Kedarkantha Trek Itinerary
Drive- about 200 km; Duration -8 to 9 (Hours), Altitude-6500 feet, Stay - Guest House Sankri, Starting Time-7 AM, Meals -Dinner only
Report at Prince Chowk, near Dehradun Railway Station, by 6:30 AM; after a short briefing we leave at 7:00 AM. The drive passes Mussoorie, Purola (known for apple orchards) and Mori on the Tons river, with breakfast and lunch stops on the way.
We reach Sankri (6,500 ft), the last road head for the treks of this valley, by early evening. Check in to the homestay, meet your trek leader, and watch the sun set behind Swargarohini before dinner.
Trek- 4 km; Duration- 5-6 (Hours), Altitude-9100 feet, Difficulty - Easy to Moderate, Stay -camp, Starting Time-8 AM, Meals -Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, tea and snacks
After breakfast we start at 8:00 AM. The trail climbs steadily through pine and maple forest, under snow in peak winter, to Juda Ka Talab (9,100 ft), a small lake that freezes over in winter. It is a short day that helps you acclimatise before going higher.
We camp by the lake, with hot tea or soup on arrival and dinner at camp.
Trek- 4 km; Duration -5 to 6 (Hours), Altitude-11,250 feet, Difficulty- Moderate, Stay- camp (Kedarkantha base camp), Starting Time-8 AM, Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, tea and snacks
A steeper 4 km climb through forest and, in winter, snow brings us to the base camp (11,250 ft) by afternoon. Water sources are few on this stretch, so carry at least two 750 ml bottles. The campsite faces Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch, Black Peak and Ranglana.
Dinner is early. Before it, your trek leader briefs the group on the summit trail conditions, the start time, and what to wear and carry.
Trek- about 6 km (2.5 km up to the summit, about 3.5 km down to Hargaon); Duration- 7-9 (Hours), Altitude- 11,250 ft to 12,500 ft (3,810 m), then down to 8,900 ft (2,710 m), Difficulty- Moderate, Stay- Camp (Hargaon), Starting Time- 2 AM, Meals- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, tea and snacks
We start at 2:00 AM with head torches, after tea and a light snack, wearing every warm layer. The final climb is steep, narrow and usually snowy, and the trek leader sets a fixed turnaround time.
Reaching the 12,500 ft summit around sunrise is the highlight of the trek, with a 360-degree view of the Garhwal peaks. After time at the top, we descend to the base camp for a hot brunch and continue down through the forest to our camp at Hargaon (8,900 ft), where the lower altitude makes for a warmer night.
Trek- about 6 km (2-3 hours), Drive- about 200 km (8-9 hours), Altitude- 8,900 ft down to 6,500 ft, Starting Time- 6 AM, Meals- Breakfast only
We leave Hargaon at 6:00 AM and walk down to Sankri in 2 to 3 hours, then drive back to Dehradun, reaching by about 6:00 to 7:00 PM depending on the road.
Travel tip: book your onward train, bus or flight after 11:00 PM to leave enough margin.