#TripototakemetoHimalayas - Roopkund Trek: Paradise on earth 

I could not, not take a picture here.

And yes, keep good care of your Mom's Tupperware.

That night we camped at Bedni Bugyal. And to no surprise the sky was lit. My neck hurt from looking up at the twinkly sky. We also got a chance to see the mighty Trisul.

Gazing them graze

On our way to Bedni top

Here, I present to you, Mt. Kaalidak. If you're lucky enough, you'll see the clouds dancing around the mountains, rather putting a good show.

Sipping soup with a view.

Day 5: Bhagwabasa - 14,100ft.

The steep ascent from Patar to Kalu Vinayak temple is going to test you, like for real. It's no piece of cake for someone who is new to trekking. But with the adrenaline rush that the view gives,  can be quite an experience.

Bhagwabasa is known for it's unpredictable weather and rocky terrain. If you're lucky enough, and the sky is clear, you can sight Mt. Trisul and Nanda Ghunti from the campsite.

Trisul seen from Bhagwabasa

Sunset from Bhagwabasa was something I can never forget. Even though I'm known for my bad memory, this very moment is etched deep in my heart.

It's 3:55 am and we are attempting the summit.

We March towards our goal, taking baby steps, to ensure we don't get tired easily. With spikes on, it's still getting sloppy as we're walking on snow.

I’d be lying if I told you that I had an easy climb. I struggled to get there. I could feel my thoughts pulling me back. I just couldn’t get math out of my head. For some reason, I didn’t even try to. I felt like a failure, literally. I had drowned myself into a negative spiral which I couldn’t move forward from, mentally and physically. But then I turned around to see how far I had actually come. How many days of efforts I put in to get here. My heart convinced my body that 500ft. more was just as easy as Justin Beiber's lip sync. And this beautiful sunrise, somehow gave me the strength to keep moving.

Roopkund from Junar Gali.

Theories, theories and theories. There are many of those floating (not literally) mysteries that makes Roopkund Lake so fascinating. Teasing and haunting scientists and travellers, the 300 odd skeletons discovered in and around the lake seem to have cropped up from thin air.

1.)The Angry Goddess- You can choose to believe in the haunting story that the locals tell you. In their words, “Once upon a time, in medieval ages, a king named Jasdhawal started off on a pilgrimage tour of Nanda Devi. He wanted to pay respect to the goddess, for he was about to be blessed by the birth of a child. While local priests warned him against taking a noisy troupe to the sacred site, he paid no heed. As expected, the goddess was infuriated by the gaudy show of festivity and pomp, thus, slayed them all. The king, his queen and their yet to be born child were killed on the trek, with the whole entourage.” There’s a stack of bangles and other ornaments that have been found near the remains, confirming the fact that there were many women in the group. So if you believe in the divine or supernatural, this is the story to stick by. Take a local or two along with you on this trek and hear the story at night time, as you sit by a fire at the lake side. I assure you of rapidly rising goosebumps if nothing else.

2.) Hailstorm- A research undertaken in the year 1942 shed some light on the mystery of the skeletons and corpses found in and around the lake. Going by it, a sudden, intense hail storm caught an unlucky group of trekkers, leading them to sudden, painful death. X-Ray and other tests conducted on the skeletons showed cracks in the skull bones, suggesting hailstones as big as the size of cricket balls! With almost no cover to run to even in current times and the last habitable village some 35 km away, you can very well imagine the plight of a group stuck in the melee. Going by those numbers, the death storm must have come around 850 AD, wiping the group off Earth’s face.

Junar Gali - 16,040 ft.

But the most compelling reason to go with a trekking group isn’t the summit to Roopkund; it’s going further up to Junar Gali. While this might be the toughest part of the entire trek, Junar Gali is a must-do if you’re fit enough and up for the challenge. The short and steep trip up is doable with the right equipment and technical guides to help you with ropes on the trickier parts.

Junar Gali is the best place to view both Trisul and Nanda Ghunti – Trisul is, quite literally, right in front of you.

For you, it might just be a picture of some clouds and mountains. For me, it's that moment when I cried like a baby without breaking my heart. As I turned around to see how much I had come ahead, how much I had actually struggled to get there, my nerves gushed with ecstasy. Tired lungs filled with life. Eyes moist and nose wet. Hard to believe that THIS, was for real. With this simple frame composed with loads of memory, all I truly wish is that you feel what I felt at this very moment. Maybe someday, somewhere, with more magic in it.

Also, I went on this trip with IndiaHikes.

For all the details regarding this trip

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