Quick answer: Brahmatal is coldest from December to February: base camp (3,106 m) nights fall to −15 to −5°C, Lohajung days reach −2 to 8°C, and the trail above Bekaltal holds 2 to 4 feet of snow. November and March base camp nights are milder, about −8 to 0°C, and October is the clear, dry start of the season.
Brahmatal is a winter trek in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, with a season from October to March and snow from December to March. The weather changes a lot over those six months, and it also changes with height: Lohajung (2,316 m), Bekaltal camp (2,798 m), Brahmatal Base Camp (3,106 m) and Brahmatal Top (3,734 m / 12,250 ft) can feel like different seasons on the same day. Here is what each month and each camp is like.
Brahmatal temperature month by month
Day and night ranges at the three places you sleep, from the Brahmatal trek page:
| Month | Lohajung (2,316 m) | Bekaltal camp (2,798 m) | Base camp (3,106 m) | Snow on the trail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 2 to 12°C | −5 to 0°C | −8 to −2°C | Light to moderate in the forest, more higher up |
| December | −2 to 8°C | −10 to −3°C | −15 to −5°C | Building through the month; best late December |
| January | −2 to 8°C | −10 to −3°C (can go below −10°C) | −15 to −5°C | 2 to 4 ft above Bekaltal; lakes frozen |
| February | −2 to 8°C | −10 to −3°C | −15 to −5°C | 2 to 4 ft; lakes frozen |
| March | 3 to 14°C | −5 to 2°C | −8 to 0°C | 2 ft or more above Bekaltal; slushy lower down |
Brahmatal Top has no camp, so no range is published for it. You reach it on the Day 4 summit push before dawn, when it is colder than the base camp and can be windy; in January the pre-dawn push can reach −15°C.
What is the weather like each month?
October
October is the clear, dry opening of the season, with batches from mid-October. Days are the mildest of the season and the views of Trishul and Nanda Ghunti are at their sharpest after the monsoon. Snow is not something to expect on the trail. The trek page does not publish October camp figures, so plan for nights around freezing at the base camp and pack as you would for November.
November
Nights turn properly cold: −5 to 0°C at Bekaltal and −8 to −2°C at the base camp. Snow arrives on the higher slopes, with light to moderate cover in the forest some weeks. Skies are mostly clear.
December
A real step colder than November. Snow builds on the upper forest early in the month and the lakes at Bekaltal and Brahmatal freeze. Early December can still be patchy low down; the second half of the month has better odds of deep snow. Our Brahmatal in December guide breaks this down by batch.
January
The heart of winter. The forest is white, 2 to 4 feet of snow is common above Bekaltal, and Bekaltal can drop below −10°C at night. This is the month for deep snow, with the coldest nights to match. See Brahmatal in January.
February
Same temperature band as January, with the snow pack still deep and the lakes frozen. Days get noticeably longer towards the end of the month.
March
The thaw begins. Lohajung warms to 3 to 14°C, and the base camp stays around −8 to 0°C at night. Snow lies 2 feet or more above Bekaltal, but it softens and turns slushy lower down, and conditions below the tree line get messier late in the month.
Which month is best for snow, views or comfort?
| What you want | Best months | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Deep snow and frozen lakes | Late December to February | Coldest nights, −15°C at the base camp |
| First snow with milder nights | November | Snow cover varies from week to week |
| Clearest views, dry trail | October | Little or no snow |
| Snow higher up, warmer days | March | Slush and wet trail lower down |
Snow varies from year to year. A dry winter can leave December thin, and a late storm can bring good snow in March. If snow is your main reason for going, January and the first half of February give you the best odds.
How do you check the Brahmatal weather before you go?
Use the district forecast for Chamoli from the IMD Meteorological Centre, Dehradun, which also issues snowfall warnings for Uttarakhand's hill districts. Check it a week before, and again two days before your batch. A snowfall warning is good news for the trek but can slow the 260 km drive from Rishikesh to Lohajung, so keep a buffer before any onward travel on Day 6.
There is no reliable mobile network after Lohajung, so you will not get forecast updates on the trail. Your trek leader decides each morning based on what the sky and snow are doing, and on summit day the group turns back if the weather closes in.
What should you wear in Brahmatal's cold?
- Walking (day): a thermal top, a fleece and a windproof shell are enough while you move, even in January.
- At camp (evening): add the −10°C jacket, a woollen cap, a neck warmer and thick gloves as soon as you stop walking.
- Night: thermal inners, dry socks kept only for sleeping, and a bottle of hot water inside the sleeping bag. Sleeping bags are rated down to −20°C.
- Summit push: every layer you have, plus a spare pair of gloves. Your fingers suffer first.
Shivering that will not stop, slurred speech or unusual confusion are warning signs of hypothermia; tell your trek leader at once if you or a teammate show them. The base camp (3,106 m) and Brahmatal Top (3,734 m) are also above 3,000 m, where the Uttarakhand Health Department's high-altitude health advisory asks travellers to pack for cold and to descend rather than climb further if they feel unwell. For the full kit list see our winter trek packing list.
Trek leader Kushal Bisht's tip: "Cold on Brahmatal comes from sweat, not only from the weather. Start each morning a little cold, open your jacket on the climbs, and put layers back on the moment you stop. Trekkers who stay dry stay warm, even on the coldest nights."
What it costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Trek fee (Lohajung to Lohajung, 6 days) | ₹9,000 |
| GST (5%) | ₹450 |
| Total | ₹9,450 |
| EMI (24 months) | From ₹463 a month |
| Free Trekking Gear | ₹3,000 refundable deposit + ₹200 washing charge |
| Backpack offloading / single tent (optional) | ₹1,500 / ₹2,000, + GST |
Free Trekking Gear covers the cold-weather basics: Decathlon trekking shoes, a −10°C jacket, trekking poles, gaiters and microspikes. 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 Rishikesh–Lohajung cab is about ₹6,500 one way per 5–6 seat vehicle, with pickup at 6:30 AM at Jumping Heights, Tapovan, Rishikesh. Cancel 30 or more days before departure for a 70% refund (50% at 15–29 days), or reschedule free or take a 100% TrekCash voucher up to 7 days before. Dates are on the Brahmatal trek page.
See Brahmatal dates and book | Brahmatal in December | Brahmatal in January | How to reach Lohajung
Frequently asked questions
What is the coldest month on the Brahmatal trek?
December to February is the coldest stretch, and January is the hardest of the three. Nights at the base camp fall to −15 to −5°C, Bekaltal can drop below −10°C, and the pre-dawn summit push in January can reach −15°C.
When does snow start on the Brahmatal trek?
Snow reaches the higher slopes in November and builds through December, with the best odds of deep snow from the second half of December. From January to February the trail above Bekaltal holds 2 to 4 feet, though the amount varies from year to year.
Is Brahmatal too cold for a first-time trekker in January?
No, if you dress in layers and keep your clothes dry. Brahmatal is graded Easy–Moderate with a minimum age of 7, tents and sleeping bags are rated for the cold, and Free Trekking Gear includes a −10°C jacket. The cold is the main challenge, not the walking.
Does it rain on the Brahmatal trek in winter?
Winter weather on Brahmatal comes as snowfall rather than rain, in spells with clear and very cold days between them. Lower down near Lohajung a spell can start as rain or sleet, and in late March melting snow makes the lower trail wet.
Are the Brahmatal and Bekaltal lakes frozen in winter?
Yes. Both lakes freeze from December and stay frozen through the cold months. In October, before the deep cold sets in, you see them as open water.
