Quick answer: Jhandi Top is a snow ridge at about 3,600 m (11,810 ft) on the Brahmatal trek in Chamoli, between Bekaltal and base camp. You cross it twice: on Day 3, after the route's steepest climb, about 800 m up from Bekaltal, and on Day 5 on the way back. It gives the trek's first open view of the Garhwal range.
Where is Jhandi Top, and how high is it?
Jhandi Top is the high ridge that separates the two halves of the Brahmatal Trek. Below it on one side is the forest around Bekaltal, the Day 2 camp; on the other is Brahmatal base camp, with Brahmatal lake in an open bowl below the summit approach. It is not a camp. You walk over it with your day's load, stop for the view, and carry on down.
| Point on the route | Height | Where it sits relative to Jhandi Top |
|---|---|---|
| Lohajung, the base village | 2,316 m | About 1,280 m below; the Day 5 descent from the ridge |
| Bekaltal camp | 2,798 m | About 800 m below; the Day 3 climb |
| Jhandi Top | About 3,600 m (11,810 ft) | Crossed on Days 3 and 5 |
| Brahmatal base camp | 3,106 m | About 490 m below, on the far side |
| Brahmatal Top, the summit | 3,734 m (12,250 ft) | About 130 m higher, climbed on Day 4 |
So Jhandi Top is the second-highest point you stand on during the trek, and you reach it a full day before the summit. Our guide to where Brahmatal is places the route on the map.
How hard is the climb to Jhandi Top on Day 3?
It is the hardest climb of the trek. Day 3 covers about 7 km in 6 to 7 hours, and the climb comes first: about 800 m of ascent from Bekaltal, the steepest of the route. Above Bekaltal the forest thins, the trail clears the treeline, and the last stretch to the ridge is a compacted snow slope.
Microspikes go on at the Bekaltal camp and stay on from there upward. They come free with the Free Trekking Gear, along with Decathlon trekking shoes, a -10°C jacket, trekking poles and gaiters, against a ₹3,000 refundable deposit and a ₹200 washing charge. Ropes are not used on this trek.
From the top the trail drops about 490 m to Brahmatal base camp at 3,106 m, and Brahmatal lake comes into view on the way down. The forest half of the day, from Lohajung to Bekaltal, is covered in our Bekaltal guide.
What can you see from Jhandi Top?
After two days in forest, Jhandi Top gives the trek's first open view of the Garhwal range. These are the peaks named from the ridge:
| Peak | Height | Seen from |
|---|---|---|
| Trishul and Trishul East | 7,120 m (Trishul) | Jhandi Top, in full profile; Trishul also from Brahmatal Top |
| Nanda Ghunti | 6,309 m | Jhandi Top and Brahmatal Top |
| Hathi Ghoda Parvat | — | Jhandi Top and Brahmatal Top |
| Kamet | 7,756 m | Jhandi Top and Brahmatal Top, on clear days |
The same peaks show again from Brahmatal Top on Day 4, where the summit adds a 270-degree sweep of the Garhwal range. Jhandi Top shows them a day earlier, with Trishul and Trishul East in full profile.
Why do you cross Jhandi Top twice?
Because the trek goes out and back on the same line: Lohajung to Bekaltal, over Jhandi Top to base camp, up to Brahmatal Top and back to base camp, then home the way you came.
The second crossing comes on Day 5, the longest walking day of the trek: about 10 km in 7 to 8 hours. You climb about 490 m from base camp back up to Jhandi Top, then descend about 1,280 m through the Bekaltal basin and the snow forest to Lohajung. The ridge on the return has a different character from Day 3, when it gave the first open view after two days of forest. The climb is shorter than on Day 3, but the descent is long, so keep your poles out for your knees. Our Brahmatal distance and height guide lists every leg.
What is Jhandi Top like through the season?
Trekkaro runs the Brahmatal trek from October to March, and Jhandi Top holds snow longer than the trail below it.
| Months | On and around Jhandi Top |
|---|---|
| November | The first snow arrives, on the higher ground first, and the lakes start to freeze. |
| December to February | Snow lies 2 to 4 feet deep on the trail above Lohajung, and it is deepest at Tilandi, above Bekaltal, in late January. Both lakes are fully frozen. |
| March | The snow softens on the lower trail, while Jhandi Top and the base camp area stay under snow through most of the month. |
Winter nights at Brahmatal base camp, the camp below the ridge, run from -15°C to -5°C, and the coldest reading Trekkaro's trek leaders have recorded there is -15°C. Check the forecast for Chamoli district on the India Meteorological Department's Dehradun centre before you travel.
How do you stay safe on the ridge?
On Jhandi Top, keep your cap and gloves on, even for photos. Taking them off in the morning wind on an open ridge is dangerous, and the same rule applies on Brahmatal Top. Keep a warm layer at the top of your day pack so you can pull it on the moment you reach the ridge.
Your SpO2, pulse and blood pressure are checked twice a day at every campsite, at Bekaltal before the climb and at base camp after it. No doctor joins the trek; Trekkaro's trek leaders are trained in wilderness first aid and lead with local guides, and one oxygen cylinder and one stretcher travel with every batch.
What does the Brahmatal trek cost?
The fee for the Brahmatal Trek is ₹9,000 per person plus 5% GST (₹9,450 with GST). EMI starts at ₹463 a month. It covers the nights in Lohajung, the tents at Bekaltal and base camp with -20°C sleeping bags, pure vegetarian meals from Day 1 dinner to Day 5 dinner, permits and the Free Trekking Gear. The trek is graded Easy to Moderate, needs no previous trekking experience and is open from age 7.
Transport to Lohajung is not included. We help the group book shared cabs at ₹6,500 one way per 5 to 6 seat vehicle, paid directly to the driver and split among trekkers, which is ₹1,083 each when six share. Every trekker brings a medical certificate signed by a doctor (the form is in My Bookings), and travel insurance is mandatory and not included. See the trek page for live batch dates.
See Brahmatal Trek dates and book | Is Brahmatal trek safe | Brahmatal weather
Frequently asked questions
How high is Jhandi Top?
Jhandi Top is at about 3,600 m (11,810 ft). That is about 800 m above Bekaltal and about 130 m below Brahmatal Top, the summit of the trek.
On which day of the Brahmatal trek do you reach Jhandi Top?
You reach it on Day 3, on the way from Bekaltal to Brahmatal base camp. You cross it again on Day 5, on the way back to Lohajung.
Which peaks can you see from Jhandi Top?
Trishul (7,120 m) and Trishul East in full profile, Nanda Ghunti (6,309 m) and Hathi Ghoda Parvat. On clear days Kamet (7,756 m) shows too.
Do you camp at Jhandi Top?
No. The camps are at Bekaltal (2,798 m) and Brahmatal base camp (3,106 m). Jhandi Top is a ridge you walk over between them.
Is Jhandi Top the summit of the Brahmatal trek?
No. The summit is Brahmatal Top at 3,734 m, climbed from base camp on Day 4. Jhandi Top is the high ridge you cross on Days 3 and 5.
