Skeletons were rediscovered in 1942 by Nanda Devi game reserve ranger Hari Kishan Madhwal, although there are reports about these bones from the late 9th century. Because of the human remains, the lake has been called Skeleton Lake in recent times. Research generally points to a semi-legendary event where a group of people were killed in a sudden, violent hailstorm in the 9th century. The human skeletal remains are visible at its bottom when the snow melts. With a depth of about 3 metres, Roopkund is widely known for the hundreds of ancient human skeletons found at the edge of the lake. The size of the lake varies substantially, but it is seldom more than 40 metres in diameter (1000 to 1500 square metres in area), and is frozen in the winter. Roopkund is a popular trekking destination. Located in the Himalayas, the area around the lake is uninhabited and is roughly at an altitude of 5,020 metres (16,470 ft), surrounded by rock-strewn glaciers and snow-clad mountains. Roopkund (locally known as Mystery Lake or Skeletons Lake) is a high altitude glacial lake in the Uttarakhand state of India.

Long dark map mystery lake