Bharadsar Lake Trek
Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand & Himachal Pradesh
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4,300 mhighest point- Max altitude
- 4,300 m
- Days
- 9 days
- Distance
- 61 km
- Difficulty
- Difficult
Remote, little-used trail with long steep climbs, an exposed waterless ridge walk, boulder and moraine ground near the lake and snow patches even in early summer; operators recommend it only for trekkers with prior Himalayan experience.
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Dehradun → Himri
640 m → 1,470 m
Day 2
Himri (drive to Bhitri) → Kurla Thatch via Saru Taal
1,470 m → 2,700 m
Day 3
Kurla Thatch → Rikati Odi
2,700 m → 3,400 m
Day 4
Rikati Odi → Devbasa
3,400 m → 3,630 m
Day 5
Devbasa → Bharadsar meadow camp
3,630 m → 4,000 m
Day 6 · highest point
Bharadsar meadow camp → Devbasa (via Bharadsar Lake)
4,000 m → 4,300 m → 3,630 m
Day 7
Devbasa → Sarau forest camp
3,630 m → 3,070 m
Day 8
Sarau forest camp → Boincha
3,070 m → 2,500 m
Day 9
Boincha → Jakhol, then drive to Dehradun
2,500 m → 640 m
Ups and downs
Altitude profile
Where it is
Map
Trailhead and high point only — not a recorded track. Use it with a proper map.
Weather
Next 5 days on the trail
Live forecast for the trailhead and the high point. Mountain weather changes fast — check again on the morning you start.
Trailhead · Bhitri (Bheetri), road-head above Himri
at 1,470 mLoading forecast…
High point · Bharadsar Lake
at 4,300 mLoading forecast…
Each day: high / low °C · rain mm and chance · snow cm · wind km/h
Weather data: Open-Meteo.comModel forecast, not an official warning. For alerts follow IMD and the local administration.
Plan the trip
How to reach
- Trailhead
- Bhitri (Bheetri), road-head above Himri (nearest town: Mori)
- Nearest railway
- Dehradun
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
- By road
- Dehradun; Purola; Mori; Naitwar
- Drive
- About 9 h from Dehradun
Plan the trip
Permits and fees
We could not confirm the current permit rules and fees from an official source. Check with the local forest department or tourism office before you go.
Plan the trip
Cost
Self-guided
₹12,000–20,000
With an operator
₹17,200–27,800
Guided: Bikat Adventures quotes ₹16,400 + 5% GST ex-Sankri (8 days, Sankri to Bhitri; Dehradun transport extra); TrekUp India quotes ₹26,450 + 5% GST ex-Dehradun (9 days, includes Dehradun–Himri transport). Self-guided is an estimate ex-Dehradun: shared jeeps to Mori/Himri plus a local guide and porter or mule, food and camping gear for 7 nights; the route is hard to find, so going without a local guide is not advised.
Gear
Top picks for this trek
The gear that matters most on this route, chosen from its altitude, season and risks.
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Packing checklist
Matched to this trek: altitude, season, days and the risks on the route.
Packed 0 of 32
Nights near 4,300 m can drop close to freezing even in summer. Pack one more warm layer than you think.
Tick each item as it goes in the bag.
Know before you go
Good to know
- Mobile network
- TrekUp India says network is available only till Naitwar and Purola is the last town with full coverage; Bikat says there is no signal after Sankri. Expect none on the trail.
- Last ATM
- TrekUp India says no ATMs are available on the route; carry cash from Purola or Dehradun (Bikat points to Sankri for its Jakhol-side route).
- Nearest hospital
- Not confirmed by our sources; rescue means carrying the patient down to the road-head at Bhitri or Jakhol and driving towards Mori and Purola.
- Water
- Scarce. Indiahikes reports almost no water from Himri to Bitri, none on the Badang–Dhal Dhar ridge, water about 2 km from the Dev Bhasa camp and none at the Bharadsar meadow camp, where snow must be melted.
Highlights
- A remote high-altitude lake on the ridge between the Rupin and Supin valleys, close to the Uttarakhand–Himachal border
- Long ridge walks with views of Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch and other Garhwal peaks
- Bhitri village with its carved wooden temple in Kinnauri style, and the small Saru Taal
- Very few other trekkers: operators describe it as one of the least explored trails in the region
Risks
- Altitude sickness on the climb to about 4,300 m; acclimatise and descend if symptoms worsen
- Trail forks often in the lower forest and is easy to lose; Indiahikes advises asking villagers for directions
- Long exposed ridge sections with no water and strong winds; carry at least 2 litres
- Boulder, moraine and snow patches near the lake, slippery in bad weather
- Weather changes fast, with rain, snow and hail possible; the monsoon months (July–August) are avoided by operators
Know before you go
Questions
How high is Bharadsar Lake?
Operators quote different figures: about 4,300 m (Himalaya Shelter), about 4,400 m (TrekUp India) and 4,600 m (Bikat Adventures). Elevation data at the lake's mapped position reads about 4,260 m, so about 4,300 m is the best estimate.
What is the best time to do the Bharadsar Lake trek?
Bikat Adventures and Himalaya Shelter both name May–June (pre-monsoon) and September–October (post-monsoon) as the season.
Where does the trek start?
Most itineraries start from Himri, a few kilometres before Dhaula in the Rupin valley, with a drive or climb to Bhitri village. Bikat runs it the other way, driving from Sankri to Jakhol and finishing at Bhitri.
How difficult is the Bharadsar Lake trek?
Bikat grades it difficult and asks for prior high-altitude trek experience; Himalaya Shelter calls it one of the most difficult treks in Uttarakhand. Expect 6–8 hours of walking on most days, steep climbs and a long summit day.
Do I need permits?
Operators say forest permits and camping fees apply and include them in their price. We could not find an official, current fee, so check with the forest office at Mori or Purola before going.
In an emergency
Save these numbers before you lose signal. Tap to call.
- 112All emergenciesIndia’s single emergency number — works in every state
- 108Ambulance
- 1077District disaster control room
You are in
District: UttarkashiUttarakhand · Himachal Pradesh
- Nearest hospital
- Not confirmed by our sources; rescue means carrying the patient down to the road-head at Bhitri or Jakhol and driving towards Mori and Purola.
- Last ATM
- TrekUp India says no ATMs are available on the route; carry cash from Purola or Dehradun (Bikat points to Sankri for its Jakhol-side route).
- Phone network
- TrekUp India says network is available only till Naitwar and Purola is the last town with full coverage; Bikat says there is no signal after Sankri. Expect none on the trail.
Before you set off
- Tell someone your route and when you will be back.
- Carry a charged phone and a power bank.
- Download an offline map of the route.
- Turn back if the weather turns bad — the mountain will wait.
Questions about Bharadsar Lake
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Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Baraadsar Lake Trek — Bikat Adventures
- Bharadsar Lake Trek — Indiahikes
- Bharadsar Lake Trek - Complete Guide — TrekUp India
- Baraadsar Lake Trek — Himalaya Shelter
Photos: Pavan Lulla, CC BY 3.0
