Scientists Are Struggling To Explain A Lake That Visitors Don't Return From
Roopkund Lake is tucked between two Himalayan peaks in India, and it attracts visitors from all over the planet. They don't strap into their hiking boots and tackle the dangerous trek just to take a swim, though. Instead, there's a chilling reason that people dare to gather around the edges of the shallow water and peer past the surface. The lake offers a "view" quite like any other, and so far, scientific explanations have offered no answer for the phenomena. Their studies have only further complicated our understanding of the body of water.
A Frozen Lake
As with most water in freezing temperatures, Roopkund Lake is frozen solid for most months of the year. The small body of water measures only 135 feet wide and is 16,500 feet above sea level.
Talk About Remote
It's no easy trek up the mountain to reach the lake. While the Himalayas seem like a supporting cast to the star that is Mount Everest, the truth is, Everest is only the 10th-deadliest mountain in the range.
Particularly Deadly
Some mountain peaks in the range, though technically not as tall as Everest, have unsettling stats. Annapurna 1 and K2 have mortality rates between 29-32% each. So, you have to be either insane or somewhat superhuman to attempt the climb.
Planning For The Worst
Up past 16,000 feet, the deadly forces of nature surround you. People who navigate the range can plan for a certain amount. Supplies, training and knowledge can take you far. But there's certainly a lot that can't be predicted.
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Himalayan Wildcard
Roopkund Lake is one of those things. A wildcard variable that even the most experienced of climbers seem unable to reckon with. The most surprising thing is the scope of this mystery. It's no modern anomaly.
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Rising To The Surface
A century ago, problems started to surface. Literally. In the summer months, while the ground surrounding the seemingly innocuous lake is still covered in snow, it begins to thaw slowly. As the ice melts from the surface, dark secrets rear from its shallow depths.
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What Lies On The Bottom
If you were to take a dip in this particular lake, though you would never do so at risk of hypothermia, the bottom of your feet wouldn't be greeted with rocks or gravel or any other standard lake foundation. Instead, your foot might brush against a human skull.
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After The Defrost...
When Roopkund defrosts, bones come to the surface. Thousands and thousands of bones constituting the remains of a still untold number of individuals are visible beyond the surface of the water. This disturbing eccentricity earned Roopkund the nickname "Skeleton Lake."
Legendary Explanation
Local legends explain the bones easily. The story goes that the King of Kanauj and his pregnant wife, along with a dance troupe and their servants met their end from a hailstorm and perished near the lake. Scientists wanted to get to the bottom of it.
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Scientific Explanation
A recent study conducted by scientists from India, Germany, and the United States acquired and examined DNA from 38 different remains. The hope was to get a better understanding of who these people were and how they might have met their end.
More Questions Remain
The results of the study made every variable even more muddied than before. Geneticist Jennifer Raff from the University of Kansas described the new, "far richer view into the possible histories of this site." Here's what we know.
One Big Event
It was believed that the remains were all related and were most probably dumped at the same time, like a mass grave or possibly the scene of a peculiar weather event that led to their death. It turns out, the individuals were from across a millennium.
Time Gap
DNA results dated the some bones from the 7-10th century and others from the 17th century. Meaning that one set of remains existed lifetimes before another, though they all ended up there. Yet another bit of information made finding a reasonable explanation even more unlikely.
Greeks In The Himalayas?
The DNA showed that not only were the individuals unrelated, but they came from a variety of ethnic groups. Scientists narrowed it down to three categories: South Asian, East Asian and oddly, Mediterranean. Specifically, people from modern day Greece.
Unexplained Deaths
New information doesn't lend itself to a logical narrative regarding the strange phenomena. All we know for sure is that centuries of people from across the world have met their end on the shores of Skeleton Lake with no explanation of how.
Pure Speculation
With no historical account of their journeys, only answers rooted in pure speculation remain. Some believe the lake's proximity to a Hindu-pilgrim route could explain why some died there. But that doesn't explain the Mediterranean presence.
Hindu Pilgrimages
They might have been unlucky explorers attempting to conquer the dangerous mountain range, or possibly people brought to the lake specifically for burial. Men, women, and children were all represented in the sample.
Tourist Attraction
This is were the mystery stands. Even with the help of modern science, the mystery at Skeleton Lake seems like it will remain just that for the foreseeable future. Strangely, the site has become a tourist attraction for this very reason.
Contrasting Landscapes
In the summer, people make the hike up to Roopkund to observe the bones of ancient people piled on one another unceremoniously on the bottom of the lake. The grim sight contrasts the tranquil, snowy landscape.
Harsh Climate
Surrounded by nothing but the harsh whisper of the Himalayan winds, hikers and tourists can develop their own theories about the remains, each as good as the other. It may as well be the King of Kanauj and his late wife at the bottom of the lake.
Worth The Risk
Even at the risk of becoming another set of bones in Skeleton Lake, traversing the most famous Himalayan peak aka Mt. Everest is an adrenaline junkie's dream. Every year, hundreds of people attempt to make the 29,035-foot climb, but not everyone finds success.
Hazardous Terrain
Base camps are set up at specific points on the mountain for climbers to rest up before the next harrowing leg of the journey. High altitudes mean frigid temperatures, but that's far from the only hazard climbers face.
No Air To Breathe
Along with the constant bone-chilling wind gusts, there's a severe lack of oxygen. Climbers wear oxygen tanks to avoid suffocating during the ascent. They also hang on to meticulously placed ropes to avoid the worst outcome of them all.
A Thin Line To Walk
Slipping on the mountain means almost certain death. It can happen in the blink of an eye, and no one can do anything except watch you tumble down to your demise. Clearly, it takes a fearless mindset to scale the peak, and one particular Nepalese man has that — and more.
Seasoned Knowledge
Born in 1970, Kami Rita knows Mt. Everest better than almost anyone in the world. He's a seasoned climber who's spent countless hours studying the terrifying terrain, finding the best ways to reach Everest's summit.
Adapted To Survive
If you ran into him on the street, you'd have no idea he was the type of person who could withstand the barrage of threatening elements Mt. Everest serves up. But, you also wouldn't know he's a Sherpa, which means he's adept at handling the most extreme conditions imaginable.
The Locals Know
Many years ago, well before Mt. Everest became a popular spot for thrill seekers, Sherpa tribespeople spent much of their time trading goods and herding yak deep within the Himilayan mountains.
Beyond Rugged
The rugged living conditions gave the Sherpa incredible stamina and knowledge of the intense environment. So, when people began showing interest in scaling Everest, they were naturally the ones best suited to guide them.
Introducing Technology
Climbing the Goliath mountain would be an impossible feat without the supervision of Sherpas. Before each climbing season, they study the mountain to a T to devise the safest path possible to the top. Then they head out and plot the path themselves.
Path To The Top
Using a complex network of ropes, anchors, and reinforced ladder-bridges, they lay out the path to the summit. The route changes every year, and Sherpas constantly risk their lives before they even lead their first group up. Nothing is more dangerous than "the death zone."
More Than Just Physical Will
"The death zone" is the portion of Everest that sits at such a high altitude there isn't enough oxygen to breathe. Kami ensures every climber has a fully stocked tank ready to go. Reaching the top, however, also relies on a heavy spiritual practice according to Kami.
Cleansing Ritual
Sherpas believe a goddess inhabits every mountain, and to ensure a safe climb, those goddesses must be satisfied. Kami goes through an intense ritual long before each epic ascent.
Respect The Mountain
"Months before I start an ascent I start worshiping and ask for forgiveness because I will have to put my feet on her body," Kami said. He treats the mountains with the utmost respect, and that's allowed him to do something most people can't even fathom.
Returning Champion
It seems impossible to believe, but Kami has reached the top of Mt. Everest a mindblowing 24 times! His first success was in 1994, and since then, he's been at the helm of tons of expeditions.
Mountain Celeb
Kami is known as somewhat of a celebrity when it comes to Mt. Everest, and for good reason. There was one week he climbed it twice. Craziest of all, Everest isn't the only mountain this champion conquered.
Worldwide Acclaim
He also climbed the second highest mountain behind Everest, K2 (left), and the world's sixth highest mountain, Cho-Oyu (right). Along with media attention, Kami's received plenty of other rewards for his efforts.
Bigtime Awards
He's received plaques and money for his amazing work! In 2018, he was earning about $10,000 per climb because of his experience. He makes a good living, but there's one person in his life who doesn't exactly love his line of work.
Seeking Safety
His wife, Lakpa, fears for his safety every time. She said, "I keep telling him we could look for other jobs, start a small business." Kami, however, is passionate about climbing life, although both said they wanted safer professions for their two children.
No Problems
At 49 years of age, Kami still feels great and thinks he has several more years of climbing in him. "I am healthy," he said. "I can keep going until I am 60 years old." With his track record, it doesn't sound like that will be a problem.
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