Day 1: Arrival To Lohajung
- Distance: —
- Altitude: 2,300 m (7,546 ft)
Lohajung
Lohajung
A 5-day winter trek to a frozen lake at 10,440 ft, with Trishul and Nanda Ghunti in front of you all the way to the top
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Starts from Lohajung5 Days
Starts from Rishikesh5 Days
+ ₹1,500 per person
Starts from Delhi7 Days
+ ₹3,500 per person
Price per person
Pricing for Indian₹6,00016% OFF
₹5,000/ person
GST (0%) included in total
Book now by paying only ₹2,000 · 40% advance
BMC/AMC certified leaders 20,000+ trekkers Safety first
Remaining ₹3,000 is payable before the trek starts.
Brahmatal Trek · 5 days · Starts from Lohajung
What you get when you book Brahmatal Trek with TrekYaari
Why this trek
Four reasons trekkers choose Brahmatal Trek.
The highest point of the Brahmatal Trek.
Starts and ends at Rishikesh, about 30 km on foot.
Oct to Dec, Jan to Mar
Suitable for 12 years and above.
Lohajung
Lohajung
Bekaltal
Bekaltal
Brahmatal Lake
Brahmatal Lake
Daldum
Daldum
Brahmatal is a 5-day winter trek in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, starting from Lohajung village. You camp beside two lakes, Bekaltal and Brahmatal, and climb to a ridge top at about 3,718 m with Mt. Trishul and Nanda Ghunti right in front of you. From January to March, Brahmatal Lake usually freezes over.
It is a good second trek after Kedarkantha, or a first winter trek for anyone with basic fitness. The days are moderate, the forest is thick with oak and rhododendron, and the big peaks stay in view for most of the walk.

| Max altitude | 3,734 m (12,250 ft) |
| Duration | 5 days / 4 nights |
| Total distance | 30 km |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Base village | Rishikesh, Uttarakhand |
| Pickup | Lohajung / Rishikesh / Delhi |
| Best time | Oct to Dec, Jan to Mar |
| Temperature | About −2 to 5°C by day, −10 to −15°C at night (January) |
| Price from | ₹ 5,000 (Lohajung to Lohajung) |
| Quick fact | Detail |
| Lakes on the way | Bekaltal and Brahmatal |
Brahmatal is in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, in the Garhwal Himalaya. The trek starts from Lohajung, a small village at about 2,300 m on the road past Dewal. Lohajung is also the base for Roopkund and Ali Bedni Bugyal, so the village is used to trekkers.
The lake sits at about 3,180 m, tucked below a ridge that looks straight across at Mt. Trishul and Nanda Ghunti. The ridge top, at about 3,718 m, is the highest point of the trek.
Brahmatal gives you a frozen lake, deep snow and two 6,000–7,000 m peaks in view, in just five days. Most winter treks give you one or two of these. This one gives you all three.
The trail also changes a lot in a short distance. You start in dense oak forest, walk past a quiet lake at Bekaltal, cross open ridges with long views, and end at a lake below the big peaks. It never feels repetitive.
Since 2021, we have run Brahmatal every winter, with daily batches in peak season.
The trail leaves Lohajung and climbs through oak and rhododendron forest to Bekaltal, a small lake in a forest clearing. On Day 3 the trees thin out and the trail follows open ridges to Brahmatal Lake.
Summit day starts before dawn. You climb to the ridge top at about 3,718 m in time for sunrise over Trishul, then walk down to the campsite at Daldum. On Day 5 you descend through the forest back to Lohajung.
In our winter batches, most groups reach the top in the morning.
The view from the top is the reason to do Brahmatal. Mt. Trishul fills the sky right in front of you, with Nanda Ghunti beside it. On a clear morning you can see far along the Garhwal range.
It is cold and windy at the Khamila top, so most groups spend 15–20 minutes taking photos before heading down.
Bekaltal (2,953 m) is a small lake hidden in the forest, about 7 km from Lohajung. It is quiet, sheltered, and most trekkers don't expect it to be this pretty.
Brahmatal Lake (3,182 m) is the main lake of the trek. In January and February it is usually frozen solid, with snow all around and Trishul above it.
Daldum (2,316 m) is where we camp after summit day, on the way down.
The name Brahmatal means "Brahma's lake". Local belief says Lord Brahma meditated on the shore of this lake. Lohajung has its own story: locals say Goddess Parvati fought and defeated the demon Lohasur here, which gave the village its name.
Lohajung is a small mountain village with a few guesthouses, shops and a view down the valley. It wakes up early in trekking season, with groups setting off for Brahmatal, Roopkund and Ali Bedni Bugyal.
The lower trail runs through oak and rhododendron forest, with deodar and pine in places. In March and April, the rhododendrons flower red and pink along the trail. In winter the same forest is under snow.
The area is home to the Himalayan monal and many smaller birds. Larger animals like the Himalayan black bear live in these forests too, but sightings are rare. Keep noise low and never leave food or waste behind.
Brahmatal suits you if you have done one easy trek and want more snow and bigger views, or if you are a fit first-timer looking for a proper winter trek.
You don't need trekking experience, but you do need basic fitness. You should be able to walk 5–6 hours a day on uphill trails and run 5 km in 40 minutes before the trek. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or asthma, talk to your doctor before booking.
Brahmatal is cold through the trekking season. Days are often bright and sunny, while nights at camp drop well below freezing from December to February. These are typical ranges for the Lohajung–Brahmatal area and can change from year to year.
Month | Day | Night | Snow |
October | 10 to 16°C | 0 to −4°C | Rare |
November | 6 to 12°C | −4 to −8°C | Light, late in the month |
December | 2 to 8°C | −6 to −12°C | Snow from Bekaltal upwards |
January | −2 to 5°C | −10 to −15°C | Deep snow, lake frozen |
February | −1 to 6°C | −8 to −14°C | Deep snow, lake frozen |
March | 3 to 10°C | −5 to −8°C | Snow on the upper trail |
Ranges taken from our past 6 years of experience and recordings.
January and February are the coldest and snowiest months on Brahmatal. Daytime temperatures hover around −2 to 6°C, and nights at camp drop to −10°C or lower. Snow usually covers the trail from Bekaltal upwards, and Brahmatal Lake is frozen.
Pack in layers: thermal base layers, a fleece, a down jacket rated for sub-zero, a waterproof shell, insulated gloves, a woollen cap and spare socks for camp. The deepest snow our team has seen at Brahmatal Lake is about 3-4 ft.
At the top around sunrise in peak winter, expect roughly −10 to −15°C, with wind that makes it feel colder. You will have climbed for 2–3 hours in the dark by then.
Wear every layer for the summit push, with a balaclava or buff over your face. Keep your phone and power bank in an inside pocket; batteries drain fast in this cold.
The best time for Brahmatal is January to March if you want snow and a frozen lake, and October to December if you want clearer skies and milder cold.
Month | What to expect | Batches |
October–November | Clear skies, little snow | Weekend, Weekdays |
December | First snow, New Year batches | Daily |
January | Deepest snow, lake frozen, coldest nights | Daily |
February–March | Snow and frozen lake, fewer crowds | Weekend, Weekdays |
April–September | Clear skies, no snow | Only customized batches |
December brings the first real snow to Brahmatal, usually from the middle of the month. The lake may or may not be frozen yet, depending on the year.
Christmas and New Year batches are popular, so book early. In most of our seasons, the first good snow has reached Brahmatal Lake around first week of December.
January is peak Brahmatal. The trail is under snow from Bekaltal upwards, Brahmatal Lake is usually frozen solid, and the meadows below the summit are white. If you have seen photos of Brahmatal, they were probably taken in January.
The trade-off is the cold: nights at camp drop to −10°C or lower. Fresh snowfall can sometimes make the summit unsafe; your trek leader will decide on the day.
February is as snowy as January, with fewer people on the trail. The days start to get a little longer, which makes summit day easier.
By March the snow begins to melt on the lower trail, but the upper ridges and the lake area usually stay white. Late March brings the first rhododendrons in the forest. Nights are milder, around −5 to −8°C.
In April the last snow melts off the upper trail and the rhododendron forest is in full bloom. From May the trail is green, with warm days and cool nights, but the lake is no longer frozen and haze can hide the peaks by afternoon. We only operates customized batch during summer months. Trekkers usually prefer summer treks during this season which are mostly available in Himachal Region.
October and November have the clearest skies of the year. After the monsoon the air is clean, and Trishul and Nanda Ghunti stand out sharply against the blue. There is little snow, and the lake is not frozen.
Days are pleasant, around 6 to 16°C, and nights get colder through November. If views matter more to you than snow, this is the best window.
The Brahmatal route runs Rishikesh → Lohajung → Bekaltal → Brahmatal Lake → Brahmatal Top → Daldum → Lohajung. It is a loop on the upper half: you go up past the lakes and come down a different way through Daldum, so you see new trail on the descent.
The map above marks each campsite, both lakes and the summit. No technical skills are needed, but the last climb to the top is steep and usually on snow from December to March.
Day | From → To | Altitude | Gain / loss |
1 | Rishikesh → Lohajung | 2,300 m | Drive |
2 | Lohajung → Bekaltal | 2,953 m | +653 m |
3 | Bekaltal → Brahmatal Lake | 3,182 m | +229 m |
4 | Lake → Top → Daldum | 3,718 m, then 2,316 | +536 m, then −1,402 m |
5 | Daldum → Lohajung | 2,300 m | −16 m |
The climb is gentle after Day 2, which helps with acclimatisation. Day 4 has the steepest climb and the longest walk.
Both are 5-day winter treks with snow and a summit, so many people ask which one to do first.
Brahmatal | Kedarkantha | |
Highest point | 3,718 m | 3,810 m |
Lakes | Two (Bekaltal, Brahmatal) | One (Juda Ka Talab) |
Big peak in view | Trishul, Nanda Ghunti | Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch |
Base village | Lohajung (Chamoli) | Sankri (Uttarkashi) |
Summit climb | Moderate | Steeper final stretch |
Pickup | Rishikesh | Dehradun |
If it is your first winter trek, either works. Many of our trekkers do Kedarkantha first and come back for Brahmatal the next year for the closer view of Trishul.
Brahmatal is a moderate trek. You walk 4–6 hours a day for four days, cover about 30 km in total, and reach a high point of about 3,718 m. There is no rope work or technical climbing.
What makes it harder than it sounds: snow underfoot for most of the trail in peak winter, cold nights, and a long summit day of about 12 km with a steep final climb. Two days are also long road journeys, which tire you before and after the walk.
Yes, for fit beginners. The trek climbs gradually after Day 2, the daily distances are manageable, and the trail is well used. Many first-timers do Brahmatal as their first winter trek.
Preparation is what matters. Snow makes every step harder than walking on a dry trail, so start training at least four weeks before the trek. About 80% of trekkers in our Brahmatal batches are on their first trek.
The minimum age for our Brahmatal batches is 12 years. Trekkers under 18 must come with a parent or guardian. Trekkers above 40 years need a medical fitness certificate from a doctor.
Every trekker signs a medical declaration before the trek. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma or a recent surgery, check with your doctor and tell us when you book.
Your target before the trek: run 5 km in [X] minutes without stopping.
Week 1: brisk walk or slow jog for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Climb 10 floors of stairs twice a week.
Week 2: jog 3 km on 4 days. Add 3 sets of 15 squats and lunges.
Week 3: run 4 km on 4 days. Climb stairs with a 5–7 kg backpack for 20 minutes twice a week.
Week 4: run 5 km on 4 days and time yourself. Stretch daily and rest two days before travel.
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) can affect anyone above about 2,500 m, whatever their fitness. Watch for headache, nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness and unusual tiredness.
Drink 3–4 litres of water a day, walk at a slow and steady pace, and skip alcohol and smoking on the trek. At every campsite, our trek leaders check each trekker's blood pressure and oxygen level and note them on a health monitoring card. If a trekker's readings drop sharply and don't improve with rest, the leader brings them down to Lohajung for their safety.
The Brahmatal trek costs ₹5,000 per person from Lohajung, and you can book your seat with ₹2,000. Pick your package by where you want to join us:
Package | Duration | Price per person | Booking amount | What changes |
Lohajung to Lohajung | 5 days | ₹5,000 | ₹2,000 | You reach Lohajung on your own; Lohajung stay included |
Rishikesh to Rishikesh | 5 days | ₹6,500 | ₹2,000 | Adds shared transport Rishikesh–Lohajung–Rishikesh |
Delhi to Delhi | 7 days | ₹8,500 | ₹3,000 | Adds overnight Volvo Delhi–Rishikesh and back |
Lohajung is far from any big town and public transport is limited, so most trekkers find the Rishikesh package easier.
• Stay at Lohajung (guesthouse or homestay) and triple-sharing alpine or dome tents at the campsites
• All meals from Day 1 dinner to Day 5 breakfast, mostly vegetarian: bed tea, breakfast, lunch, evening tea and dinner
• Crampons and gaiters for the snow section
• A certified, experienced trek leader with the group throughout
• Forest permit and entry fees
• Transport, if you book the Rishikesh or Delhi package
• Anything not listed under What's Included
• Personal expenses: tips, phone calls, laundry, alcoholic drinks
• Personal trekking gear: shoes, poles, gloves, warm cap, jacket and backpack
• Mules or porters for your personal bag (backpack offloading is available as an add-on)
• Towels, soap and bottled water
• Costs of rescue, evacuation or medical treatment in an emergency. Our team will arrange help at once for your safety, but the cost is borne by the trekker.
• Transport Rishikesh–Lohajung–Rishikesh: ₹1,500, for trekkers on the Lohajung package
• HIKERCE winter jacket on pre-order: ₹1,000
• HIKERCE 75 L rucksack on pre-order: ₹1,500
• Backpack offloading: ₹500 per bag per day, total ₹2,000 for the whole trek
• Free with every booking: ₹500 gift voucher for your next trek
You spend the first night in a guesthouse or homestay at Lohajung and three nights in tents: at Bekaltal, Brahmatal Lake and Daldum. Meals are cooked fresh at every campsite by our kitchen team.
• Lohajung stay: Night 1 in a guesthouse or homestay, on a triple/quad sharing basis.
• Tents (3-sharing): Alpine or dome tents at Bekaltal, Brahmatal Lake and Daldum.
• Sleeping bags and mats: Insulated mats and sleeping bags rated to −10C.
• Toilet tents: Dry toilet tents at every campsite.
• Meals: Bed tea to dinner, mostly vegetarian, with hot soup every evening.
• Dining and kitchen tent: Dining and Kitchen tent at every campsite
Our cooks are mostly from Lohajung, Uttarakhand, and the dishes they make at Brahmatal Lake is the meal trekkers remember.
TrekYaari pickup is from Rishikesh; Lohajung is about 250 km away by road.
The simplest way is to reach Rishikesh the night before the trek and join our pickup the next morning. Delhi to Rishikesh is about 240 km.
• By bus: overnight Volvo and Uttarakhand Roadways buses run from Delhi (ISBT Kashmere Gate) to Rishikesh in about 6–7 hours.
• By train: trains run from Delhi to Haridwar and Yog Nagari Rishikesh. Haridwar is about 25 km from Rishikesh.
• By air: fly to Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, about 20km from Rishikesh.
We don't pick up from other cities; please reach Delhi or Rishikesh and join the group there.
Lohajung is about 270 km from Rishikesh, a drive of 10–11 hours. The road follows the Ganga and Alaknanda through Devprayag, Rudraprayag and Karnaprayag, then turns up the Pindar valley through Tharali and Dewal to Lohajung.
It is one of the longer drives among Uttarakhand treks, and public transport to Lohajung is limited. That is why most trekkers take our shared transport. In winter, snow or landslides can add hours, so keep a buffer for your return travel.
The nearest railway stations are Yog Nagari Rishikesh and Haridwar on the Rishikesh side, and Kathgodam on the Kumaon side. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun.
If you are on the Lohajung package, you can also come from the Kumaon side. Take a train to Kathgodam, then a shared taxi or bus via Almora, Kausani and Gwaldam to Lohajung, about 210 km and 8–9 hours. Plan to arrive in Lohajung by evening on Day 1.
On the Rishikesh and Delhi packages, we pick you up from Tapovan, Rishikesh at around 6:30AM to 7:30AM on Day 1 and drop you back there on Day 5 by around 10PM.
What TrekYaari provides vs what you bring. Jacket and rucksack are available on pre-purchase as add-ons.
In winter, dress in layers you can add or remove as you warm up on the climb and cool down at camp.
• Thermal base layer: 2 sets, one for walking and one kept dry for the night
• Fleece or woollen sweater: 1–2 for the middle layer
• Down or padded jacket: rated for sub-zero (available on rent from us)
• Waterproof shell or poncho: for snowfall and wind on the open ridges
• Trek pants: 2 pairs, quick-dry, plus a snow or waterproof pant from December to March
• Warm accessories: woollen cap, balaclava or buff, 3–4 pairs of woollen socks, and a sun cap
Skip cotton and jeans; once wet, they stay cold.
• Trekking shoes: high-ankle, waterproof, good grip, broken in before the trek. Sports shoes are not safe on snow.
• Gloves: waterproof outer and woollen or fleece inner
• Crampons/microspikes and gaiters: provided by us for the snow
• UV sunglasses: snow glare on the open ridges is strong
• Trekking poles: one or two, to save your knees on the descent
• Camp shoes or floaters for the evenings
• Backpack: 50–60 L with a rain cover, plus a small daypack for summit day
• Headlamp with spare batteries
• Two 1-litre water bottles or a bottle and a hydration bladder
• Power bank, kept inside your jacket in the cold
• Sunscreen (SPF 50), lip balm, wet wipes and a quick-dry towel
• Personal medicines and motion-sickness tablets for the long drive
• Original government photo ID, plus the signed medical and disclaimer forms
• Cash: there is no ATM in Lohajungis located in Dewal or Tharali.
• HIKERCE winter jacket: ₹1,000
• HIKERCE 75 L rucksack: ₹1,500
Crampons and gaiters are already included.
Every Brahmatal batch is led by a trek leader certified in mountaineering (BMC/AMC) and trained in wilderness first aid. Our leaders have 3–12 years of experience on Himalayan trails.
They set the pace, read the weather and make the call on summit day. If the snow or wind makes the climb unsafe, they turn the group back, and that decision is final. You can see each leader's profile on our Team page.
At every campsite, our trek leaders check each trekker's blood pressure and oxygen level and note them on a health monitoring card. Tracking these readings day by day shows us early if something is changing. If a trekker's readings drop sharply and don't improve with rest, the leader brings them down to Lohajung for their safety.
Our team carries a pulse oximeter, a BP monitor, a portable oxygen cylinder, a stocked first-aid kit with altitude medicines, and a stretcher for emergencies. Every trekker gets crampons or microspikes and gaiters for the snow section.
We run Brahmatal with our own team, not through a local contractor. In case of not operating directly, we choose trusted partners on ground.
Every batch has an emergency plan: the evacuation route back to Lohajung, the nearest road head and the nearest medical help at Dewal / Tharali. Our office stays in touch with the field team throughout, and families can reach us on 1800 889 1805.
Carry these documents to the trek. Your trek leader checks them at Lohajung before we start.
• Photo ID proof: an original government ID (Aadhaar, passport, driving licence or voter ID) and one photocopy, needed for the forest permit
• Medical certificate: download the form, get it signed by a registered doctor and bring it along
• Disclaimer form: download, read, sign and bring it on Day 1
• Forest permit: included in your package; we arrange it for the whole group
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