Kedarkantha Trek from Rishikesh

Itinerary

1. 

   Day 01

   Dehradun- Sankri (220kms Or 7-8hr) HT : 1352 MTS. Via Mussoorie. O/N stay in Sankri

   *Altitude from 1430ft to 6400ft *220KM Drive from Dehradun to Sankri through beautiful Himalayan landscape *Stay in Guest House in Sankri Through the divine mountain town of Dehradun and passing through the queen of hills “Mussorie” we dedicate this day to 220km of ride to Sankri. As we dedicate these six days into the wild and live the extraordinary live in the mountains to explore and to live every bit of it. We settle down comfortably in our Traveler or TATA sumo depending upon the group size start the journey to Sankri which is no less than a road trip. Passing through the mesmerising curvy roads of Garhwal hills and divine jungle roads in upper Garhwal hills we reach Sankri in the evening to live the beautiful evening life in Sankri where clouds play with all beautiful colours right above your head. When in Sankri staying in guest house the best thing to do is to take a walk along the serene villages in sankri. There are small chai shops who serve the best momos and noodles in the mountains you could ask for. Exploring the off-beat villahges of Garhwal IN SANKRI is one of the things to do while in mountains.
2. 

   Day 02

   Sankri – Juda –Ka –Talab ( Kms& 5 Kms Trek) Each side:-O/N stay in Juda –Ka –Talab

   *Altitude from 6400ft to 9100ft *4km Trek (approx 5 hrs) *Stay in Tents *Photography and Sightseeing around Juda-ka-talab and the adjacent snow covered meadow. Early morning after a healthy breakfast and having explored the villages the previous day our experienced trek leader will call for a fall in and explain the strategy for the first trek day and it is very important to follow his lead as mountains are to be respected and our trek leaders know that best. After the briefing of the day we start our trek day 1 right from the heart of Sankri and start our climb for the day. The uphill steps at the start of the trek will give you the feel of what comes during the summit. But it is not to get frightened about as just after crossing this uphill climb you will be greeted by nice jungle trails followed by beautiful meadows. This day will be a 4km trek which will approximately take 5 hours. During summer the trails are all filled with brown maple and pine leaves. The frequent scenes on this day will be the women and children carrying firewood and leafs for household work and you paths will be crossed by the mules going up and down the trail carrying camping equipments and food for trekkers. Juda-ka-talab is a beautiful piece of destination for today’s camping. Beautifully situated lake at the left and the lush green pine forest at the right and perfectly placed meadow in front of the lake and forest is no less than a dream camp.
3. 

   Day 03

   Juda –Ka –Talab – Kedarkantha Base (kms/4hr) HT :1158 MTS. O/N Stay in Kedarkantha Base

   *Altitude 9100ft to 11,250ft *4Km Trek (approx 3hr) *This day we walk alongside the oak trees enjoying the serenity of forest *Spot the magnificent view of bandarpooch, Swargarohini, Kala Nag *Spot few Shepherd huts on the way. *stay in tents After breakfast at the campsite we start the day aiming to reach Kedarkantha base at the height of 11,250ft. The distance between Juda-ka-talab to Kedarkantha base is 4km and It takes approximately 3 hours in a moderate speed. The trails again start into the dense forest this day denser than yesterday. The chirruping birds and the crushing snow is the melody that you get to hear on these trails.In winter months of trekking the snow traces start showing up at around 10,000ft . While passing through the forest we also pass through few meadows where you can spot shepherd huts. Alittle before Kedarkantha base you can witness the view of snow-capped mountains of Banderpooch, Swargarohini and Kala Nag. As soon as we reach Kedarkantha base we start setting up our camps in preferred locations. However we prefer closed group camping as During the nights it is better to camp close to each other. The evening sky is beautiful from kedarkantha base and one can feel the greatness of nature under the wide clear sky in the night sitting around bonfire.
4. 

   Day 04

   Kedarkantha Base to Kedarkantha Peak to Hargaon Campsite

   *Altitude from 11250 to 12500ft (Kedarkantha Peak) To 8900ft *6km Trek (approx 7hr) *We enjoy the summit for a while and come back to campsite to have lunch and descend down to Hargaon Campsite *Camp at Hargaon camp site. This is the summit day we’ve been waiting for were we cover the last 1250ft patch to stand tall in the 360 degree view from the summit. This day will be steep climb at the last patch to conquer Kedarkantha peak. Todays journey will of 7hr trekking through 6km uphill and flat trail. As soon as the morning sunrays hits our faces in the most pleasant way. We gather all the energy we need today and set out for the trails. It is a long trek day today but the thrilling experience of conquering the peak and finally reaching to the destination will keep you going in even faster pace. While we are at the foot of kedarkantha peak the climb can be made from several routes but It is advisable to take the main trail as the elevation is even in this path hence will take less effort to climb up. In no time we reach the top of kedarkantha Peak and at the first sight on the peak everything stops for a while. The mesmerizing view of the snow capped mountains from the 360 degree view at top is a milestone to grab in life. There is a small shrine of lord Ganesh a beautiful small temple of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati. After enjoying the Peak for a while we head back to Kedarkantha base for lunch and relax for a bit. After that we un-pitch our tents and head for Hargaon campsite for the night’s stay. The trek to Hargaon camp site is again through dense oak forest and maple trees. After reaching Hargaon campsite we mark an end to the most important and beautiful day of the trek i.e. the summit day. We enjoy our last day in tents of this trek and enjoy camp food.
5. 

   Day 05

   Hargaon Campsite to Sankri

   *Altitude from 8900ft to 6400ft *6km Trek (approx 4 hr) *We descend through dense pine forest. Descending from 8900ft to 6400ft we set out for the last day of trek in Kedarkantha trails . Today journey is of 6km which will take us approximately 4 hours for down hill trek. After sunrise and after having our breakfast we pack our bags and get ready to descend on a more clearly marked and well paved trail to Sankri. After a considerable distance at the ridge there is a clear view of picture perfect Har ki Doon valley , The valley of gods. After descending few more distance we come to witness the first sign of Habitation in the trail. Passing through this habitation on a clear view of Sankri we reach Sankri and it is the end of the mountain trails. We stay in a guest house today reliving the memories of the trek and going through the breathtaking pictures we took with a little bit of experience sharing. Like a popular saying “We go as wanderers and come back as Storytellers” All of us have conquered ourselves while in the attempt of conquering the mountain. And we all have brushed and paved ourselves in a better version of a human being by experiencing the purest form of nature. And these all stories are to be told, Told to everybody who is stuck in life at a point or who needs motivation in life. As they must know what a mountain can do to you.
6. 

   Day 06

   Sankri to Dehradun

   *220km Drive in curvey Garhwal Hills *We reach Dehradun at approx 6PM. We have our breakfast early today as it is the long drive day with the new family we made in mountains. Like the first day of pick-up in Dehradun we similarly start the drive of 220km again through the same beautiful mountain roads and make more stories enroute Dehradun. We have lunch in one of the Dhabas enroute Dehradun. The drop point in Dehradun will be same as pick-up point i.e. Dehradun Railway Station. For the Trekkers going by bus we will drop you to ISBT.