Route library · Outstation · Camping
Delhi to Lohajung & Brahmatal (camping)
Brahmatal is a small lake on a high ridge in Garhwal at about 3,700 m, reached on a winter camping trek that gives one of the closest road-trip-accessible views of Mount Trishul and Nanda Ghunti. The trek starts at Lohajung, a pass-village at 2,300 m that is also the roadhead for the famous Roopkund route. You ride to Lohajung and camp from there.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 1,050–1,150 km on the bike, plus roughly 22 km of trekking
- Riding + trek days
- 2 days each way on the bike; 3 days on foot for the lake and back
- Nights
- Nights: 2–3 on the road, 2 camping on the trek
- Start point
- Delhi (via Rishikesh, Rudraprayag and Karnaprayag)
- Highest point
- About 3,700 m at Brahmatal; camps at 2,900–3,400 m
- Difficulty
- Challenging. A long landslide-prone Alaknanda ride, then a high winter camping trek in cold and snow.
- Surface
- Rishikesh–Karnaprayag is Char Dham highway under widening; Karnaprayag–Tharali–Dewal–Lohajung is a narrow hill road, rough and iced in winter for the last stretch
- Best season
- December to February is the snow-trek season (coldest). March to June is green and mild. Avoid the monsoon (Jul–Sep) — the Alaknanda road is slide-prone.
The ride
Delhi → Haridwar → Rishikesh, then the Alaknanda road through Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag and Karnaprayag. From Karnaprayag the road leaves the Char Dham traffic and climbs through Tharali and Dewal to Lohajung. Two days of riding; park the bikes at a Lohajung or Wan guesthouse that will secure them.
The trek climbs through oak and rhododendron to the Bekaltal lake camp, then along the ridge to Brahmatal and a viewpoint above it — three days on foot, all camping. In winter both lakes freeze and the ridge holds deep snow.
Day by day
Delhi to Rudraprayag
The first Char Dham day: Delhi → Rishikesh → Srinagar → Rudraprayag (9–10 hours). Overnight.
Rudraprayag to Lohajung
Karnaprayag → Tharali → Dewal → Lohajung (4–5 hours, rough last stretch). Secure the bikes, meet the trek team, sort gear.
Trek to Bekaltal
Walk about 6 km up through forest to the Bekaltal camp at ~3,100 m. First night in the tent.
Trek to Brahmatal
Along the ridge to the Brahmatal lake camp at ~3,400 m, with Trishul and Nanda Ghunti opening up. Second camp.
Brahmatal viewpoint, descend
Early climb to the viewpoint above the lake for the full panorama, then a long descent all the way to Lohajung. Collect the bikes.
Lohajung to Rudraprayag / Rishikesh, then Delhi
Ride back out over one or two days depending on how the legs feel; final highway leg to Delhi.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy to Rishikesh and along the highway to Rudraprayag and Karnaprayag.
- Karnaprayag has the last fully reliable pump; Tharali sometimes has fuel. From there to Lohajung and back is roughly 90 km — fill at Karnaprayag and carry a 3–5 litre spare.
- Lohajung and nearby Wan have GMVN and private guesthouses used to storing trekkers' bikes, and operators who arrange camping gear, guide, porters, food and any forest fees. Book the trek and bike parking together. Carry cash — no ATMs past Karnaprayag.
Road & conditions
The Rishikesh–Karnaprayag stretch is busy Char Dham highway, widened in parts and broken in others, with a landslide record in and after the monsoon. Past Karnaprayag the road to Tharali, Dewal and Lohajung is narrow, quiet and rough in the last section, with ice likely near Lohajung in winter. Nothing technical on a bike, but ride it in daylight and be ready for the cold, iced final climb in season.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Easier with more torque and travel — a 250cc-plus or a small ADV. A confident rider can do it on a commuter.
- Fuel gap
- One long stretch without a pump — fill up before it and top off where you can.
- Spare fuel
- Carry 3–5 litres of spare fuel.
- Emergency & logistics
- The nearest well-equipped hospital is the valley/district town, one to two hours off; signal is patchy above the bazaar; carry the group lead's number and an emergency card.
Best time to ride
Mid-December to February is the snow-trek window — frozen lakes, deep snow on the ridge, hard cold at the camps. March to June is green, milder, with lingering snow high up and rhododendron colour lower down. Do not ride the Alaknanda road in July–September.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: a winter camping setup — trekking rucksack, sleeping bag rated to −10 °C or colder, insulated jacket, waterproof boots, gaiters, microspikes, thermals, warm gloves and socks, headlamp, snow sunglasses and sunscreen — plus a way to lock and cover the bikes at Lohajung. Camping gear can be hired from the operator.
Ride this with a group
We run Brahmatal as a ride-and-camp expedition over six days — the Alaknanda road paced and split, bikes secured at Lohajung, gear and permits sorted, and a campsite clean-up as the service action.