A fearful drive from Kathgodam -Roopkund Trek – Day 1

My Roopkund hike begins with a vehicle trip from Kathgodam to Lohajung. We had to prepare carefully because this was a week-long expedition. We flew from Bangalore to Delhi and then caught the ‘Ranikhet Express’ train from Delhi Cant to Kathgodam railway station. It’s a good idea to book a flight at least three months in advance so that you may buy airline tickets at a very low price, a tip for booking tickets at a lower price.

On the way from Kathgodam to Lohajung

The nearest train station is Delhi Cantonment (Cant.), which is around 20 minutes away by local prepaid cab from Delhi Airport. Local car or taxi drivers refer to Cantonment as “Caaannnt”  We took a sleeper train and arrived at railway station early in the morning, which is near to Nainital (a gigantic mango-shaped lake and a hill station) which we planned to visit as a one-day trip on our way back from the Roopkund trek.

Where is Kathgodam?

Kathgodam (554 meters, 1818 feet) is the final Indian railway station/stop, after which the only way to continue is via taxi or bus. This railway station is also the major gathering place for most trekkers since trekkers depart from here on various routes depending on the journey or destination they select.

Summer in Uttarakhand

How far is Kathgodam from Nainital?

The road distance between Kathgodam and Nainital is 34 kilometers. You’ll initially travel the same route from the railway station to Lohajung, but you’ll need to take a diversion to get to Lohajung. On the way, you may see Bhemtal, which is around 21 kilometers from the railway station.

Reaching Lohajung (Roopkund base camp)

We took a taxi (Sumo or Jeep) from the railway station to Lohajung (2350 meters, 7700 feet), the Roopkund base camp, which is around a 10- to 11-hour jeep journey with only one or two pauses for lunch and a tea break. The jeep ride may produce nausea in some people due to the route’s altitude climb of about 2 kilometers by the time you reach base camp, as well as the many steep/hair-pin twists along the river’s bank passing many iron bridges.

Which Baba did Steve Jobs meet in India?

Neem Karoli Baba – In April 1974, Steve Jobs flew to India with his buddy Dan Kottke to study Hinduism and Indian spirituality; they also planned to see Neem Karoli Baba, but when they arrived, the guru had died the previous September. Julia Roberts, a Hollywood actress, was also impacted by Neem Karoli Baba.

On the way, you’ll pass by the Kausani Tea Estate, from which you may have a spectacular view of the Himalayas if the weather is nice or if it’s a clear day. Furthermore, there are several hotels called Dabas in this region where you may stop for a quick north Indian meal for lunch.

If you’re used to the scenery of Southern India, you’ll notice a difference here. There are just steep mountains with few trees and practically dry rivers. Furthermore, the majority of the slopes in this region are terrace farmed, where wheat, potatoes, and other crops are grown. Furthermore, as you gain height, the temperature drops and it might be chilly at night. Beautiful scenery, green-colored iron bridges, vertical pine trees, green or gold-colored terraced agricultural slopes, landslides, and so on.

Lohajung Basecamp

The mountains here are not built of solid rock like the ones in the western ghats, but rather of sediments discovered on the seafloor, and landslides are common. We didn’t have enough time to get down, set up a tripod, and take photographs, but I did manage to poke my head out every now and again to grab some fantastic scenery images. After a day-long jeep trip, we arrived in Lohajung, which is our Roopkund base camp/starting point for our hiking.

Lohajung

Managed to capture a few shots and videos while on a jeep ride. Also, check Roopkund Trek – Day 2 – Lohajung to Didina. Check the complete details of my weeklong Roopkund trekking expedition. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Buy me a coffee to support my work or you can go to my store to buy some of my images. Also, do not forget to join my FriendZone by signing up for my newsletter. Consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

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3 Replies to “A fearful drive from Kathgodam -Roopkund Trek – Day 1

  1. Triund Trek says:

    Very nice article As a travel blogger myself, The Solo Girl Traveler, I admire several travel bloggers for their amazing creativity, talent, and sense of adventure.

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