Kedartal Trek
Kedar Tal, also known as Shiva's lake, is a glacial lake situated at an altitude of 4,750 meters (15,600 feet) in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas in India. The lake is fed by the snowfall over Mt Thalay Sagar (6,904m), Meru (6,672m), Mt Bhrigupanth (6,772m) and other surrounding peaks, which are also the source of Kedar Ganga, which in Hindu mythology is considered to be Lord Shiva's contribution to Bhagirathi (a source-stream of the Ganges). The proximity with magnificent peaks and the view this trek offers will make you believe in magic. The best time to do the Kedartal trek are the months of May, June, September and, October.
Kedar Taal Trek is a difficult glacier trek with highest altitude of 4750 meters. The difficult terrains and steep ascent makes it a challenging expedition. This trek is appropriate for the seasoned trekkers and for those who have done moderate level treks before. For details on trek difficulty level, please read on Bikat Rating Scale
Should have at least 7-10 trek days in the Himalayas in their kitty along with the experience of trekking at altitudes of 3700 metres or above.
How to use basic mountaineering equipment like gaiters & micro spikes
Ascending & Descending on snow
Basics of Mountain Sickness
Basics of Mountain Hazards
How to cross small water streams
How to cross large water streams
Basic principles of acclimatisation
The best months to undertake this trek are from May to June and from September to October.
Click here for text packing list.
The start point of the Kedartal trek is from Uttarkashi/Gangotri. You can catch a bus to Uttarkashi/Gangotri from the Pahadi bus stand in Dehradun, near the railway station. In order to get a taxi, you must reach the Rispana Pull (Bridge) by bus. You can get a regular taxi for Uttarkashi from here. The drop point of the taxi that takes you to Uttarkashi is the pickup point for the taxis further to Gangotri. You can easily get seats in the taxis at a minimal price of INR 200- 250 per person.
BSNL and Airtel have a good connectivity in this region. Network is available at Gangotri. No network can be expected beyond this point.
Uttarkashi is a beautiful tourist point with many places to see. Visit Vishwanath Temple, the oldest and most sacred temple located on the banks of Bhagirathi River. Kuteti Devi Temple is another highly regarded religious place in town. Manekari Dam is a concrete marvel of Uttarkashi. Experience the village life in Sangem Chhati, a half an hour drive from Uttarkashi district. Nehru Institute of Mountaineering is also located in Uttarkashi. Gangotri is also an ancient town of utmost religious importance to Hindus.
The minimum age limit is 13 years. However, minors aged between 13 to 17 should be accompanied by their parents or guardians. If you are above the age of 60, kindly carry a medical certificate from your doctor that deem you fit for adventure activities like trekking.
When you arrive in Gangotri, your stay will be made at local guest house or homestay. The rooms will be provided on twin or triple sharing basis. You will receive the details of your accommodation through email few days prior the trek.
On day 6 your stay will be made at a local guest house.
On trekking days, all the trekkers will be accommodated in twin or triple sharing tents. Along with this, there will be also be a toilet tent and a dining tent installed at every campsite as we roll.
We provide 4 seasons tents by Gipfel for higher altitudes which can easily withstand heavy snowfall and storms. They are spacious enough to accomodate 3 people at once with a vestibule to place the backpacks. Our sleeping bags are made up of Heatseeker Pro synthetic insulation that can provide you comfort in -10 degrees celsius. We also use additional fleece liners to have thermal efficiency even in the extreme temperatures of -17 degrees Celsius. If you carry your own sleeping bag, you will get a cashback reward provided that you inform us as soon as you have booked your trek.
Toilet tents will be provided to you on the trek.These are portable toilets tents where a deep pit will be dug. A shovel will be provided inside the tent to cover the waste after you have made your business. You can take a toilet roll inside. Make sure you dig used toilet paper along with the waste. Though water is recommended in place of toilet paper. Please refrain from using wet wipes as they are non-biodegradable.
There will be no facility for bathing on the trek. Go through our blog section for tips on how to maintain personal hygiene on treks.
You will be provided with good quality gaiters and microspikes from us depending upon the situation of the snow. Our trek leaders will also be carrying ropes and ice axe.
Vegetarian food will be served throughout the trek. The only non-vegetarian item served on our treks are eggs. Our kitchen staff follows a proper menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner which has been designed in order to fulfil the nutritional requirements of the participants. There will be milk, poha, eggs, muesli/corn flakes, bread and butter served for breakfast. Rice or simple roti sabzi will be packed for lunch. In dinner, you will have dal, egg curry or any other vegetarian dish along with rice, roti, and a dessert item. Packed lunch will be provided to you on the days you are trekking. You are requested to carry your own tiffin box and a mug to consume food. The meals consumed on journey and arrival day are not included in our cost.
You can rent following items from us- Trekking Pole, Trekking Shoes, Fleece Jacket, Rucksack
During the day, the temperature will range from 15-22 degrees celsius. The nights will get cold dropping the temperature to -2 to 5 degrees celsius. Higher the altitude you gain, the colder it gets.
You are likely to experience snow till May, depending on the amount of snowfall received the previous winter. It is difficult to expect snow post monsoon season.
If you want to offload your rucksack, you will have to make a request for offloading a few days prior the trek through an email so that arrangement can be made in advance. You will be charged per day for offloading your rucksack. In case you decide to offload on the spot, you may have to pay a higher price than usual. However offloading your rucksack is not recommended since it is not a safe practice.
A team of participant will be led by a course certified trek leader and a local guide. All participants are requested to abide by what their leader says. There will also be a team of kitchen staff and porters on the trek. We maintain 1:8 ratio of trek leader and participants. All our trek leaders and staff have a certified training in first-aid and rescue operation.
Yes, trekking pole is necessary. If you don’t want to buy one, you can rent it from us on minimal daily basis charges. You can request the renting link from us.
Dehradun has a reasonable size market. However you will have no time in hand for shopping as you have to head to Gangotri.
Gangotri has a small market. It would be difficult to find anything major there. Minor toiletries are available.
It is advisable not to leave anything for last minute buying.
Yes, it is absolutely safe for solo woman to travel in fix departures. Women on the trek will be sharing tent with each other. In case you are the only woman on the trek, you will be given a separate tent.
Yes, e-certificates will be given at the end of each trek provided that you completed it. It will bear your name, the trek, and the maximum altitude you achieved on the trek.
We have one pick-up point: Dehradun ISBT. The dropping point remains the same.
Expect to reach Gangotri late in evening between 17:00-18:00 Hrs, where arrangements for overnight stay will be made. Make sure your bookings from Gangotri are in the morning on the next day.
If you have booked transportation with us, expect to reach Dehradun in the evening. Make your bookings from this point to your destinations in the night, post 22:00 Hrs.
ID Proof (Soft Copy to be sent to us in Advance & original to be carried) is the mandatory document required for the trek.
