When you think of a holiday, what comes to mind? Cocktails by the beach perhaps, or maybe you’re more of a hill station person for whom greenery and a cool breeze spells perfection. And then of course there is that rare breed, the thrill-seekers, the people who are happiest with aching muscles and adrenalin coursing through their veins. If you think you fall into this last category, we have the perfect destination holiday for you - the strange and mysterious Roopkund Lake in Uttarakhand, which has also earned the oh-so-inviting title of ‘Skeleton Lake’.
Located at the bottom of a small valley in Chamoli district near the Himalayas, Roopkund Lake is accessible only via a five day uphill trek as it lies at an altitude of 16,499 feet. It’s only two metres deep and is frozen almost year round but for one month in summer when it thaws, revealing a chilling secret - the skeletal remains of about 300 humans lying scattered on the lake bed and frozen into the surrounding earth.
The puzzling part about this was its remote location, how did so many people die together so far from human settlements? There were many theories posited for the phenomenon. One was that the skeletons belonged to a group of missing Japanese soldiers from World War II who succumbed to the harsh conditions while trying to sneak through the mountains. Another theory was that they were the remains of the Kashmiri warrior Zogawar Singh and his army who unexpectedly disappeared when returning from Tibet.
Many tales were spun and ideas tossed about but it wasn’t until 2004 when National Geographic launched a full expedition that the truth emerged. After thorough DNA testing and scientific investigation they determined that all the bones dated to around 850 A.D which suggests they were travelling as a group and all died at the same time. All the skulls exhibited similar blunt force trauma meaning they all died from fatal blows to the head. The most likely suggestion at this time is that they were caught in a hailstorm of magnificent proportions.
The freezing conditions and dry, icy area has kept the skeletons and artefacts remarkably well preserved with hair, jewellery and clothing still intact. So if you’re into the macabre and up for the pretty arduous trek then you should definitely put this place on your bucket list. We do have one request for you though, they have had many incidents of the bones being removed and are considering closing this fascinating site to the public, so if you feel like you need a souvenir go find your skeletons elsewhere!