Brahmatal Lake Trek
Level: Easy
BRAHMATAL TREK
GARHWAL HIMALAYAS
Altitude: 3750 MTRS
Embark on the Brahmatal Trek via Partha Village, where you'll traverse through dense forests, serene high-altitude lakes, and majestic Himalayan vistas. This 6-day journey offers a perfect blend of adventure and tranquility, culminating in the breathtaking beauty of Brahmatal. Ideal for those seeking an offbeat Himalayan experience.
5 N / 6 D
Daily Departure: 14 November 2024 – 14 March 2025.
₹7919/-
OFFER - FREE RUCKSACK worth 2000/-*
Extra Benefits worth 500/-*
Brief Description
Some of our top treks are favourites because of the mountain views they offer. Think of Chaukhambha from Deoriatal Chandrashila or Bandarpoonch from Dayara Bugyal. It is difficult to find such magnified views of big mountains like these.
Here is why. Right on your second day, you climb out of the beautiful rhododendron and oak forest to see a white wall of the Trishul massif. And these views only come closer as you traverse the ridge towards Jhandi Top.
At Jhandi top, you are almost at the center of the mountain views. To your right rises the massive Mt Trishul and to your left stands Mt Nanda Ghunti. You even see the Ronti Saddle, the ridge that connects Mt Trishul and Mt Nanda Ghunti!
That is not all. At the highest point of the Brahmatal trek, Brahmatal Top, a new set of mountains open themselves up before you. You see Mt Neelkanth, and Mt Hathi Ghoda… while Trishul and Nanda Ghunti are to your right. Always there.
Image Gallery!!
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SHORT ITINERARY BRAHMATAL TREK
DAY 01- Pickup Dehradun Railway Station Morning 06:00 Am |Drive to Lohajung Base via
Rishikesh , Devparyag, rudarpayarg, karnaparga Lohajung
Drive Distance: 280 km | Duration: 09-10 hours | 7589 ft -Overnight Stay Hotel at Lohajung –
Twin Sharing or Three Sharing-four sharing
DAY 02 – Trek from Lohajung to Bekaltal Camp 01 | Trek Distance: 06 km | Trek Time: 4/5 hours
| Altitude 9,947 ft | Overnight Stay Camp – Twin Sharing or Three Sharing
DAY 03 – Trek from Bekaltal to Brahmatal Base Camp 02 via Jhandi Top | Trek Distance: 07 km |
Trek Time: 6/7 hours | Altitude 10,318 ft | Overnight Stay Camp – Twin Sharing or Three Sharing
DAY 04 – Early Morning 4:30 am Trek from Brahmatal Base Camp to Brahmatal Summit Peak
Summit –12250 ft |After Summit – Back to Daldam Base Camp 3- Trek Distance: 08 km | Trek
Time : 7/8 hours | Altitude 8,498 ft | Overnight Stay Camp – Twin Sharing or Three Sharing
DAY 05– Trek from Daldam Camp to Lohajung Hotel | Trek Distance: 03 km | Trek Time: 2/3
– Twin Sharing or Three Sharing
hours | Altitude 7,589 ft | Overnight Stay Hotel DAY 06 – Drive Back from Lohajung to Dehradun via Rishikesh Drive Distance: 280 km | Drive
Duration: 09-10hours | Drop point for trekkers: Dehradun Railway Station
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Easy-Moderate
Suitable for Fit Beginners
At Pahadi Hikes, while rating a trek difficulty we consider a number of factors. These include altitude gained every day, length of trek everyday, highest altitude, nature of the terrain, weather etc. Based on this we rate a trek as easy or difficult or somewhere in between.
Brahmatal trek climbs to 12,250 feet and we rate it as Easy-Moderate. This rating refers to marginally longer trekking days with a few steep climbs in between. So, the Brahmatal trek is a notch more difficult than the easy-moderate treks like Kedarkantha and Dayara Bugyal. But it has easy exits and there are no technical sections.
Coming to the details, you will cover a total of around 23 km in four days during which you will gain approximately 4,650 feet. On average, you will trek 7 km every day, which will include ascents and descents.
| Note: Like any other Himalayan trek, the difficulty level on Brahmatal too increases when you are doing the trek in the snow.
In winters, you will climb this trail buried in knee-deep snow. Although it does not require the support of technical staff, you will need proper safety equipment to negotiate it.
So, when talking about safety, there are two things you need to keep in mind — endurance and trekking in snow. Like other high-altitude treks, being physically fit is a must otherwise you will miss out on the beauty of this trek due to fatigue. Click here to know how to get fit for the Brahmatal trek.
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While climbing to the peak through the thick snow, ensure you wear your microspikes. Hard snow is extremely prone to slips. A small slip can result in injuries like a ligament tear, a sprained ankle or even a fracture. Always put your foot on footholds made by earlier trekkers. Look out for deep footholds. Do not try to make new paths of your own.
| Note: If you are trekking with Indiahikes, your Trek Leader will tell you when to wear the microspikes. Indiahikes technical team will lead in this section to make the footholds required for trekkers to step on.
AMS: At altitudes above 10,000 ft, the chances of being hit by Acute Mountain Sickness are real. Altitude sickness does not distinguish between a first timer and an experienced trekker. Even experienced trekkers can get affected. Fitness helps in making your trek easier. But do not forget that even a fit person climbing too high too soon runs an equal risk of developing AMS.
Some symptoms to watch out for: (a) Persistent headache (b) Feeling fatigued or weak (c) Feel nauseous or vomiting (d) Feeling dizzy or lightheaded, often while sitting up or standing suddenly (e) You don’t feel like eating, you have a loss of appetite (f) You don’t sleep very well at night.
The itinerary of the Brahmatal trek allows you to acclimatize well. And yet, you must stay alert for any signs of AMS.
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Brahmatal Trek in Winter
Day time: Between 8 °C and 10 °C | Night time: Will drop to temperatures between 0 °C and -8 °C.
Presence of snow: You will find snow from the base camp towards the end of December. The entire landscape and valley will be in white
No. of warm layers required: 5 warm layers
When most treks in the Himalayas shut during peak winters – January and February, Brahmatal stays accessible. It remains open from December to February and then into spring.
And that’s a treat because winter snow is heavenly on the Brahmatal trek. Although it makes the trek a notch more difficult. But the experience is still worth it.
In winters, oak and rhododendron trees stoop under the weight of the snow lending a Narnia-like vibe to the trek. And this happens as soon as you set off from Lohajung.
Apart from the snow, the sight of the frozen Bekaltal lake is mesmerising. Standing by it gives the impression of being frozen in time. But be careful about stepping on this frozen lake. Depending on the month, the ice may or may not be hard enough to support your weight.
Another highlight of winters is camping on the snow at Tilandi with spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Unlike autumn, now the vibrant colours are reflected on the white, snowy landscape.
And last year, trekkers filled their Instagram feeds with images of this campsite covered in snow.
On the flip side, Brahmatal lake or top may not be accessible in the peak winters due to snow. But regardless of that fact, you will be able to witness the beauty of this trek from the ridge and the Tilandi campsite. And that’s fulfilling in itself.
Brahmatal Trek in Autumn
Day time: Between 10 °C and 15 °C | Night time: Will drop to temperatures between 0 °C and -5 °C
Presence of snow: You will not find any snow in the autumn season
No. of warm layers required: 4 warm layers
The flowers you witnessed in spring would have wilted and vanished in autumn, leaving a dark canopy of the rhododendron and oak trees. In this season, the trees start shedding leaves, offering a distinct crunch to your step as you walk over them.
With that setting in place, look up at the mountain views. They’re the highlight in autumn, at their clearest post-monsoon when the air is free from haze.
In this season, watch out for the ridge that Sandhya mentioned earlier in the trek guide. This ridge runs parallel to Ali Bugyal of the famed Roopkund trail. From here you can see the grand Trishul range rise over Asia’s largest meadow. It is a breathtaking experience.
Further up the trek, as you reach Jhandi top, brilliant mountain views of Mt Chaukhamba, Mt Neelkanth, and Mt Hathi Ghoda open up under the blue autumn sky.
There’s one more aspect of autumn that not many talks about, sunrises and sunsets. They are the most vibrant during autumn. Especially at the Tilandi campsite, simply because it is situated on the ridge.
Words fall short, but watch out for the sunset when you reach Tilandi. It is a dramatic affair. The sun splashes vibrant crimson hues across the sky. And the next morning, wake up early to watch the golden sunrise on the other side.
Lastly, autumn is also a great season if you like empty trails. But it’s not empty for the whole of autumn. For a quiet experience, aim for dates after Dusshera/Diwali vacation and before winter sets in. During this time the Brahmatal trail is at its emptiest.
Brahmatal Trek in Spring
Day time: Between 15 °C and 18 °C | Night time: Will drop to temperatures between 0 °C and 5 °C
Great time to experience the last of the winter snow. The snow starts to recede from the lower campsites when spring sets. The upper reaches of Brahmatal are still under snow
No. of warm layers required: 3 warm layers
While Deoriatal-Chandrashila pops up in discussions when we talk about rhododendrons, not many know that Brahmatal too is a charming trek to do in spring. Its slopes are lined with rhododendrons (Buransh). And in spring, the slopes look fiery with rhodos blooming dark pink and crimson. Imagine this in the backdrop of receding snow!
But you won’t see these flowers throughout the trek. Although, you may start spotting lonesome trees in bloom from Lohajung itself!
After that, as you begin your trek, watch out for the section between Bekaltal and Tilandi. Here, just as you step out of Bekaltal, you enter a rhodo forest and the blooming flowers form a canopy over your head as you trek.
Finally, watch out for rhodos towards the end of the trek, around Khorurai.
For a magical experience, trek to Brahmatal in early spring (March). So that you get to trek on snow even as you see the flowers in bloom. During this time, you will find snow in sections upwards of Tilandi. As the season goes by, snow recedes to the higher altitude, around the Brahmatal lake which lies at 12,250 ft.
By mid-April, most of the snow on the trail and around it has melted.
| Note: Although you can access Brahmatal in summers, it’s not a great season to experience the trek. During monsoons, the trek becomes inaccessible due to the rains. That brings us to the next season – autumn.
Click here to download Trek essentials for the trek.
