“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

Helen Keller

This quote perfectly suits our traveler and his story for the day. While many of us can only think of embarking upon such daring experiences, some of us do. Whether you prefer some company while being on the road or love being alone, we ensure you are going to love this adventure to Roopkund. 

File this under India travel horror or spooky stories, at least some part of it, if you will. 

Shubham Negi is a resident of Dehradun and is an avid travel enthusiast and loves adventure sports. So much so that he has taken professional paragliding courses. Also passionate about trekking and hiking, he prefers to travel solo. 

With the sudden urge to leave for adventure one morning; Shubham packed his bags and got himself on the road, and drove all the way (250 km) to the Wan; the last village in the Chamoli District, Uttarakhand, which took him about 6 to 8 hours to reach. He stayed there for the night. Now to your and our surprise he didn’t stay at some hostel, he was taken in by a group of villagers. They were kind enough, giving him food, water, and a place to stay the night. They shared the legends and tales by the fire and gave him generous hospitality. 

The next morning he started his hike with the bare minimum and the goal was to reach Bedni Bugyal.  

Being situated at the altitude of 11,000 feet, the route to this meadow is through exquisitely beautiful forests of rhododendron and oak. It is a perfect campsite and the Bedni Kund offers the most riveting reflection of the Trishul Peak.

However, Shubham did not stop here, he planned to hike up to Roopkund which is at a massive height of 15,600 feet. Located in the lap of Trishul massif, it is extremely famous for being the most uninhabitable place for humans. 

Surrounded by rock-strewn glaciers and snow-clad mountains; Roopkund is broadly known for the many old human skeletons found at the edge of the lake. The human skeletal remains are noticeable at its base when the snow melts. Research by and large focuses on a semi-unbelievable occasion where a gathering of individuals were killed in an unexpected, brutal hailstorm in the 9th century. Which gave it its name, the skeleton lake. 

With absolutely no food and not enough water, his spirits started to slowly break down. High altitude, low temperature, and less oxygen made it more difficult to continue. The peak seemed farther and farther away; disheartenedly he faced the reality that he wouldn’t be able to make it this time and decided to turn backward. Upon his downward journey, he met some shepherds who were shocked to know that he even made it that far with no supplies. 

However, upon returning home, he had huge regret that he couldn’t make it to the top. But not for long. He is nothing if not daring and persistent and made it his sole ambition to finally get there. 

And he did. 

In the year 2020, he revisited and hiked again and this time he made it to the Roopkund.

He describes seeing Himalayan Ibex, as a “magical moment”, since they are rarely sighted. And yes to all the readers wondering, he did see the human skeletons. 

When asked how safe is solo traveling, he says, it’s not very safe and convenient, but he likes it that way. He has been hiking and traveling for the past 3 years and says it is the best activity. 

This trip cost him roughly INR 3000-4000 inclusive of traveling, food, and lodging. And he says the accommodation is quite cheap, with INR 400-500 per night Anyhow, Wan is the last village you will cross and the last point where you could get accommodation. So be prepared!!

For more photos and videos check out Shubham Negi’s Instagram handle: @travelfitwithshubham

Hiking to Roopkund has been exhilarating for Shubham and his perseverance is an inspiration to us all. 

For more such exciting stories stay tuned and follow us on our Instagram handle: @indiachalk