Overview
The Kedarkantha Trek is a popular and beautiful winter trek in the Garhwal Himalayas, located in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, India. It’s known for its moderate difficulty, making it a suitable choice for both beginners and experienced trekkers. The trek starts from the village of Sankri and covers approximately 20 kilometers, culminating in a summit climb to an altitude of 12,500 feet (3,800 meters).
Itinerary
We will pick you up at 06:00 AM from Dehradun. You are requested to report at the pickup point by the time. Then we will start our drive from Dehradun to Sankri, which is around 220 kilometers. It might take approximately 10 hours to reach Sankri, through the drive you can enjoy the beautiful views as it is a scenic route.
On your way to Sankri, you will cross many picturesque locations like Mussoorie, Mori, Naitwar, etc. You will drive along the Yamuna and Tons River and the pine trees lining the road. The last stretch of around 22 kilometers is the most picturesque part of the drive, it is when you enter the Govind National Park. The Park is famous for its exotic flora and fauna. On reaching Sankri we will check in our hotel.
After freshening up you can enjoy the evening at the beautiful village Sankri. Sankri village is also popular as the trekker’s hub as it is the base camp for many Himalayan treks, including the famous Har Ki Dun, Phulara Ridge trek. You can head out for an evening stroll through the village and get familiar with your fellow trekker. You can also witness a beautiful sunset from the village with a view of the Himalayas.
At night, you can have dinner at the hotel and rest. We will stay overnight at Sankri in triple, quad, or penta sharing, with separate arrangements for males and females, and begin our trek the following day.
Trekking for the Kedarkantha summit begins from Sankri, the base village for the trek. Today you will trek to Juda ka Talab, a beautiful alpine lake. The lake is situated at an altitude of around 9100 ft and the trek distance is about 4-5 kilometers. It would take around 5 hours to reach Juda ka Talab.
We will start our day early, have breakfast and head straight to the Juda ka Talab. As you begin your trek from Sankri village, you will walk into the village extension Saur, and then you will walk along a stream then turn towards the forests of pine, Cedar, Oak trees and maple.
Today, the trail would be broader and ascend gradually for about 2-3 hours. During the winters, the trail is covered in snow, and depending upon the snow conditions you would require proper winter gear for trekking. As you move forward you might spot wildlife like Himalayan Langurs, these animals are usually shy and move quickly from one branch to another, making it difficult to catch a proper glimpse. You might spot many other animals like wild boars, hares, and martens and many more.
After trekking a few more hours you will reach the beautiful campsite for the day Juda ka Talab. It is an extremely scenic lake with cedar, maple and oak forests around. Being near the lake feels surreal, in the lap of mountains and in the middle of cedar and snowy landscapes. During the peak winters, a sheet of ice forms on the lake, and creates a beautiful location for pictures.
We will camp here for the night, putting up our tents. You can take a walk and click beautiful pictures around the lake. At night, you can have dinner, enjoy the night sky, it is extremely beautiful with shining stars, and then rest in your tents.
After a warm breakfast with a sunrise view we start our trekking for the day. We will trek to Kedarkantha base camp. The campsite is at an altitude of 10100 ft and the distance from Juda ka Talab to Kedarkantha base camp is around 4 kilometers. Even if you walk moderately, you can cover the distance in around 3 hours. The trail is marked well so it is easy to navigate.
Walking through the trail, you will cross cedar, maple and oak forests, the forests will shortly open into expansive meadows. As you move forward, you will witness the valley of the Himalayan region gradually unfolding in front of your eyes. The Kedarkantha trail is beginner friendly and easy to climb, even during the peak winter the trail is not very tough, making it enjoyable for everyone. During winters you can see snow on the trails while during summers it is lush green.
When you reach the campsite, you can rest for a while, refresh yourself and take a small walk around the campsite. Then at night enjoy a nice hot dinner and soak in the beauty of the clear night sky with an abundance of twinkling stars. Since the campsite is at a high altitude, the cold waves can be high, so we recommend you layer with proper clothing for protection against the cold. Then you can rest in your tents and get proper sleep for the next day's trek to the summit.
We will start our day early in the morning after warm breakfast. We will trek to Kedarkantha base camp. The campsite is at an altitude of 10100 ft and the distance from Juda ka Talab to Kedarkantha base camp is around 4 kilometers. Even if you walk moderately, you can cover the distance in around 3 hours. The trail is marked well so it is easy to navigate.
Walking through the trail, you will cross cedar, maple and oak forests, the forests will shortly open into expansive meadows. As you move forward, you will witness the valley of the Himalayan region gradually unfolding in front of your eyes. The Kedarkantha trail is beginner friendly and easy to climb, even during the peak winter the trail is not very tough, making it enjoyable for everyone. During winters you can see snow on the trails while during summers it is lush green.
When you reach the campsite, you can rest for a while, refresh yourself and take a small walk around the campsite. Then at night enjoy a nice hot dinner and soak in the beauty of the clear night sky with an abundance of twinkling stars. Since the campsite is at a high altitude, the cold waves can be high, so we recommend you layer with proper clothing for protection against the cold. Then you can rest in your tents and get proper sleep for the next day's trek to the summit.
Today we will descend from Hargaon to Sankri, from an altitude of 8900 ft to 6400 ft. The trekking distance is about 4 kms and might take up to 3-4 hrs to complete the descent.
In the morning, you can rise with the sun and have a delicious breakfast. The sunrise is always beautiful in the Himalayas, especially during the winters. After breakfast we will begin descending towards Sankri. You will trek through the forests. When the forest opens, you can get a good bird’s eye view of the Har Ki Dun valley.
Descending the valley is simply wonderful. Relishing the view, we will descend further and once again cross a dense forest that would finally open at the Sankri village. After reaching Sankri we will check into the hotel again, and you can rest or head out to explore the village.
At Sankri there are few shops, and you can buy souvenirs like wooden handicrafts or decor products. You can interact with the locals and get to know about their livelihoods. While life at Sankri is slow paced, people here have strong religious beliefs. Here, around 120 families live in wooden houses to protect themselves from the cold. At Sankri, they also hold fairs regularly, during which entertainment takes place in the form of singing or dancing to native folk songs.
At night you can have a good dinner with fellow trekkers and rest overnight at the hotel after a tiring yet wonderful journey.
Today will be the last day of the wonderful trip. Today we will return to Dehradun with beautiful memories. From Sankri a vehicle will be arranged for you to drive back to Dehradun. We will check out from the hotel early in the morning, since it will be a long journey today. The distance from Sankri to Dehradun is 220 kilometers, it might take up to 10 hours. The cost for today's lunch and dinner are not included in the package.
We will again return from the same scenic route, with a heart full of memories. We will reach Dehradun around 6:30 - 7:30 pm so make your further bookings accordingly.
Note:
- Keep a buffer day in your travel plan.
- If buffer day is not used in the travel then it can be used to Explore Dehradun.
- Read the article Things to do in Dehradun.
- Distance, Altitude, and Trekking hours are approximate and rounded off.
- Keep the original and copy of ID proof handy.
- Come one day early if planning to come by plane.
Includes/ Excludes
Cost Includes
- Accommodation (as per the itinerary):
- (Males and females accommodated separately)
- Meals (Veg + Egg):
- Day 1 Dinner to Day 5 Dinner as per the itinerary.
- Drinking water while on trek (Tap/Mountain water).
- 1 Versatile base camp manager handles communication and deploys extra manpower in emergencies.
- 1 Mountaineering & First aid qualified professional trek Leader.
- 1 Experienced high-altitude chef.
- Local experienced guides (Number of guides depending on the group size).
- Enough support staff.
- Trek equipment: Sleeping bag, Sleeping liners (if required), mattresses, and Utensils.
- 3 men all season trekker tent (twin sharing), Kitchen & Dining tent, Toilet tent.
- Camping stool, Walkie talkie.
- Ropes, Helmet, Ice axe, Harness, Gaiters & microspikes (if required).
- First aid: Medical kit, Stretcher, Oxygen cylinder, Blood pressure monitor, Oximeter, Stethoscope.
- Mules/porters to carry the central luggage.
- Cloakroom facility available at the base camp for additional luggage.
- All necessary permits and entry fees, Upto the amount charged for Indian.
Cost Excludes
- Insurance (Mandatory).
- Food during the transit.
- Any kind of personal expenses.
- Mule or porter to carry personal luggage.
- Emergency evacuation, hospitalization charge, etc.
- Transport from Dehradun to Sankri and return.
- Anything not specifically mentioned under the head Inclusion.
- Tips for porter and Guide (Expected)
