Kedarkantha Trek

Short Itinerary

Day 1: Dehradun to Kotgaon (1,920 m) - 8 h drive

Day 2: Kotgaon/Sankri to Juda Ka Talab (2,774 m) - 2-3 h trek

Day 3: Juda Ka Talab to Kedarkantha Base Camp (3,429 m) - 2-3 h trek

Day 4: Kedarkantha base camp to Kedarkantha Summit (3,810 m) and back to Kotgaon (1,920 m)

Day 5: Kotgaon (1,920 m) to Dehradun - 8 h drive

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Dehradun to Kotgaon/Sankri

• Altitude: 6,455 ft (1,920 m)
• Distance: 190 km
• Time: 8-9 hrs (Drive)

The first day’s journey from Dehradun toKotgaon/Sankri is a beautiful 8-hour drive to Sankri. Kedarkantha is one of the Himalaya’s highlighted and most popular winter trek. The total drive distance is 220 km. Pass through the scented pine forests. Mountain drives are one of the most peaceful and mind soothing trips. The drive will also pass among beautiful places like Naitwar and Mussourie. Watch the scenic landscapes from outside your car window. The nearby freshwater turns from milky to blueish color then again back to natural green. This ride is sure to give you a hint about the upcoming thrill and adventure. Pass amidst the gushing Tons and Yamuna Rivers

Sankri village falls within Govind Pashu Vihar National Park; famous for its rare species of flora and fauna. Such varieties are not found in any other region. Sankri village consists of small hamlets and a pristine setting. The hamlet offers natural richness. See the children playing around happily. View the mesmerizing sunset while at your stay here. Rest for the night in your camp. Make sure to taste Himalayan delicacies at local Dhabas on your way. Sankri village is also known as a trekking hub connecting 11 trek destinations.

Day 2: Kotgaon/Sankri to Juda ka Talab

The second day covers a journey of 4 km to reach the campsite, Juda ka Talab. It is situated at 9,100 feet altitude. The trail path takes you through a steep lane crossing dense forests of Maple and Pine trees. As you walk, feel the essence of the forest’s leaves protecting you from above. The real adventure starts from here. Cross over wooden bridges and watch the freshwater stream flowing below you. Cross through few more streams through steep dense oak forest to reach Juda ka Talab. On your way, you might spot wild animals, birds, Himalayan Langooor. Your camp will be at Juda ka Talab, a frozen lake with a small picturesque island. Lake water is quite fresh to drink water from it. The island holds beautiful lush green meadows to set your camp. It has a series of mounds. These are priceless natural jewels. 

Thick pine, oak, deodar, and birch trees are a visual treat here. These thick forests make it hard to seep through it. Feel the shadows of pine forest following you. Watch the grandeur of Talab right in front of you. It’s the main attraction of Kedarkantha trek. Walk near the lake and explore the splendid campsite. Rest the night here viewing the shiny stars above. The best time to visit is during winters when the lake gets frozen.

Juda ka Talab has a mythological story attached to it. Legend says Lord Shiva used to meditate upon Kedarkantha. And the Talab was formed from a droplet of Lord Shiva’s hair. Hindus consider this Lake as sacred and holy. The lake view feels as it had cast a spell; picturesque and splendid. Even words cannot describe this view.

Day 3: Juda ka Talab to Kedarkantha Base

Today you will trek for 3 hours to reach an altitude of 11,250 feet. The trail path starts to ascend gradually until the further trail is fully visible. Trek upon the shiny green meadows upon which the early sunrise falls. Such a beautiful sunrise is rare. Capture these mesmerizing sceneries to cherish later. Pine and oak trees are there to welcome you at the steep climb. This trail also offers a glimpse of the snowy Himalayan peaks. Watch out for shepherds living in small huts on the grassy meadows. Fall in love with this area’s scenic nature

On arriving at Kedarkantha Base view the fascinating arc-shaped ranges of Bandarpoonch, Swargarohini, Kala Nag, and Ragala. All these peaks are a part of the Garhwal Himalayas. These majestic peaks are enough to stun you. Such splendor of visual sight. When watched closely these peaks seem attached to the blue sky. In winters this place remains covered with snow all over. The snowy view is breathtaking. Only mother nature can create such wonders. Once at the Base, enjoy the evening watching the stars. It’s the best spot for night photography. Spot a shooting star in the clear sky and make a wish.

Day 4: Kedarkantha Base to Kedarkantha peak and Back to  Kotgaon 

The toughest day all where one needs to trek for 7 hours to reach Kedarkantha’s peak. Also, the longest day among other days. Here trail path mostly covers the oak forest’s summit areas, quite easy and enjoyable path, under the brilliance of sunrise. As you reach the end of the forest, Kedarnath peak comes closer to you. It’s situated at 12,500 height. Feel the crunch of leaves as you step forward. The trail path remains dusty with the bubbling of glacier streams.

As the summit comes closer, from here starts the strainful climb. Watch out your path as you cross huge boulders. A lot of suspense awaits you before reaching the peak. The amazing part is when from the top you get a panoramic view of the mighty Himalayas. The scene is rewarding after a hassle full journey. Due to its mythological history, this place always feels special and sacred. Find your inner peace after strenuous trekking. 

After a good relaxation, you can start descending towards the camp. The descending trail will make you cross through dense forests, bridges, and frozen streams. Watch your path carefully, the path is dusty and muddy. Once you reach the Base camp enjoy the tasty hot lunch, then start to descend for Juda Ka Talab. On reaching Juda Ka Talab, you can have a tea and rest and then leave for the kotgaon explore the village once again and celebrate for the night for reaching the summit.

Day 5:Kotgaon to Dehradun - 2-3 h trek+ 8 h drive

The next day stats with a blisfull sunshine and cold, have your breakfast and start your last day of the trek. Seeing new faces upwards and the excitment for the trek in their faces will remind you of the trek journey. Click some mind splending photos and descend your journey. Party and enjoy in the achievemnet of the kedarkantha summit as it will be your last day in the beautiful Himalayas of Uttarakhand.From Sankri village you finally head towards Dehradun, and the blissful journey comes to an end. As you reach here, the eventful memories and pictures are always going to stay with you. Have a look at the Himalayas once again and cherish your eyes with it until you trek for the next time.

How to prepare yourself for Kedarkantha Trek

Kedarkantha Trek is not an extremely hard trek, however, you need to prepare yourself physically as well as mentally to achieve the demanding trails of this exotic journey. You will have to cover around 9-10 km and altitude will go high from 5100 ft to a maximum of 12,500 ft in a short span of mere 3 days. To make this whole excursion, smooth, joyful, and less tiring, train yourself accordingly.

Cardiovascular stamina:

You need to develop the endurance to run almost 8-10 km in one hour. Stamina doesn’t build in a day. You need to start exercising at least a month prior to the commencement of the trek. Sprint is the best choice to boost your stamina however jogging will help to keep your energy up during the longer paths. Also, if you are just starting to maintain a fitness regime then jogging is the basic workout you should begin. You may add cycling and swimming in your routine to avoid boredom and to make your body more adaptive.

Strength:

Another area to cover in the process of your body development is to train your mind and body to tackle with the roughness of odd and unsteady tracks of mountains. You will have to walk these detours carrying your backpack on your shoulders, which can cause muscle soreness and ache. Strengthening your legs by working out regularly is the only option to prevent it. Squats can make back thigh and lower legs muscles so start doing 2-3 sets of squats regularly with 8-10 repetitions.  Walking up and downstairs is another option to add in your daily routine to strengthen your muscles.

Flexibility:

Flexibility is just like an extra topping on the Pizza in your schedule of body training. It does not only relax the muscles but helps you to open your body easily which will lead you to walk at a fast pace and cross even the roughest terrains comfortably. Flexibility can be induced by stretching muscles on a daily basis. This will help you lose extra inches on your body so you will be lighter to embrace this detour of Kedarkantha Trek.

Essential Things to carry for Kedarkantha Trek

Essentials are the first priority without them trek cant be started

• A Backpack:

For this extraordinary trek, your first requirement is a tough and strong backpack. A 50-60 liter bag is sufficient for the journey. The bag should be of waterproof yet light weight-stuff and must have good shoulder and hip support with ample small quick-access pockets.

Tip- Backpack can be bought of any brand like Decathlon, Wildcraft, Woodland, etc.

• Shoes:

Shoes are the next important item for the preparation list of Kedarkantha Trek. We need a pair of shoes that are rough from the outer side but soft from inside, to make the journey comfortable and reliable. Good grip, adequate ankle support, water-resistance, and snow handling are the other qualities we should look for in our trekking shoes.

Tip- Decathlon has a good series of trekking shoes you can purchase from there. Eg- Trek series and MH series are good options.

• Clothes:

Trekking can be the best adventure of one’s life, however, it could be a disaster without the right choice of layers for the uncertain weather of the mountains.

• T-Shirt as a Baselayer:

Carry at least 3-5 t-shirts as per the length of the excursion. We prefer you to wear full sleeve collared t-shirts as they help to protect the body from sun harmful rays. If you don’t like to wear full sleeve t-shirt then you may buy sleeve covers, that will help to protect skin from the sun. Dry-fit t-shirts are easy to carry as they tend to be light in weight and they dry quickly as compared to 100% cotton.

• Woolens and Jackets as an Insulation layer:

A padded jacket is appropriate for this trek which can be of non-water resistance material. But an outer padded jacket would serve the purpose of keeping the wind and the cold out. A couple of thin layer sweaters too can be handy in the high cold temperature at the altitude of 15000 ft. We discourage to pack the hand-knitted bulky sweaters.

We don’t prefer down and fur jackets as they are very costly and need maintenance.

• Trek Pants:

2-3 pairs of pants in this trek are suggested for the whole excursion. Pure cotton pants and jeans are to be avoided while shopping for trekking because hard and heavy stuff of these pants will create difficulties during the hill climbing. Cargo and quick-dry trousers top the list for trekking pants, apart from these stretchable pants can serve as thermal bottoms. Pants with zipper pockets prove to be useful to keep the tiny essentials for the way. You should always buy dark colored pants for trekking as they will not get dirty quickly.

Other Mandatory Accessories, Without these Trekking, Seems to be Almost Impossible:

• Caps:

Our head is most vulnerable to heat, whether it is sultry hot or too cold conditions. So, suncap and woolen cap or Balaclava make the next compulsory item on our list. The suncap protects the eyes and head in the sharp direct sunlight, while, woolen caps protect head and ear from the attack of cold wind and snow in the winter seasons during the trekking.

• Glasses:

  Glasses do not only protect eyes from high-speed wind, but they become a crucial item to carry along to shield eyes from snow blindness (occurs by overexposure in high-frequency sun rays inside the wide snowfield). Only half an hour of exposure of naked eyes can make lead to this severe condition. We recommend buying sunglasses with UV protection for extra protection. 

  In case you wear spectacles, buy oversize glasses which can be worn over them. If you wear contact lens, you don’t need to worry about them, because you can easily change them in your tent if you are habitual and the lens solution doesn’t freeze up there. However, you need to carry enough cleaning solution to clean your fingers and lens.

• Socks:

  It is best to carry woolen socks along with the regular sports socks. Sports socks provide the stuffiness to the feet in the shoes to walk the longer detours comfortably and woolen socks help to keep the body warm while sleeping. Two layers of sports socks can also work equally well in the dearth of woolen socks. You should always buy synthetic socks or at least mix with synthetic stuff because they dry quickly and do not soak much water as compared to pure cotton socks.

• Headlamp: 

  The handheld torch is often the first choice to carry along in the trek, but a headlamp is more useful. I would help you to keep your hand free in the time of night to handle things like man tents, do dishes and carry other essential things.  Do not buy headlamps with a beam light, instead buy a headlamp that covers large areas.

• Trekking Pole:

  A trekking pole (A Pair ) for hiking is as helpful as a finger held by an infant while learning to walk. The unsteady trails and steeps of the mountains can be arduous to walk but a pole can make your journey pleasant. The usage of a pole, while climbing can almost reduce physical fatigue by 40-50 percent  People use only one pole as a normal practice but using two poles makes you walk even faster by supporting body balance.

• Raincover or Rainwear:

  The weather in the hills is so uncertain that it can rain to floods in some minutes even on a sharp sunny day. So carry a rain cover for this trek. Saving your backpack is also very important because your bag is the only support you can rely on during the whole trek. Some people carry different rain covers for them and their backpack however recommend you to carry a Poncho. It is a large size rain cover which can cover your body along with your backpack till knees. We discourage carrying rain pants, they will hinder your pace by making you walk uncomfortably and also the dry fit pants dry quickly.

• A daypack:

  A daypack can be used when you can't access your main backpack. Some people tend to offload their backpacks to the porters and for the hiking, you will have to keep the backpack at the campsite. In these scenarios, a 20-30 liters small daypack will help you to carry the essential things for the day.

Other Important Requirements

• Cutlery and Water Bottles:

  Carrying cutlery is also mandatory on this trek. Carry lightweight steel cutlery(a tumbler or mug, a plate, and a spoon) and avoid having plastic cutlery on your packing list. Plastic things tend to attract more germs and hard to clean. Along with these pack two  1-liter water bottles to keep yourself hydrated for longer hiking. We recommend carrying one of thermos which can help you carry warm water in the cold weather.

• Toilet Kit:

  You should gather only basic toiletries like toothpaste and toothbrush, a soap, a moisturizer, a toilet roll, a deodorant, a facewash, oil, a paper soap, or sanitizer in your toilet kit. Collect the small size and quantity of all these above-mentioned things to keep it light. Taking a bath every day is not feasible up there so do not load your kit with soap and shampoos.

  Women can carry sanitary pads or menstrual cups if in case their periods are falling in during the trek date. Always carry 4-5 plastic poly bags to bring back used pads or any other waste generated during the whole journey. Keep in mind not to throw your used items to preserve the environment in the mountains.

• Medical Kit:

• Diamox - To prevent AMS
• Dolo 650 - For Fever
• Avomine - For motion sickness
• Avil 25mg -  For allergies
• Combiflam - Pain killer
• Disprin - For headache
• Digene - For acidity
• Norflox TZ & Lomofen - (diarrhea)
• ORS
• Omez/ Rantadine - (antacids)
• Crepe bandage - 3 to 5 meters
• Gauze - 1 small roll
• Band-aids - different sizes
• Cotton - 1 small roll
• Betadine or any antiseptic cream
• Moov/Volini spray (aches, & sprains)
• Knee caps
• Hot water bag in winter if needed

Cancellation Policy atTripophilia

1. Cancellation 30 days beforethe start date of the trek — Get a cash refund with 10% cancellation charges.

2. Cancellation between 29 days and 15 days beforethe start date of the trek — Get a cash refund with 30% cancellation charges.
3. Cancellation between 14 days and 1 day beforethe start date of the trek — Get a cash refund with 50% cancellation charges.
4. Cancellation on the start day of the trek, or no showon the start day of the trek — Unfortunately, no refund or voucher.
5. Cancellation on the start day of the trek, or no showon the start day of the trek — Unfortunately, no refund or voucher.

Your Trek Fees Includes :

1. Accommodation - Your stay is included for the entire trek from Day 1  to Day 4 ( Kotgaon/Sankri to Kotgaon/Sankri). You will be staying in a lodge on Day 1 at Kotgaon/Sankri,  and camping on the remaining days of the trek.
2. Meals - Your meals are included from Dinner on Day 1 to Breakfast on Day 5. We provide vegetarian nutritious food throughout the trek.
3. Camping Charges - Forest Permits and camping charges are included. 
4. Trekking Equipment - All our trekking equipment is of high quality. Our tents and sleeping bags can withstand temperature as low as -15 ºC. You will also be provided gaiters, crampons, ropes, axes, etc. as required.
5. Safety Equipment- In case of emergency, first aid and medical kit will be available at every campsite.

Your Trek Fees Does not Include :

1. Transport To and Fro Base Camp- Transport to reach the basecamp and back. If availing transportation from Tripophilia then you will be picked and drop back to Dehradun.
2. Food- Any extra food purchased during the journey to reach Basecamp and back.
3. Backpack Offloading- If you wish to offload your backpack there is an additional option mentioned.
4. Any type of Personal Expense 
5. Accommodation at Dehradun
6. Any Expense apart from the Inclusion list.