, Bethartoli Himal and Nandaghunti is seen. Everyone walked along the ridge and witnessed one of the most enticing panorama of Garhwal. After about an hour walk the group decent to the hidden lake Brahma Tal (~3400m, 11150ft) surrounded by the slopes of mountain. This is a medium sized longitudinal lake , with few last remaining trees on this altitude. The lake is hard to locate from far but one needs to be close enough to get the glimpse of the dark turquoise water. The tents were set up on a suitable ground around Brahma Tal. During sunset, everyone climbed up the ridge to witness magnificent hue on Trishul, Nandaghunti and Mrigthuni. The night was spent camping there. The next day everyone descended to Lohajung, retracing the trail back. The group was at Lohajung by 11:30 a.m. After having breakfast, everyone made a return journey to Roorkee