This guide is about the Brahmatal Trek — dates, price, day-by-day itinerary and booking are on the trek page.
Quick answer: The Brahmatal trek covers 29 km on foot over four walking days (6, 7, 6 and 10 km). It starts and ends at Lohajung (2,316 m), tops out at Brahmatal Top, 3,734 m (12,250 ft), and returns the way it went, via Bekaltal and Jhandi Top. Lohajung is about 250 km by road from Rishikesh, 8–10 hours each way.
Brahmatal is 29 km on foot but six days long, and its highest point is not the lake. This page sets out the day-wise km, the heights that get mixed up, what the route map on our trek page shows and how Brahmatal compares with other winter treks.
How long is the Brahmatal trek in km?
You walk 29 km in total, Lohajung to Lohajung, on Days 2 to 5; Day 4 is a 6 km round trip from base camp to the summit. Days 1 and 6 are drives. No day is longer than 10 km. What slows you down is snow and height, not length: the trek page asks that you be comfortable walking 6–10 km a day for 4–8 hours, on snow in winter.
Day-wise distance and altitude
| Day | Route | On foot | Time | Highest point that day | Night stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rishikesh to Lohajung by road | None (about 250 km drive) | 8–10 hrs | Lohajung, 2,316 m | Lohajung guesthouse |
| 2 | Lohajung to Bekaltal | 6 km | 4–5 hrs | Bekaltal, 2,798 m / 9,180 ft | Tent at Bekaltal |
| 3 | Bekaltal to Brahmatal Base Camp via Jhandi Top | 7 km | 6–7 hrs | Jhandi Top, about 3,600 m | Tent at base camp, 3,106 m / 10,190 ft |
| 4 | Base camp to Brahmatal Top and back | 6 km | 5–6 hrs | Brahmatal Top, 3,734 m / 12,250 ft | Tent at base camp |
| 5 | Base camp to Lohajung via Jhandi Top and Bekaltal | 10 km | 7–8 hrs | Jhandi Top, about 3,600 m | Lohajung guesthouse |
| 6 | Lohajung to Rishikesh by road | None (about 250 km drive) | 8–10 hrs | None | None (cab expected at Tapovan, Rishikesh, by about 6:00 PM) |
| Total | Lohajung to Lohajung | 29 km | 22–26 hrs of walking | 3,734 m | 5 nights, 3 of them in tents |
Day 5 is the longest walk, and Days 3 and 5 both cross Jhandi Top, so you reach about 3,600 m twice. Your sleeping height rises by 482 m on the first night out and 308 m on the second, then stays at 3,106 m for two nights, one on each side of the summit climb.
What does the Brahmatal route map show?
Six pins mark the Route Map tab on the Brahmatal trek page, in walking order: Lohajung (2,316 m), Bekaltal (2,798 m), Brahmatal base camp (3,106 m, the pin labelled with the lake), Brahmatal Top (3,734 m), the base camp again and Lohajung again. The line joins 199 points from mapped footpaths and the Trekkaro route, so read it as an outline of the trail; the page labels it for orientation, not navigation, and Jhandi Top, which you cross twice, has no pin.
On the ground, the trail runs like this:
- From Lohajung it climbs about 480 m through oak and rhododendron forest to the camp beside Bekaltal, a lake that stays frozen from December through February.
- Above Bekaltal comes the steepest climb of the trek, on snow in winter, when microspikes go on at the Bekaltal camp. It tops out on Jhandi Top, a snow ridge at about 3,600 m that looks across the Trishul group and Nanda Ghunti.
- An open ridge walk follows, then a descent into the lake basin, where the tents stand near Brahmatal Lake. The lake freezes in winter and is a little larger than Bekaltal.
- Summit morning starts at 5:30 AM, by headlamp, in cold the trek page puts at about −15°C at that hour in January. You climb about 630 m; in winter it is snow from the first step, with microspikes on. From the top the page names Trishul (7,120 m), Nanda Ghunti (6,309 m), Kamet (7,756 m, on clear days) and Hathi Ghoda Parvat.
- Day 5 covers the same terrain as the approach in reverse, back over Jhandi Top and down through Bekaltal and the forest to Lohajung.
Because the way out and the way back follow one trail, the map shows a single line: you sleep at Bekaltal once and at base camp twice. Download an offline map before Lohajung, the last place with a stable mobile signal.
How high is Brahmatal?
Brahmatal Top, the summit you reach on Day 4, is the highest point of the trek at 3,734 m (12,250 ft). It stands about 630 m above the base camp, and Jhandi Top is only about 130 m lower. Trekkaro does not publish a separate altitude for the lake, which lies near the base camp at 3,106 m. Lohajung is at 2,316 m, about 7,600 ft; Rishikesh is at 356 m, so the road alone lifts you almost 2,000 m before your first step.
The Uttarakhand Health Department's high-altitude advisory for travellers going above 3,000 m advises no more than 800–1,000 m of elevation gain a day; Brahmatal's biggest climb, about 800 m on Day 3, sits at the lower figure. If you feel unwell, report chest pain, breathlessness, a persistent cough, dizziness or vomiting to your trek leader straight away: the advisory says descend and do not go higher. SpO2, pulse and blood pressure are checked twice a day at each campsite, and the trek page lists a portable oxygen cylinder and an emergency stretcher on every batch.
How does Brahmatal's height compare with other winter treks?
These four Uttarakhand winter treks top out within about 80 m of each other; the difference is the walking.
| Trek | Highest point | Distance on foot | Days | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brahmatal | 3,734 m / 12,250 ft | 29 km | 6 | Easy–Moderate |
| Dayara Bugyal | 3,749 m / 12,300 ft | About 20 km | 4 | Easy–Moderate |
| Kedarkantha | 3,810 m / 12,500 ft | About 20 km | 5 | Easy–Moderate |
| Kuari Pass | 3,815 m / 12,516 ft | About 35 km | 6 | Easy–Moderate |
Brahmatal has the lowest summit of the four, but it walks about 9 km more than Kedarkantha or Dayara. With only four or five days, Dayara or Kedarkantha fit better; Brahmatal suits trekkers who want two lakes, the Jhandi Top crossing and a longer stay in the snow. It is not for children under 7, the trek's minimum age, or for anyone who cannot yet walk 10 km in a day.
Our Brahmatal batches this season run from October to February: 3 starts in October 2026 (the 24 October batch is already full), 9 in November, then one each day of December, January 2027 and February. The last listed batch runs from 28 February to 5 March.
What it costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Trek fee (Lohajung to Lohajung) | ₹9,000 + 5% GST = ₹9,450 |
| EMI | The trek page shows EMI from ₹463 a month |
| Free Trekking Gear deposit | ₹3,000, refundable, plus ₹200 washing charge (+ GST) |
| Backpack offloading (optional) | ₹1,500 + GST, up to 9 kg |
| Shared cab Rishikesh to Lohajung | About ₹6,500 per vehicle one way, split among trekkers |
Transport is not included in the trek fee: we help the group book shared cabs, paid directly to the driver and split among trekkers. The cab leaves Jumping Heights, Tapovan (Rishikesh) at 6:30 AM on Day 1; a 5–6 seat vehicle costs about ₹6,500 one way, ₹1,300 each with five people in it. Dewal has the last reliable ATM before Lohajung, and cards are not accepted on the trail.
The fee covers the Lohajung guesthouse on Days 1 and 5, tents on Days 2–4 (shared by three, men and women separate), meals from Day 1 dinner to Day 5 dinner and −20°C sleeping bags. Free Trekking Gear, handed over at Lohajung on Day 1, covers Decathlon trekking shoes, a −10°C jacket, poles, gaiters and microspikes. Batches take up to 20 trekkers, one leader or guide per 8; booking closes at 5 PM (India time) the day before.
Carry a government photo ID (original and a photocopy) and a medical fitness certificate. Travel insurance covering high-altitude trekking and helicopter evacuation is mandatory and not included. Ask your doctor about altitude medicine and carry your own. There is no charging on the trail, so bring a power bank, a headlamp and two 1-litre bottles, one insulated, and refill only at sources your trek leader approves.
Cancel 30 or more days out and you get 70% back; at 15–29 days, 50%; at 8–14 days, no cash. Up to 8 days before departure you can instead take a 100% TrekCash voucher (valid one year), a free reschedule or a transfer to another trekker. At 7 days or less, or a no-show, there is no refund.
See Brahmatal dates and book | Brahmatal difficulty and fitness plan | How to reach Lohajung | Kedarkantha distance and height
Frequently asked questions
What is the total distance of the Brahmatal trek from Rishikesh?
You walk 29 km, Lohajung to Lohajung. The drive adds about 250 km each way, so the whole trip from Rishikesh is about 500 km by road plus 29 km on foot.
What is the altitude of Brahmatal Lake?
Trekkaro does not give a separate figure for the lake. It lies near the base camp, which is at 3,106 m (10,190 ft). If you see 3,734 m (12,250 ft) given for the lake, that is the height of Brahmatal Top, the summit above it.
Where does the Brahmatal trek start and end?
At Lohajung (2,316 m) in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand; there is no separate exit village. Days 1 and 6 are the road journeys between Rishikesh and Lohajung.
How deep is the snow on the Brahmatal route?
From December to February the trek page gives 2 to 4 feet of snow on the trail, from a few inches at Lohajung to waist-deep in the forest by 3,000 m. Both lakes are frozen then, and November brings the first snow of the season.
Is the Brahmatal trek a loop?
No. Trekkaro's route goes out via Bekaltal and Jhandi Top to the base camp and returns over the same terrain in reverse. Only the summit climb on Day 4 is a separate out-and-back from the base camp.
