Kedarkantha Winter Trek
Trip Overview
Kedarkantha trek is a perfect picturesque trek in the lap of the Himalayas of Garhwal. The overall return trek is around 24 kilometers from Sankri, which is covered in a span of over 4 days. The trek takes you up to the summit of the Kedarkantha peak at 3800 meters. The view from the top offers spectacular panorama the region and other lesser known peaks, valleys and villages of the area. The Dhauladhar range of Himachal, Rupin valley, Har Ki Dun valley and views that goes down to the dense settlement of Purola, are all visible. The snow cover on the surrounding peaks makes all the mountains and sharp points appear like a dominating high peaks.. On the top, you feel like an eagle with a bird's eye view of the surrounding.
Highlights:
- Camp in the woods in the lap of the Himalayas of Garhwal. The trail is through the thick forest cover of the Himalayan Coniferous trees.
- Feel the experience of a summit trek. Kedar Kantha is a beautiful looking mountain and on this trek we reach its summit at 3800 meters.
- An excellent trek to begin a multi day trek in the Himalayas. The total distance covered in this ttrek is just around 20 kilometers which we cover in 4 days. Each day we walk for about 2 - 3 hours except for summit day when we walk for around 5 hours. It gives an apt platform to test your endurance which is required for a multi day Himalayan trek.
- Winter trek, trek on snow covered mountain. Its a classic winter trek and is one of the best winter treks available in the Himalayas.
- Enjoy the cold !! This trek is cold during the winter and temperature can drop as low as -10 degrees on nightfall.
- Local culture and villages. Kedar Kantha is associated with the Hindu God - Lord Shiva. There is an interesting story of the place which the guide narrates on reaching the summit. There is a temple on the summit.
- Snow covered peaks of the surrounding valley like Rupin, Har Ki Dun beautifies this trek even further.
Brief Itinerary:
Day 1: Drive from Dehradun to Sankri (7 - 8 hours, Drive)
Early morning board your vehicles to take one of the very picturesque Himalayan drive following the Yamuna and the Tons river. You may stop by at Mussurie for having a quick breakfast and at Kempty falls enroute to start with the fun game right away.
After a drive of some 7 hours, you will arrive in Sankri by evening. On reaching, one of our representative will greet you and guide you to your hotel room. Once you are settled and freshened up, we meet over for evening Tea and Snacks. That's where we get introduced with the Team, issue you personal equipments for extra hygiene and safety, and share latest updates for the Kedarkantha trek in short.
Our dinner gets ready by that time, and we get ready for a savoury dinner cooked by our expert cook hired locally. Your trek leader and guide will share the timings for tomorrow.
Accommodation: Homestay / Hotel at Sankri
Meals: Evening Snacks, Dinner
Day 2: Trek From Sankri to Juda Ka Talab (1920 mts. to 2700 mts., 3 Hours Trek)
Today after breakfast, we start our trek. We start on the road that goes to Talkua and just when we reach the village of Soud, the trek route starts on the right and starts climbing up to enter into the forest cover. From here, its a constant, but easy climb to our campsite of Juda Ka Taalab. Kedarkantha peak is not visible entirely on the trek route for today.
The trek route come across multiple opening in the forest, and we take multiple breaks, not just to rest, but also to grasp the beautiful view presented by the elements of the nature. In some 3.5 hours, we reach our campsite for the day.
We camp by the lake of Juda Ka Talab ( The Lake of Separation ). Its a beautiful small lake in a small opening right in the middle of the forest. During winter, the lake freezes allowing you to walk above it.
After we reach, we are served with hot lunch and we take some rest after that. Evening we meet up for a quick medical recheck and ease out for the day. Photography and Camping games keep us engaged.
The light drops early here with the sunset and with that, its gets colder too ! We have our dinner early and get into our tents which are warmer. A good day ends.
Accommodation: Tents
Meals: All Meals
Day 3: Trek From Juda Ka Talab to Kedar Kantha Base Camp (2700 mts. to 3400 mts., 3 Hours Trek)
Today's trek is shorter but a very beautiful one. Getting out of the cozy warm sleeping bags might get bit challenging. However, the hot tea waiting outside, the sunlight finding its way through the tall trees and the day forward will motivate you a lot to come out of those bags. Also, today is the day we see our peak for the first time !!
We finish our breakfast and start our trek for the day through the forest trails again. As we climb further, the forest starts clearing lightly and we can see our peak for the first time from an opening in the forest. We pass by few abandoned shepherd's hut. The trek continuously keeps us motivated and in some couple of hours we reach a bigger opening in the forest. That's where we camp for the day !!
We chose our campsite as per availability of water and ease out for the rest of the day. Here you are surrounded by white fresh snow all over with the peak of Kedarkantha right in front of you, calling you towards it !! Sunny day can be hot here even with snow all around because of the reflections. We need to take care of our eyes and also stay well protected against the cold wind, despite the heat.
After lunch and some rest, we will test our equipment like gaiters, micro spikes, etc. A demo will be given on how to use them and then we start wearing them on as this practice will help us get ready quickly tomorrow since we will start the trek before the dawn to perfectly time our reaching the summit. That's where the real Himalayan High is after all !! We take short walks nearby with the gears and if required, few snow techniques will also be displayed to you for using it when necessary.
Similar to yesterday, we have early dinner and get into our tents just after the sunset.
Accommodation: Tents
Meals: All Meals
Day 4: Trek From Kedarkantha Base Camp to Kedarkantha Summit. Trek down to Hargaon (3400 mts. to 3800 mts., 6 - 7 hours trek)
Today is a challenging day for us. Not because the trek is difficult, but because the condition and timing is sharp. We gear up for The Day of the trek as we head for the ridge of the peak before the day dawns.
A quick breakfast of hot porridge, coffee and few quick munch for the trek, we start the trek with our headlamps on and lighted. For photographers, this creates an excellent shot with a trail of light climbing the white peak through the dark !!
Soon we find ourselves walking on the mountain itself, on its ridge. After a climb of some 3 hours, we stand on the summit of the mountain. There is a small temple, where we offer prayers to Lord Shiva. The magic spelled by the Sun on the surrounding mountains and valleys is just a moment to Live for!!
We do not just want to come back but, we sadly have to. So, after spending some good time on the top, we head down the same route. We return to Base, savour on hot lunch and then trek further down to the other side of the mountain.
Tonight we camp on one of the loveliest campsite ever - Hargaon. Here the evening gets just magical
Accommodation: Tents
Meals: All Meals
Day 5: Trek From Hargaon to Sankri, Depart to Dehradoon or Mussoorie (9 hours, Trek & Drive)
Today we end our trek. We start early morning to reach Sankri early so that we can leave to Dehradun. This enables us to make the most of our vacation and allows you to be on your next destination like Mussourie, Rishikesh, Dehradoon, Haridwar, Chakrata, Kanatal etc on time.
The trail is continuous descend for some 2.5 hours to bring us down to Sankri. The route is tricky and its a good idea to stick together and follow the trek guide.
On reaching Sankri, your vehicles will be ready to take you down to Dehradoon. Collect your left over luggage if any, freshen up if required and then we bid good bye. A memorable trek has come to an end here.
You had come as a guest but go as a friend with a promise to meet somewhere in the mountains sooner !!
Accommodation: None
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Basic Details
Inclusions
- 5 Days / 4 nights of trek cost Ex. Sankri or Dejhradoon (As Chosen)
- Accommodation in spacious tents on trek, 2man/ 3man tents
- Sub Zero Sleeping bags supported with Warm Fleece Sleeping Bag Inners For Extra Hygiene and Warmth
- All required camping gears with Separate Dining and Kitchen Tents and toilet tents for men and women
- All meals starting Evening Tea in Sankri on Day 1 till Breakfast in Hargaon on Day 5
- 3 meals (B,L,D) suited for high altitude with evening snacks, soup, hot drinks and extra energizers/juice for summit days
- All other equipment and safety gears required for snow trek like Gaiters, Anti Slip Crampons, etc
- High Altitude Medical Kit
- Experienced and Well Equipped English/ Hindi Speaking Trek Leader
- Expert and Knowledgeable local guide with cooks, helpers, etc
- All forest entry permits and camping fees
** BAGGAGE OFFLOAD: INR 1200 per trekker
** TRANSPORT Ex Dehradoon: Can be arranged on request to be paid on actuals and shared by the group
Exclusions
- Transportation of any kind, from Start or Exit Points. Can be arranged on request and the cost shared by the group
- Food purchased outside our fixed menu
- Travel Insurance
- Personal Baggage Offload ( optional at extra cost, Rs. 1200/ - per bag weighing not more than 10 Kgs. )
- Anything out of the Inclusions list
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Important Information
Peaks: Bandarpunch ( 6316m ), Kalanag ( 6387m ), Swargarohini ( 6252m )
Lakes: Juda Ka Taalab ( 2826m )
Rivers: Supin , Tons
National Parks: Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Sanctuary
Duration: 5 days/ 5 nights, Dehradun to Dehradun
Highest Altitude: 3800m
Grade: Easy
Terrain: Meadows, forest , snow
Trail Type: Same Exit Entry Point
Starts At: Sankri
Ends At: Sankri
Region: India - Uttrakhand
Nearest Airport: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, Uttrakhand
Nearest Rail Head: Dehraoon, Uttrakhand
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can do Kedarkantha Trek all through the year except monsoon months of July and August. If you are looking for snow then you should do it between months of December to March.
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In summer months Kedarkantha trek is an easy trek. In winters it could be easy to moderate depend upon level of snow on the trail.
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We keep our groups small for better over all experience. Typical group size is between 6 to 10. On long weekends or during holidays the group size could be 15.
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Ideally trekking shoes/boots with ankle support are needed for any trek in the Himalayan region. Quechua shoes available at Decathlon are a value for money option.
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Yes all published dates are final and departures are guaranteed. Even if that its just you, we will proceed with the trek.
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Toilet tents are set-up at the campsites. These are dry-pit temporary toilets and most hygienic as well as convenient way to answer nature’s call in the wild.
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First two days would see only slight lower temperature compared to plains. Day 3 on wards day time temperature would be 5°C-15°C and night time temperature could drop to as low as -8°C in winters.
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Yes, you will be provided with tents and sleeping bags & mattress. Our sleeping bags are high altitude category and can withstand temperatures as low as -10º C. Couples are given two person tents and groups are give three or four person tents.
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Har Ki Dun and Kuari Pass are two other treks that you could explore. Both these treks are fairly easy with beautiful mountain views and snow can be found at least till mid March.
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