The very first 200 metres of the trek to Roopkund offer a trailer of what is in store along the 100-kilometre route that meanders through scenic Himalayan alpine meadows to the legendary lake at the base of Trisul massif. If you can brave the punishing climb and treacherous weather, the trek can be rewarding. Roopkund, set at 5, 029 metres in a windswept landscape, is a desolate high-altitude lake tailor-made for eerie stories told around a campfire. Add some human skeletons dating back to the 9th or 10th century strewn along the edges of the glacial lake and you have bones to back your horror story.

The skeletons belong to a 500-strong group of pilgrims though the exact reason for their annihilation is unknown. It is believed that they were killed in a hailstorm or blizzard of epic proportions but the icy winds lashing the area preserved the remains surprisingly well.