Kedarkantha Trek
Kedarkantha is a fun winter trek that takes the seriousness out of trekking. It is almost like going on a 4-day active vacation. It is recommended for all adventure souls who like snow and high mountains, irrespective of your experience. Beginners are more than welcome to go on this trek. The highlights of the treks are the beautiful campsites, snow-covered pine forests, 360 degree view of the mountains and the chance to stand on top of one of the easiest trekkable peaks in the Himalayas. You will get to see Godly peaks like Swargarohini, Black Peak, and Bandarpoonch during the trek and come back absolutely thrilled and refreshed.
This trek is ideal for both beginners and experienced trekkers. For novice, it is a great start to enter into the world of trekking. It can get a bit rigorous for the first timers. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain a good physical stamina and read extensively. Any experienced trekker would love to go on this trek for the love of its views and trekking.
This trek is apt for the first-timers. Those coming for the first time should prepare and read extensively about the trek. A basic knowledge of how to use a sleeping bag, toilet tents, sleeping tents, and mountain mannerisms will help.
1. How to choose a right rucksack: It is essential that you choose a right rucksack for the trek since you are going to carry it all the time while trekking. Make sure you don’t make these common mistakes while buying a rucksack.
2. How to pack a rucksack: Trekking in mountains become more fun when your rucksack is well-organized. It also makes it easier for you to carry without being much load on your shoulders. Follow the guidelines on how to pack a rucksack.
1. Jog/Run for 3 Kms in 30 mins and
2. Hold your breath for 20 seconds
If you are not meeting these benchmarks, please use the preparation schedule to improve your fitness till you achieve the above benchmarks.
Click here for text packing list.
The start point of Kedarkantha Trek is 10 minute walk from Sankri. Sankri is a small village in Uttarakhand which is a base camp for Uttrakhand treks. It is 180 km from Dehradun. There are public buses and shared jeeps running between Dehradun and Sankri. You can also take a shared taxi that will cost you around INR 600. Dehradun is easily accessible through road, rail, and air transport.
By Road: There are no direct buses to Sankri from Delhi. There You can take overnight UKRTC buses and Volvos available from ISBT Kashmere Gate, Delhi to Dehradun. The distance from Delhi to Dehradun is about 247 km. You can also hire a taxi or outstation cab from Delhi to Dehradun.
By Rail: The nearest railway station to Sankri is 187 km away in Dehradun. There are a number of trains running between Delhi and Dehradun like Dehradun Express, Mussoorie Express, Nanda Devi Express. It is advisable to make your train bookings a month in advance.
By Air: The nearest airport from Sankri is Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun which is 213 km away from Sankri. You can reach Dehradun from New Delhi by flight.
There are a number of places to visit in Dehradun and Mussoorie. Sahastradhara, a ‘thousand fold water spring’ is a famous tourist spot in Dehradun. The waters of the spring are believed to have medicinal properties. Robber’s Cave or Guchhi Pani is a famous picnic spot for fun-loving enthusiasts. Visit the holy Tapkeshwar Temple on the bank of Asan River which is believed have one of the oldest Shivling. Enjoy the splash at much touted Kempty Falls in Mussoorie. The highest place in Mussoorie, Lal Tibba is where you can enjoy the panoramic views of the snow-capped mountains. Admire the Kumaon and Garhwal Art & Culture at SOHAM Heritage and Art Centre.
There is no mobile reception after Sankri.
Since it is a beginner’s trek, you need no special prior experience. Although one is required to have mental preparedness and stamina before the begins the trek. Running is recommended.
The minimum age limit is 9 years. However, minors aged between 9 to 17 should be accompanied with 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.
December-February
When you arrive in Dehradun you will be transferred to Sankri, your stay will be made at local guest house or homestay in Sankri. 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 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
In winters, during the day, the temperature will range from 10-15 degrees celsius. The nights will get cold dropping the temperature to 0 to -8 degrees celsius. Higher the altitude you gain, the colder it gets.
You can expect snows from December to March. It is difficult to expect snow during summers or monsoons.
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.
It is not mandatory but it is more convenient with the pole. 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 sufficiently large market. However, do not leave anything for last minute buying as there will be no time for shopping because of immediate transportation to Sankri. Sankri is a very small village and it would be difficult to find anything major there. Minor toiletries are available.
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 Dehradun late in the evening. Make sure your bookings from this point to your respective destinations are late in the night, post 22:00 Hrs or early in the morning on the next day.
