Description
Welcome to Kedarkantha peak. Situated in the mountains of the tons river valley, this is a beautiful ridge peak, easily accessible anytime of the year. The trek goes through the Govind national park and gives you ample time to soak in the flora and fauna of this protected area. The summit lies at an altitude of 3850m and reaching the top is very satisfying as you are rewarded with views of peaks like the Swargarohini, Banderpooch, Kalanag and Ranglana.
Overview
What makes this trek special are the views of the Himalayan ranges that one gets along the trail and from the summit. In winters the sky is usually absolutely clear and the air is clean, ensuring fantastic views. At an altitude of around 3800 m/12500 feet, the summit (Kedarkantha) offers a good challenge to trekkers who are rewarded for the hard work with mesmerising views, which are sure to stay with them for a lifetime. Days are going to be warm and sunny, but be prepared for cold nights with temperature being subzero in winters. If lady luck is taking the trip with you then get ready to be enthralled by spotting wildlife of the region. There are leopards, wild cats, birds, bear, boars and the musk deer to be seen. The trip begins with a beautiful drive from Dehradun to the remote village of Sankri in the Har-ki-Dun valley. This valley plays host to some of the most popular and enchanting treks in the Indian Himalayas like Har-ki-Dun, Ruinsara Tal, Rupin Pass, Black peak etc, and is home to many a trekkers during the popular summer trekking season. There are three things stand out about the Kedarkantha summit trek. The first is the pristine, almost virgin forest that we will walk through on the first two days of the trek. The wonderful forest of Pines, Cyprus, Fir, intermingled with Maples, Rhododendrons and Oak is a bio diversity rarely seen. The second thing about the trek that stands out the great Himalayan snowcapped peaks. The splendor of the view is so breathtaking that camping on the top will be a heavenly experience. The third fascinating thing about the Kedarkantha trek is not in the trek itself, but in the drive to the base of the trek. The journey through lush green landscape and pine forests from Nowgaon to Sankri is perhaps the best Himalayas can offer. It is a journey that will remain etched forever in your mind. Before going into the brief itinerary and detailed itinerary, below in an interesting myth associated with Kedarkantha.
Inclusion
1. Accommodation. (Guest house, Home stay, Camping)
2. Meals while on trek (Veg.) (Egg)
3. Trek equipment
4. Permits
5. First aid medical kits and oxygen cylinder.
6. Qualified & experienced Professional trek Leader, Guide and Support staff
7. Porter charges
Itinerary
DEHRADUN-SANKRI (200KMS) 7-8HRS
From Dehradun we will drive to Sankri via Mussorrie. We will stop for lunch en route. This is an enjoyable drive initially along the Yamuna and, towards the latter part, along the beautiful Tons river. There are beautiful pine forest sections along the drive today. Upon reaching Sankri we will check into a scenically located hotel. Sankri is paradise on earth! We will then take an evening stroll in this beautiful hamlet to get our muscles charged for the trek to come. Over here one can enjoy a glimpse of the setting sun, disappearing behind the greater Himalayan mountain ranges! The peaks of Swargarohini stand tall over the ridges beyond Sankri. The Swargarohini is also of great historic significance, but more on that later!
SANKRI TO JUDA TALAB (2850m) - 10kms
Post breakfast we start our trek and head towards judatalab. Juda-Ka-Talab is almost too perfect in its setting as a campsite. The path goes through Saud village and is a gentle climb. A lot of local village women will be seen on the way, carrying wood and dried leaves for their cattle. The campsite is located near the Juda Lake and is a much closed camping site surrounded by tall trees and mountain slopes, without any wind or views. The forest is so dense that light hardly seeps through it. However, high above on your left is the ridgeline, through which the afternoon light filters in. We reach by afternoon and stay in camps. After a leisurely lunch, we will set out on the hike. Today’s hike is a moderate one, and for the most part we will be moving through a beautiful forest section. From our hotel we will walk to Saur village and from there we start climbing up. We will reach a small lake/pond called Juda-ka-Talab after a couple of hours. This pond freezes into solid ice during winters. We continue on the trail and the views get really exciting as we start to get a glimpse of the tips of the snow capped peaks of the Himalayas.
JUDA TALAB TO KEDAR KANTH MEADOW - 6kms
Post breakfast we begin the trek towards KedarKantha base, our destination for the day. The route is beautiful with vast fields of snow and patches of green in between them. Views are open on all sides and will keep you busy with the camera! Today’s hike is going to be an exhausting, but enjoyable. The KedarKantha base or campsite is a vast open snow ground, the size of two football fields, surrounded by misty mountains from all sides and a stream running nearby. From here we get fabulous views of Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch&Kalanag peaks. Overnight in tents!
BASE CAMP-SUMMT AND BACK TO BASE CAMP (3850M) 6-7HRS TREK.
We leave camp by 4am after a quick breakfast and make our way to the summit. We walk with a steady pace over snow on a steep ascent and it takes you directly to the top of the mountain. On a clear day, a panoramic 360 degree view of the snow covered mountains like SwaragahinKalanag and Bandarpunch Ranges. We leave the summit by 10 am to get to the base camp for brunch.
BASE CAMP-SANKRI (1920M) 5/HRS TREK.
From base camp we descend quickly along a thick forested path for about 4-5hrs, to the road head sankri,Overnight in a guest house.
SANKRI TO DEHRADUN (200KMS)
Post breakfast, depart for Dehradun. You can also have a brief stopover at Mussoorie, one of India’s most popular hill stations. The drive from Mussoorie to Dehradun would take an hour, from where you could continue ahead towards your onward destination.Trip Ends Here.
Cancellation Policy
In the event of cancellation of trek/adventure activity services due to any avoidable / unavoidable reasons we must be notified of the same in writing. Cancellation charges will be effective from the date we receive advice in writing, and cancellation charges would be as follows: -
Up to 25 Days: 90% of Trek/adventure program cost will be refunded.
Between 10-25 Days: 60% of Trek/adventure program cost will be refund.
Less than 10 Days: No refund
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