Kedarkantha Trek lies in the Govind Wild Life Sanctuary and Govind Pashu National Park in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The drive to Sankri (from where the Kedarkantha trek starts) is one of the most picturesque drives in the Himalayas through Mussoorie, Purola, Mori, Netwar, along with the Tons River.
Destinations Covered in the Kedarkantha Trek: Dehradun, Purola, Sankri, Govind Wild Life Sanctuary.
Brief Kedarkantha Trek Itinerary:
Day 1: Drive from Dehradun to Sankri (6,450 ft).
Day 2: Trek from Sankri (6,450 ft) to Juda Ka Talab (9,100 ft).
Day 3: Trek from Juda Ka Talab (9,100ft) to Kedarkantha Base (10,600 ft).
Day 4: Trek from Kedarkantha Base (10,600 ft) to Kedarkantha Peak and back to Kedarkantha Base.
Day 5: Trek from Kedarkantha Base and drive to Dehradun (10,600 ft) to Sankri. /Chatru to Prini (Manali) via the Rohtang Pass.
We will leave from Dehradun by 6:30 am and reach Sankri approximately by 5:00 pm. Sankri is a beautiful small village which has a few small dhabas and shops. We would be staying overnight in a guesthouse slightly up the road. We would reach Sankri at the time of sunset, which makes for a beautiful setting, as the Swargarohini peaks stand over the ridges beyond Sankri.
Today, we will leave for trekking and reach our campsite, Juda ka Talab. We will leave at around 9:00 am after a sumptuous breakfast at the guesthouse. We will leave Sankri passing through another small village of Saur, from where the trail takes us to Kedarkantha. The path goes through pine forest until we reach a ridge, which opens up into a wide trail. After we have completed almost a quarter of our trek, we would catch up to the stream, we have been hearing. This is the last spot to fill water bottles until Juda ka Talab. As we carry on the same trail, we go through pine and maple forests and the trail becomes dense and narrow again until you reach Juda ka Talab. Juda ka Talab makes for a perfect campsite with a large lake on the left and dense pine and oak forests on the right. The lake was once two lakes that are now conjoined to make one. Enjoy the sunset with evening snacks and explore the area.
Today, we start our day with hot tea and breakfast and then head towards Kedarkantha Base. As we leave Juda ka Talab, the trail is straight and rises to an elevation at the edge of the lake and goes into the dense pine forest. As we continue to walk on the ridge for another half an hour, the ridge opens out to another open field. You will find a shepherd’s hut here where you can take a break and relax for a while as we have less than a thousand feet to climb to the Kedarkantha base. After a short climb, in the shadows of oak trees, the route opens up into a field again. Look behind to absorb and enjoy the panorama of snow ranges surrounding Kedarkantha peak. As we climb up higher, usually over snow, we reach our destination, Kedarkantha base camp site. Snow- capped mountains like Ranglana, Kala Nag, Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch, stretch from your right to your left.
We wake up a bit early for the beautiful sunrise from the Kedarkantha base; the Kedarkantha peak is clearly visible from the base. We then move forward with our day with a hot cup of tea and breakfast.
There are many trails to go up to Kedarkantha Peak, the best route is from the northern elevation of the summit, it takes 3 hours to climb the summit from the campsite. The mountain top is marked by a trishul-like arrangement of stones that points to the sky. The mountain top gives a 360° view of the snowy mountains of Uttrakhand. The Gangotri and Yamnotri , Chansil and Kinnaur Kailash are a few of the ranges that are visible from the top. There is a straight forward descent from the peak to the Kedarkantha base, the route we would take is full of oak and pine trees and many frozen streams. We reach back in the evening and finally relax after an eventful day.
Today, we head back to Sankri after we fill our stomachs with sumptuous breakfast. The path to Sankri is filled with stones and is basically a descent through pine trees with a stream on our left which is a good spot to fill water. We start on this path walking past the cluster of four huts and through deep dark pine forest that engulfs the route as it moves further away from the ridge. The hike route gets even more beautiful as it spirals down to a pine forest that leads to Hargaon. The trail evens out and progressively goes downhill through pine forest to come to another ridge. From this elevation point, we can view the open Har ki Dun valley and as we climb down, we encounter apple orchard and potato farms. The trail divides numerous times and each division leads to a different part of Sankri. In the evening, we reach the guesthouse and enjoy dinner there before we head to our beds to rest.
We start our 10 hour long drive from Sankri to Dehradun after breakfast. The drive would be one a kind with pine forests and rivers as your view as your drive down. We will stop for lunch in between to enjoy food in the midst of such beauty. We will reach Dehradun by 8:00 pm.
