2009-10-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

Garhwal: Roopkund - Homkund - Ronti Saddle

BY

"MILES TO GO"

Trek Information
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Trek Name: Roopkund - Homkund - Ronti Saddle

Location: Uttarakhand - Garhwal Region

Nearest Base City/Village: Lohajung / Wan

River: Neel Ganga, Rup Ganga/Rupkini, Nandakini

Peaks Visible: Trishul I, II, III, Nandaghunti, Ronti, Chowkhamba, Mandani Twins, Neelkanth, Bandarpunch

Glaciers: Shilasamudra

Itinerary
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Day 1: Board Bagh Express from Howrah

Day 2: On Train

Day 3: Reach Haldwani -> Reach Lohajung via Almora, Koushani, Gwaldam, Deval by Jeep (Stay in GMVN)

Day 4: Lohajung -> Kulling -> Didna (Camp)

Day 5: Didna -> Tolpani -> Ali Bugyal -> Bedni Bugyal (Camp)

Day 6: Bedni Bugyal -> Ghora Lotani -> Pathar Nachuni -> Kailu Binayak -> Bhaguabasa -> Rani-Ka-Sulera -> Huniathar (Camp)

Day 7: Rest and Acclimatization Day (Camp)

Day 8: Huniathar -> Chirianag -> Roopkund -> Junargali Pass -> Shilasamudra (Camp)

Day 9: Shilasamudra -> Gheuthappan -> Dodang (Camp)

Day 10: Dodang -> Homkund -> Ronti Saddle -> Homkund -> Dodang -> Chandania Ghat (Camp)

Day 11: Chandania Ghat -> Bhujani -> Latakhopri (Camp)

Day 12: Latakhopri -> Tatra Village (Camp)

Day 13: Tatra Village -> Bhuna -> Kukina Khal -> Wan (Trek) -> Lohajung (By Jeep, Stay in GMVN)

Day 14: Lohajung -> Gwaldam via Deval by Jeep -> Nainital via Koushani, Almora, Bhawali by Jeep (Stay in Youth Hostel)

Day 15: Nainital -> Kathgodam by Jeep -> Board Bagh Express

Day 16: On Train

Day 17: Reach Howrah

Team Members
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From left to right, top row to bottom row:-
Sujit Basak (Calm and quiet but running a lot)
Joy Karmakar (The most enthusiast person)
Binayak Mitra (Binu, only trek, no expedition)
Abhik Das (Abhi, proven himself)
Supratim Roy (Me, Accountant cum Cashier cum Manager cum .....)
Raja Majumdar (Music dude)
Arindam Dhar (Ari, the least clothed person)
Sanjay Mitra (Sanju baba)
Shadidul Haque (Palash)
Kshiteesh Kirtikar (The only doctor in the team)
Gautam Das (Going to end bachelor life)
Tapas Chowdhury (Bapi da)
M. R. Molla (Loughs and helps to lough)

First row, left to right:-
Anish Banerjee (The Diamox man)
Saugata Acherjee (D cold man)
Gautam Da(X-Army man)

Day by Day trip Report

We, a group from Kolkata, already done the Goecha La (Oct, 2008) and Singali La (Mar, 2009) treks all together, this year decided to do the Roopkund route in September 2009. But going upto Roopkund and not visiting Ronti Saddle, this matter was biting some of us. Many had the leave issues too. So at last, after lots of arguments and consecutive meetings, we decided to make it group wise. First group went around first of September, reached Roopkund and returned. T rest of us, around 12 members, started on 25th of September, this was the Saptami of Durgapuja. Another guy named Kshiteesh Kirtikar (we used to call him KK, he is a nice singer too) from Mumbai joined us at Haldwani. We too have two groups among us, six members will return from Roopkund and the rest seven members will proceed for Ronti Saddle.

27th September:
On 25th September at 9:45 PM we boarded Howrah - Kathgodam Bagh Express, the worst one, and reached Haldwani on 27th morning at around 8:00 AM. KK found us soon.

We will be going Lohajung today, the base of our trek. Two cabs ware pre-booked from a car operator of Deval. They charged 6500 INR for two cabs.

After getting fresh, we get on the cabs and started from Haldwani at around 10:00 AM. We stopped for breakfast at around 11:00 AM, soon after crossing Kathgodam and at Kaushani for Lunch at around 2:00 PM. Guys ware enjoying, gossiping and taking snaps, me too.

Haldwani to Lohajung is a long distance. When we reached Deval to meet the car operator and pay him, it was already dark then. Soon rain get started, our sacks get wet more or less as we didn't covered the luggage over the head of the cabs. When we reached Lohajung, it was around 8:00 PM on the watch.

Our guide, Dev Singh of Kulling Village, was waiting for us. As soon as we reached, he and his men came and helped us to get the luggage down from the cabs. GMVN was pre-booked too and we get there soon as it was still raining.

Roopkund - Homkund - Ronti Saddle, The Mythological Path