Kedarkantha Trek
from-
Reviews 1 Review4/5
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Vacation Style Holiday Type
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Family
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Hiking
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Snow & Ice
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Activity Level Fairly Easy
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Group Size Small Group
6D/5N Duration |
12500ft Highest Point |
Easy Grade |
5.5/10 Physicality |
25 km Trail Length |
Kedarkantha Trek – A fresh snow summit in winters
- Private/customised treks for your own group/family is open as per your preferred date.
About the trek:
Probably you have searched for a winter or snow trekking trail in India and landed on our Kedarkantha trek details page. It is indeed the most popular winter trekking destination in India. Kedarkantha peak (Latitude 31.02257° N & Longitude 78.17185° E) is a low altitude mountain peak at ~3810 m/12500 ft. The peak and trail are on the fringe of Govind National Park, Uttarakhand.
The region marks the boundary with its neighbouring state Himachal Pradesh and situated in western flank of Uttarkashi district. Naturally the area is surrounded by Shivalik hills and approaching to high Himalayan snow peaks. From summit you can see a 360° panorama, very special during sunrise. Peaks like Swargarohini, Bandarpunch, Black Peak create the backdrop.
Winter and Spring add snow and blooming of flowers, a nearly ideal experience for your Himalayan hiking destination. Surrounding Tons river valley, dotted with remote villages, snow capped mountain ranges in the horizon, and rich flora and fauna of the national park makes the short and easy hike to the Kedarkantha peak an enjoyable hiking experience. In winter or spring, the trail remains covered with fresh snow. Snow patches amidst giant pine forest and snow covered meadow in this altitude, even late till spring, makes this trek a special one. Campsites in winter are mostly on or around snow. In spring during March and April another added bonus is the blooming of Rhododendrons. Temperatures are warmer than the harsh winter days but residual snow remains intact on higher altitude, specially on top and even till base camp.
Winter summit to the Kedarkantha peak is indeed special. You will remember the summit push while breaking the dawn for long in your memory. Pictures can give you some feel, but not all
Kedarkantha trek brief itinerary:
Day 1: Dehradun to Sankri drive – 200 Km – 9/10 hrs
Day 2: Trek to Juda Tal – 4 Km- 4/5 hours
Day 3: Trek to Kedarkantha base – 3 Km – 3 hours
Day 4: Trek to Kedarkantha peak and back to Kedarkantha base – 4 Km – 4/5 hours
Day 5: Trek to Sankri — 4 Km – 4/5 hours
Day 6: Drive from Sankri to Dehradun – 200 Km – 8/9 hours
Important note:
- You need to reach on your own to Dehradun on Day 1 morning (latest by 7 am) or the previous night. Return to Dehradun on Day 6 evening (by 7 pm). Arrange your tickets for inward journey and return from Dehradun accordingly. We will arrange transport to reach Sankri and return which is included in the TREK FEE.
- Last ATM is at Mori, 25 Km before Sankri but don’t depend till you reach here. Withdraw cash well in advance either in Dehradun, Naugaon or Purola.
- Only BSNL and Vodafone network may work at trek base Sankri, that too very limited connections. Make a phone call back to home from Mori while reaching Sankri. After Sankri there is no presence of network.
Kedarkantha TREK FEE: ₹ 7499 + 5% GST
- Above TREK FEE essentially includes everything that you need, once you reach Sankri. 2 night’s accommodation in lodge(twin sharing, men and women separate rooms), 4 days of trek, all camping equipment, 3 nights accommodation in tent , all meals, Sankri to Sankri. Your personal clothing and
- Your trek is guaranteed once we accept your booking. Furthermore the tour is insured for a maximum duration of 7 days, including Dehradun to Dehradun against any accidents or natural calamities.
- Transportation to reach and return from Sankri are not included. It is around ₹ 750 – 1000 one way. You may take a bus from Dehradun to Sankri, fare is around ₹ 400 one way.
Campsites during winter Kedarkantha trek:
In winter Juda Ta Talab starts freezing around mid December and by month end the area receives moderate amount of snow (around 6 inch up to a feet). Surrounding conifer jungle set up creates the perfect back drop and a sudden snowfall can turn this site powdery and surreal :-). Snow remains as late as mid of March in this campsite.
Temperature & clothing:
Winter temperature: From December to February during winter the daytime temp remains cool and nights are cold. Night/early morning temperatures (when it usually reaches minimum) will be approximately as following
Sankri: 2°C to 0°C
Juda Tal: -2°C to -5°C
Kedarkantha base: -5°C to -10° C.
Spring & Autumn/Fall temperature: Day time weather remains pleasant and nights are cooler.
Night/early morning temperatures at camp sites can be from 8-10°C (lower camps/Juda Tal) to 0-2°C (higher camps/Kedarkantha base)
It is important to carry proper clothing in winter as the campsite temperatures are sub zero in winter. Also it is fairly cold during early spring or late autumn . Three layers of clothing is mandatory in the campsite while outside tent.
a) A thermal base layer (warm woolly-cot material).
b) A heavy jacket (Double layer or Fleece jacket ) as middle layer.
c) A windproof cum waterproof with hood as the outer layer.
You will not require the thermal base layer from May to October.
We provide triple sharing tents, which remain much warmer inside. Normally it is 8°C to 10°C warmer than outside measured temperatures. Still it may remain around or below freezing inside tent! Don’t worry, we will provide -5°C rated sleeping bag.
Access to trek base Sankri:
Based upon your request we will arrange a pick up and drop from Dehradun to Sankri and back. This will be shared equally by the team members on actual basis. You pay directly to the driver/transporter. The fare is ₹ 5500 for a Tata Sumo/Bolero one way. This can accommodate 5 to 8 people. A Tempo Traveller charges ₹ 9000 (12-13 seat) one way. So it comes approximately ₹ 750 to ₹ 1000 one way, when shared equally. This is NOT included in TREK FEE.
Also if you want to save on this, you can avail the bus services between Dehradun to Sankri. One way fare is ~ ₹ 400/450.
To reach the trek base Sankri independently or by public transportation, check the details in GETTING THERE TAB.
Do we get snow in Kedarkantha trek during spring (March/April)?
Being in Uttarkashi district and due to proximity with the Himachal border, Kedarkantha trail normally receives moderate to heavy snowfall from December to February. Quite naturally winter snow deposition remains as late as April. Also a fresh snowfall in not rare even in spring on altitude around ~ 3000 m/10000 ft or above. In general you will get patches of snow in and around Juda Tal campsite. As you climb higher, you will encounter more snow. From Kedarkantha base to the summit, normally the trail will be covered with moderate snow (around 6 inches). Another advantage of Kedarkantha spring trek is that the temperature will be warmer comparing to winter months and more conducive to trekkers who don’t feel like getting into subzero temperature throughout. Plus blooming of Rhododendron in the stretch between Sankri to Juda Ka Talao is definitely a bonus in spring :-).
Snow updates of Winter/Spring during 2018/19 season:
As of beginning of March, 2019, Kedarkantha peak may have accumulated “4 foot snow barrier“. February is always been the harshest month on mountains, cold and snowy. This winter promised good snow by mid December. Till mid Jan 2019 we got expected snow of 1 to 2 Ft varying from Juda Tal to the Kedarkantha peak. Then came the snow storm which poured more than 2 Ft snow at Sankri in itself. Summit to Kedarkantha peak was a mini expedition (just joking) mostly in February. Groups trekked to Juda Tal, camped there , hiked around and returned frequently. Occasional small sized groups reached the summit.
As the spring approaches, our spring trek groups are starting from 10th March, 2019. It is needless to say that Kedarkantha trail will remain covered with moderate to heavy snow in March and could very possibly till end of April 2019. Till mid of March it will be challenging to reach the summit, but will ease out if there is no further significant snowfall.
Finally Kedarkantha summit opened again on 18th March’19, as the first team after a long break reached the summit of Kedarkantha. Entire February and till mid of March snow was just too much to deal with and no team was able to reach summit. These are the pictures of our team who summit Kedarkantha on 24th March’19. This year snow will remain on summit till May beginning for sure.
- 2 night’s accommodation at Sankri (Day 1 & Day 5) in lodge on twin sharing basis and dinner. We will provide separate room(s) for male and female member(s).
- All meals during the trek. Regular Indian style nutritious vegetarian food during the trek (including occasional eggs), breakfast packed/hot lunch (depending upon the time you reach a campsite), snacks, dinner along with coffee/tea/soup.
- Excellent Trekking Guide, who will be a local to this particular area and has profound knowledge of the trekking trails around.
- Specialised Cook, Support staff, Porters/Packed Animals for carrying the central logistics of the trek.
- All nights stay in tents on twin sharing basis during the trek. We will provide separate tent(s) for male and female member(s).
- Camping equipment/gears like Sleeping bag, Carry mattress, Gaiters, Micro spikes/Crampon. (If you have a high altitude specific personal Sleeping Bag use it for better hygiene). You need to bring personal rucksack, trekking shoes and suitable clothing for the trek.
- Kitchen tent, dinning tent and toilet tent as required during the trek.
- All permit fee, camping charges, forest levy required for the trek.
- Basic Medical & First Aid kit. Always bring your personal medicines kit.
- Transportation from Dehradun to Sankri and back (₹ 5,500 for Tata Sumo/Bolero and ₹ 9,000 for a Tempo Traveller. Approximately ₹ 750-1000 per person one way for the pick up or drop when shared with fellow trekkers). One way bus ride is ~ ₹ 400.
- We assume that you will carry your personal Rucksack/Backpack with all your personal belongings. If you want to offload your Rucksack and be carried by our Pack Animal/Porter then you need to pay additional ₹ 1200 for the entire duration of the trek. The Rucksack should not weigh more than 10 Kg. Always carry your personal daypack in case of you opted for rucksack offloading.
- Anything is is NOT mentioned in the “Inclusions” or personal in nature.
- Day 1 Drive from Dehradun to Sankri – 200 km – 10 hours
- Day 2 Trek to Juda Tal – 4 Km – 3/4 hours
- Day 3 Trek from Juda Ka Talab to Kedarkantha base – 3 km – 2 hours
- Day 4 Trek to Kedarkantha top and back to base: 8 Km – 7/8 hours
- Day 5 Trek to Sankri via Hargaon: 7 Km – 4/5 hours
- Day 6 Drive to Dehradun: 200 Km – 10 hours
How to reach Sankri (The trek base):
Nearest Rail station: Dehradun (Station Code: DDN)
Nearest Airport: Delhi, Jolly Grant in Dehradun (Airport Code: DED)
Based upon your request we will arrange a pick up and drop from Dehradun to Sankri and back. This will be shared equally by the team members on actual basis. You pay directly to the driver/transporter. The fare is Rs 5500 for a Tata Sumo/Mahindra Maxx one way. This can accommodate 6 to 8 people. A Tempo Traveller charges Rs 9000 (12-14 seat) one way. This is NOT included in TREK FEE and to be paid directly to the driver/owner.
If you wish to reach our Trek Base Sankri on your own by public transportation:
- There are 2/3 privately operated buses from Dehradun (near DDN railway station on Gandhi road) To Sankri. The 200 Km journey will take around 10/12 hours. The busses start at 5:30/6/7 am.
- While returning from Sankri take the morning bus to Dehradun/Vikasnagar and reach by 7 pm.
How to reach Dehradun:
For the treks at Uttarkashi district in Garhwal , one has to reach the capital city of Uttarakhand, Dehradun, specially the trek starting from Sankri, Yamunotri etc. Haridwar, Rishikesh and Dehradun are 3 nearby cities in the area and one can move from one to another by public vehicles like bus or shared Jeeps.
Haridwar to Dehradun: 55 Km and may take one and half to 2 hours.
Dehradun to Rishikesh: 45 Km and may take around one and a half hour.
You can fly or by train reach New Delhi as per your convenience from any part within India.
There are direct trains from Kolkata to Dehradun.
KUMBHA EXPRESS – Train No. – 12369 ( Very good option to reach Haridwar by 5 pm; You can take a bus from the terminus just opposite to the railway station referred as Roadways bus stand/ISBT and reach Dehradun in one and half hour. Spend the night in Dehradun and start your onward journey by car next morning.)
UPASANA EXPRESS – Train No. – 12327 ( Very good option to reach Dehradun directly by 5 pm; Spend the night in Haridwar and start your onward journey by car next morning)
DOON EXPRESS – Train No. – 13009 (Don’t book this train when you plan a long onward journey immediately in the morning)]
Avoid booking wait listed (WL) tickets in AC classes (1A/2A/3A) or Chair Car (CC). Book Sleeper class (SL)/Second Sitting class (2S) tickets which have normally more seats/berths and hence much better chance to get confirmed.
You can reach Dehradun easily from New Delhi by train or bus (~ 6/7 hours) and is around 260 Km.
By train:
Following trains are good to reach Haridwar and run daily.
DDN JANSHTBDI – Train No. 12055 (Arrives DDN in the evening @ 9:10 pm, good choice when you stay the night in Dehradun and have a long drive ahead next day)
NANDA DEVI EXP – Train No. 12205 (arrives DDN early morning @ 5:40 am)
Always avoid booking waitlisted (WL) tickets in AC classes (1A/2A/3A) or Chair Car (CC). Book Sleeper class (SL)/Second Sitting class (2S) tickets which have normally more seats/berth and hence much better chance to get confirmed.
By bus:
Govt. Road Transport (Roadways of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab etc.) buses are frequently available in day time and night from Kashmiri Gate ISBT (http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/doit_transport/Transport/Home/ISBT/Fare+Chart). Tickets are available on board for these regular type buses. From Delhi Airport or Station you can reach ISBT Kashmiri Gate via Delhi Metro service (http://www.delhimetrorail.com/metro-fares.aspx). It is only 4 Km from NDLS and can be reached easily by booking an auto rickshaw.
For privately operated bus, you can book online from different portals. Select a boarding point suitably. Overnight Volvo/A.C/Push back buses are available. Normally these buses take up to 7 hours to reach Dehradun ISBT. You can book an auto rickshaw for Railway Station (5 Km away)/Hotel Drona (GMVN) or take a shared auto (Route No. 5) from ISBT.
[There are two major bus terminus in Dehradun. The buses from Delhi/Haridwar goes to the ISBT (Inter State Bus Terminus) and the other one is the Parvatiya Depot (Hill Depot, from where you can get the buses going up the hills like Uttarkashi, Barkot, Purola etc) located just beside the Railway station.
Nearest Airport Jolly Grant is 25 Km away from Dehradun. book a private taxi to reach Dehradun city. This airport is accessed from Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh easily. The flights are mostly via Delhi.
For night stay in Dehradun:
Trekkers reaching on the previous day before the journey to the actual trek base need to stay the night in Dehradun. There are several options in Dehradun for spending a night while staying in Premium, Standard or Budget accommodation. Options vary from Privately operated Hotels/Lodges, to state run Tourist Rest Houses.
State run GMVN (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam) operates Hotel Drona complex is 10 minutes walking from the railway Station. You can book an auto rickshaw. From ISBT it is around 5 Km. You can book an auto rickshaw to Hotel Drona (GMVN) or take a shared auto (Route No. 5) from ISBT (Inter State Bus Terminus). This is a reliable and a decent choice for Standard accommodation. The have restaurant and room service.
Check the following for online booking of the above: http://www.gmvnl.com/newgmvn/tour/booktrh.asp
You can call or visit GMVN nearest office or even send an email for more information.The information is available at:
http://www.gmvnl.com/newgmvn/online_reservation/#
Return from Dehradun:
Normally you reach Dehradun from any trek base by 6/7 pm in the evening. You can take any train after 9 pm or regular bus service as mentioned above to reach Delhi or directly to your homeward journey in the same night.
Booking:
- We assume that you have read and understood our “Terms & Conditions” (https://himalayansunshine.com/terms-and-conditions) before Booking a trek/tour.
- To reserve your place in a scheduled Fixed Departure trek or a Customised/Private trek pay 25% of the TREK/TOUR FEE as the initial “Booking Deposit”. You can pay by Net banking/Draft/Cheque/Credit/Debit/AMEX cards. This will ensure your participation in the desired trek and we will reserve your place in the scheduled date. You need to pay the remaining amount at least 15 days before Trek Starting Date.
- If you book a Trek/Tour before 14 days or less from Trek/Tour Starting Date, you need to pay the full TREK/TOUR FEE.
Cancellations:
- “Booking Amount” i.e.25% of the TREK/TOUR FEE is Non-Refundable at any stage.
- If in case you are not able to make it due to unavoidable reason(s), we provide you a very flexible choice of Shifting to another trek within next one year. One year is counted from the starting date of the trek/tour you booked initially with us.
- In case you postpone your trip you need to inform minimum of 15 days before the trek/tour starting date. (Though we suggest to inform us earlier if known)
- In case you postpone a trek/tour before 15 days of the scheduled Trek/Tour Starting date or prior, you may shift to another group of the same trek/tour scheduled in the same season or within next one year. You may shift to another suitable route also. For changing any, you need our approval first. Your request must be in written communication through your registered email with us.
- If you cancel/postpone a trek/tour from 14 days to 8 days before tour starting date, your Booking Amount is Non-Refundable. We will not take any request of shifting dates. We will charge 50% of the amount as Cancellation Charges and process refund of remaining 50%. You may also shift to another group within next year but 25% Booking Amount will be deemed as Cancellation Charge and the rest amount will be transferred to the shifted group.
- If you cancel a trek/tour 7 days (i.e. a week) before Trek/Tour Starting Date or later, there will be NO REFUND.
- In case of any unforeseen incident including but not limited to natural calamities like flood, earthquake, landslide, forest fire or any political unrest, if we are compelled to cancel the trek/trip, you will be entitled to redeem the full amount for the same/similar kind of trek/trip within next one year.
- If you need more clarifications write in to info@himalayansunshine.com
Duration: 4 days of trekking; Walking from Sankri to Kedarkantha summit and back to Sankri. 6 days from Dehradun to Dehradun.
Prerequisite: No prior trekking experience is required. Good physical fitness is always desired in any trek.
Grade: Easy
Physicality: 5.5/10
Trail Length: 25 Km
Highest Point: Kedarkantha peak ~ 3820 m/12500 ft
Seasons: March/April (Spring/Snow), October/November (Post Monsoon/Fall), & December to February (Winter/Snow)
Further Option: Har Ki Dun trek can be combined.
Access: Trek starting point (trek base) is Sankri, 200 Km from Dehradun.
Rail station: Dehradun (Station Code: DDN)
Airport: Delhi, Jolly Grant in Dehradun (Airport Code: DED)
Book for 5 persons and more to avail 10% Group Discount on any scheduled Fixed Departure trek.
Nice!