Are you still dreaming or you have surrendered yourself to the procrastination so much so that – making at least one trekking journey in your life has become a distant dream for you. Well, wouldn’t you feel incomplete one day and realize that you have missed out on a lot just because of your fear, procrastination, or still living in a dream. We have only one word to say – Live! Chase the adventure you have always dreamed of, and what could be a bigger experience than enjoying a trekking journey on a snow-covered path and walking through a thick-dense forest. What if there is one such greater experience for you to enjoy during winters.
Kedarkantha – is one of the most enjoyed and travelled winter trekking journeys which lets you go through an inexplicable journey of a lifetime.
About Kedarkantha Trek
Kedarkantha (don’t get confused with Kedarnath Temple), is a 6-days long popular trekking adventure in Uttarakhand and is mostly undertaken by beginners to get the feel of trekking at least once in their lifetime. The rugged, snow-covered mountain is located at a towering elevation of 3,810 m above the ground in the Govind Pashu Vihar National Park of Uttarakhand. And is greatly regarded for giving a spellbinding view of several famous Himalayan Peaks from its mountain tops like Swarga Rohini, Black Peak, Bandarpoonch, Ranglana of the Yamunotri Range, and other popular Gangotri ranges.
Kedarkantha is also often regarded as the popular winter trekking journey so, climbing to this mountain is not often limited to the summer season. Many first-timers climb this beautiful peak during winters, to catch the thrill of walking on a snow-covered path and lose themselves to the splendid view of the Himalayas. However, the climbing journey to this massive peak is another reason why every traveler picks it up for their first adventure because the trek starts during dawn, takes you through a path lined up prettily with the old-colonial lamps, and offers a rigor of a challenging summit but on a very much smaller scale.
The trek to Kedarkantha usually starts from Dehradun and takes you through the good old-colonial lanes of Mussoorie to finally reach its base station – Sankri Village. And is mostly taken up by the first-time traveler during the month of December to February, to lose all their vulnerabilities to the majestic view of the Great Himalayas and the high-spirited culture of the Garhwal Region.
Mythology behind Kedarkantha
First, you should know its literal meaning – Kedarkantha popularly means the Throat of Lord Shiva. So apart from commencing on a beautiful trekking journey, Kedarkantha also lets you meet the spiritual site of Lord Shiva.
It is written in many sacred texts of Hinduism that the mystery behind Kedarkantha is dated back to the tale of Mahabharata. It is believed that after fighting their kins during the war of Mahabharata, Pandavas commenced towards a journey to the hills of Uttarakhand in search of Lord Shiva to ask forgiveness for killing their own kins. But Lord Shiva upon learning about their arrival to this place hid from them and disguised himself as a bull. However, Bheema recognized Lord Shiva and went after him. Then, Lord Shiva divided his body into different parts and his throat fell upon this spiritual place and from there, it received its name as Kedarkantha.
Other Famous places you can visit from Kedarkantha
- If you enjoy some other places during your leisure time on your way to the summit then, you can check out places like, explore the locals of Sankri Village – upon reaching this beautiful town, you can go strolling through the local community of Sankri Village and can also learn about their Garhwali culture. Someshwar Temple – You can walk up to this Lord Shiva temple in Sankri Village and can pay your homage for his good blessings. Juda Ka Talab – which is high altitude lake settled on the path to Kedarkantha.
- You can enjoy Ziplining at Sankri Village to feel the rush of the Himalayas in your veins and upon reaching the summit, you can also indulge in skiing adventure.
Kedarkantha Trek Highlight
- Kedarkantha is one of the untouched trekking journeys which gives photographers every reason to capture some raw clicks of this natural beauty.
- You can catch the glimpse of several famous mountain peaks like Swarga Rohini, Black Peak, Bandar Poonch, Ranglana of the Yamunotri Range, and other popular Gangotri ranges from this mountain top.
- You get to enjoy a campsite near Juda Ka Talab which was once a meditation ground for Lord Shiva.
- You get to walk on a headlight torched path for this journey and feel all kinds of special.
- Enjoy the local culture and traditions at Sankri Village.
Kedarkantha Suggested Trekking Route
Day 01 – Dehradun – Sankri Village: 200km
When you will reach Dehradun, it is advisable to take an early morning bus to Sankri because you have to cover about 200 km away and will take about 8-9 hours to reach. For Sankri Village, your bus has to traverse through a zig-zag path so, it is quite enough to guess that the journey would involve a lot of harsh movements.
And upon reaching Sankri Village, you can either check for a guest house option or you can erect your own tent in the campsite area of the town.
Day 02 – Trek from Sankri – Juda Ka Talab
You will have to wake up early morning because trekking for Kedarkantha usually starts at the commencement of dawn. Then, you will walk through a headlamp-adorned path for about 7-8 hours in an attempt to cover about 8 km of distance. Juda Ka Talab is one of the most beautiful and mesmerizing high-altitude lakes whose beauty is accentuated greatly by the Himalayas in the backdrop. You can set up your camp upon reaching Juda Ka Talab.
Day 03 – Juda Ka Talab – Kedarkantha – Juda Ka Talab
Today also, you will have to start an early morning trek towards your destination. The trek will first ascend towards a greater altitude challenging you to walk on a snow-laden path and climb some big rocks. Once you reach the mountain top, you can lose yourself to the majestic view of sun shimmering above the clouds and reaching its shimmer to the ranges of many Himalayan ranges like Swarga Rohini, Black Peak, Bandar Poonch, Ranglana of the Yamunotri Range, and other popular Gangotri ranges. After some time, you will descend back to Juda Ka Talab and rest for the night.
Day 04 – Juda Ka Talab – Sankri Village
After having breakfast, you will retrace your journey back to Sankri Village and search for a guest house to enjoy the overnight stay. And once again get to enjoy the cultural journey of Sankri Village and you can indulge in their local tradition and taste many local cuisines also.
Day 05 – Sankri – Dehradun
Today, you will again get ready to make an early morning trip back to Dehradun from where this adventure started. And upon reaching Dehradun, you can hop on any traveling option to drive back to your home.
Some Famous Travel Tips for this Journey
- Although you have researched a lot about this journey and you may have summarized that it is an easy level trekking adventure, but still, your body needs to be prepared for this trip in advance. So, indulge yourself in several cardiovascular exercises to re-energize your stamina level like running, cycling, etc.
- You may have reasoned yourself to commence for this journey alone but it is highly advisable to book a tour guide because he will be very well versed with this journey more than your internet searches.
- Since every trekking journey requires traveling through the great high altitudes, meeting several challenges will only be justified with these high altitudes. You are highly advised not to travel alone for this kind of adventure. Either go for a group trekking journey or book yourself a tour guide.
Staying Options in Kedarkantha
Since Kedarkantha is really an untouched part of Uttarakhand wrapped up in the arms of Himalayan ranges, you may not get many staying options like hotels, resorts, or Guest Houses. For this journey, you will have to get many trekking essentials like camping tents, sleeping bags, chairs, etc. And you have to erect the tents on the camping site on your own.
Food Guide
Since the area is settled around the old traditions of the Himalayas, you may not get an expansive range of food availability. So, it is your own duty to carry rations and food items on your back during this trek and prepare your own food. You may ask the local vendors for food but food options will be limited to Maggi, tea, and Parathas.
How to Reach
For this adventure, you first need to travel down to Dehradun because from here, your actual journey begins and afterward, you are left with the option of traveling via to the distance beyond Dehradun. There are several ways you can reach Dehradun –
By Air:
If you are wishing on taking a really comfortable and short-traveled journey then, you can book yourself a flight ticket to Dehradun from Delhi.
By Train:
N number of trains run from Delhi to Dehradun, but if you wish to experience a comfortable and luxurious journey then, you can book a ticket in either Nanda Devi Express or Dehradun Express.
By Bus:
You can get many traveling options from Kashmere Gate, a number of AC buses and non-AC buses run from Delhi to Dehradun. You can either book an overnight bus or you can hop on an early morning bus to reach Dehradun.
Travel Equipment for this journey
- Backpack of 30-40 liters with rain cover.
- A personal medical kit for any misadventure.
- A water-filtering bottle, walking stick, head torch, sun cap, sunglasses.
- Sunscreen should be the highest priority to protect yourself from harsh sunlight rays.
- Wear woolen upper jacket under a light jacket and paired with some woolen tights.
- You should also carry neck gaiters and a woolen cap for the cold breeze at night.
- Campsite essentials like tents, sleeping bags, chairs. Etc.
- A boot for summer trekking and snow boots for winter trekking journey.
You may also like to read: popular trekking adventure in Uttarakhand
