Nithyam Nachappa
One evening, sitting in a cheap hotel room talking nonsense, someone joked, “Some things are not for softies”
There was a joke going around, some things are not for softies
We do hard boys stuff and the usual chest thumping. And then it happened.
I blurted "Let's do Roopkund in one day". Walter said, “Done.”. The bloody boys recorded it and posted it on Instagram. Now we had to show up. Like our hearts didn't want it.
Walter and I aren’t new to trails, but this wasn’t a regular day hike.
42 kilometers. 9,000 feet of elevation gain. A glacial lake at 15,755 feet. All under 10 hours, that was the goal.
But this story isn’t about speed.
It’s about the madness of saying yes, the joy of planning (or not), the hunger, the exhaustion, the kindness of strangers, and the ridiculous power of puri and chana on a freezing summit. Let's see how.
Stage 1: A Plan Meets No Plan
Walter doesn’t plan. He runs 65K trail races without checking the course profile and lands on the podium. That’s who he is: wild and flowy
I like paper and pens. I drew the trail from Wan to Roopkund, broke it down by milestones, marked fuel points, hydration spots, elevation gain. Walter nodded once. “It’ll be done,” he said.
There was no overthinking. Just a silent trust.
Stage 2: The Move
The next morning was crisp and clear. We ate toast and a cup of Devens coffee (gamechanger) at Devendra bhai’s cafe in Lohajung. Hopped onto Aneesh's Thunderbird 500 and rode to Wan.
At 6:30 am, we hit the trail after some light stretches and mandatory photograph (oh btw, Walter was carrying his camera and running, legend)
First stop: Dhara, just beyond Ghairoli Patal. 2 hours 20 minutes in, we reached, rested, and I took my first gel (90 Kcal) and Walter took… nothing. Classic Walter.
Onward to Bedni Bugyal → Patar Nachauni.
3.5 hours in. 4000 ft gained.
I’d had 90 kcal. Walter had zero. We were gassed.
We devoured our only food: one apple and one banana. Walter even ate the peel.
Then came the climb to Kalu Vinayak. The toughest climb. I pushed with another gel. Walter struggled, regretting every step. He arrived 10 minutes later, pale and defeated. I handed him a gel. He downed it.
I ran ahead, Walter slowly recovering and catching up to reach Bhagwabasa, a 25 minute run from Patar Nauchani.
Stage 3: The Magic
At Bhagwabasa, we found rhythm. Fueled up with a Dairy Milk. Worth more than gold at that moment.
The summit push was cold, windy, and brutal. We were wearing only shorts. Walter’s camera was quiet. Until he saw the light hit the ridgelines and we couldn’t not film it. Walter was back in action and better than ever. He clicked some pictures in the snow and we got some super cool action shots.
We continued the climb, taking breaks and navigating scree sections, the climb felt never ending.
Just before Roopkund, we saw a group of local women (Keeda-jadi warriors) descending. They looked like angels.
And then magic.
They offered us puri and chana. Heaven. We smiled, nodded, and devoured. That meal?
More powerful than any gel.
We ate like it was our first food in days.
We felt revived after this
1:00 PM: We stood at Roopkund (15,755 ft).
28 km. 9,000 ft up. 6.5 hours in.
Stage 4: The Descent
Downhill is joy. And risk.
We ran like kids - falling, sliding, laughing, racing each other. Carefree, stupid, blissful.
Hungry. Thirsty. Exhausted. But alive.
We reached Wan by 4:30 pm. Did some light stretching. Thanked our legs. Rode the Thunderbird back to Lohajung.
The best and worst part?
Riding Aneesh’s bike before and after the run on that gnarly mountain road.
The run itself?
Just another good day in the outdoors.
What we learned:
You don’t need to summit in a day.
You don’t need to prove anything.
But every once in a while, it’s worth testing your edges.
Because that’s where you find the real stuff:
Friendship, flow, fatigue, and freedom.
Alright enough being philosophical.
What This Run also taught us:
-Planning matters, but trust matters more.
-Fuel yourself. Hydration and calories aren’t optional.
-There’s a point on every trail where the body gives up and the soul takes over.
-Locals will always be the best trail angels.
Walter- the runner, the photographer, the madman, kept shooting through it all, making me feel like a pro athlete. His passion is beyond. Our very own Jimmy Chin (sorry… Chimmy Jin 😉).
Check out his work here - https://bit.ly/Walterphotography
Strava link of the activity - https://strava.app.link/6tAjw0PzTUb
