Brahmatal Trek

• Rail: Kathgodam is the nearest railway station to the base camp of Lohajung. You can take direct train from Delhi to reach the station. Ranikhet Express is one of the trains that leaves from Old Delhi station at 10:40 pm and reaches Kathgodam at 6:30 am. From here on, you have a road trip of 8-10 hours to reach Lohajung. So plan your trip accordingly so as to reach the base camp on time.

• Road: The road journey from Delhi to Kathgodam or Haldwani is about 8 hours long. There are frequent bus services that you can book from Delhi. You can further hire a cab or take a bus to Lohajung, which will take approximately 8-10 hours on road.

Base Camp: Lohajung Village

Difficulty: Moderate Gradient

Highest point of trek: 11,000 feet

Nearest Railhead: 217 km

Region: Chamoli District

Snow: You will find enough amount of snow in winters here that makes this trip as a perfect winter trek. It usually snows during the month of December here with patches of snow till the month of March.

Starting point of trek: Lohajung Village

Day 1: Kathgodam to Lohajung

Distance: 217 km, Duration: 8-9 hours

As you reach Kathgodam, you can take a bus from there till Lohajung or hitch a ride in a shared taxi till Lohajung or Wan (ahead of Lohajung) or Deval (an hour from Lohajung). Taxis are easily available from Deval till base camp. There is also an option of direct taxi from Kathgodam till Lohajung. The road trip, although a bit long and tiring, offers some amazing sights passing via lovely places like Bhimtal, Kausani, Almora, Baijnath. Take a pit stop at Kausani (138 km from Kathgodam) while enjoying the splendid view of Himalayan ranges; you will be able to spot Kamet and Panchachuli ranges such as Nandaghunti, Trishul, Mrigthuni and Ghori Parvat, Hathi Parvat etc. The place is also famous for its tea factory and locally made shawls. While on your way to Lohajung, you will pass through Gwaldam and Deval. At Deval is the last ATM you will find during the trip. However, just in case itÕs not working, better withdraw cash at Gwaldam. Now, itÕs an hour journey till Lohajung from Deval. As you will reach Lohajung, the beauty of Nandaghunti peak will leave you in awe, especially during the sunset when the peak is glowing under the different hues of sun. In case you forgot to carry gloves, cap or even a jacket, there is a small shop which sells all such products. A certain part of village have mobile network. According to the locals, at this place Goddess Parvati had a war with a demon named Lohasur, thus deriving its name which means, Ôwar with LohasurÕ. The village also serves as the centre point for as many as 12 to 15 nearby villages.

Day 2: Lohajung to Bekaltal

Distance: 6.3 km, Duration: 4-5 hours

Your trek begins on this day from the central market or the chowk, where you will climb up the hill from Bisht general Stores (300 deg NW of compass direction). The track is well laid made of stone. Pass through the upper regions of the village and then through the trail marked by the forest with few more houses. After trudging for a while, you will come across the Mandoli Village towards your left. Keep ascending higher and you will spot Kail Valley on your left along with Pindari River. Keep following the water pipes that supply water to Lohajung and after a while you will encounter a cluster of home called Budla on your left. The part of this trail is adorned with rhododendron tree making it a very pretty picture from February to March. Once you have covered an altitude of 2,590 m, you will spot a 10 meter bridge known as Link-gaad right across the Stream. Cross the bridge and walk for another two hours to reach Begum, where you can rest for a sometime while admiring the beautiful views of Navali Bugyal (145o SSE) and Bagdi Bugyal (125o SE). A walk of 10-15 minutes from here will lead you to another stream, which is almost an hour away from Gujrani stream. Walk from approximately 75 minute from Gurani stream and you are at Bekaltal, a lovely late set amidst of the oak forest exhibiting sheer beauty. The lake is almost frozen during the winters. It serves as a perfect place to camp for the night, especially near an adjacent lake Khopdaliya.

Day 3: Bekaltal to Khabekhal or Brahmtal

Distance: 2.7 km, Duration: 3-4 hours

As per the climatic condition, you can decide whether to camp at Brahmatal Lake or at Khabekhal. If you are trekkinh during winters, the snow will slow down the trek to 3-4 hours from Bekaltal to Khabekhal. Once you have reached Bekaltal, proceed in the North West direction at 330 deg. Pass through the oak forest in an hour arriving at Telandi (3,236 m). Keep trudging in the same direction. If you are camping at Khabekhal then descend down towards your right where you will encounter roofless broken stone houses.

Day 4: Khabekhal to Daldum via Brahmtal Peak

Distance: 5 km, Duration: 7 hours

Your first destination of the day is Brahmatal towards which you will proceed first. While on the way to the lake, you can opt to come back to campsite and carry only your backpack to further descend to Daldum. Soon you will arrive at Chota Jhandidar in 50 minutes perched at an altitude of 3,401 ft. You will also encounter on the way, the Bada Jhandidar. The trail with valleys on both the sides will lead you to Brahmatal in approximately 2.5 hours. The view while you are trekking is magnificent with Mt. Trishul on your right tagging close to Nandaghunti. If you are lucky enough to encounter a clear day, you can have a clear view of the mighty Himalayan range as well. Anotjer 3 hours from Brahmatal will take you to your campsite Daldum and a trek of 2.7 hours will lead you from Khabekhal to Daldum campsite.

Day 5: Daldum to Lohajung

Distance: 3.7 km, Duration: 2.5 hours

Depart from the beautifully located Daldum campsite flanked by trek on all sides towards the Lohajung, which is about 3.7 km trek away and can be covered in about 2.5 hours. Keep descending along the trail in the South East direction at 120 deg. You will arrive at Malling after about 20-30 minutes just outside the forest region. You will be able to spot a few villages from here down below. After an hour into the trek, you will reach a small settlement with some house, Burali. Soon you will be walking along the man made trail that will finally lead you to Lohajung.

Day 6: Lohajung to Kathgodam

Distance: 217 km, Duration: 8-9 hours

Finally itÕs time to say goodbye to the place head back to Kathgodam from Lohajung.