Adorned with ravishing beauty of falling snow and fringed with pine trees, The Kedarkantha Peak is one of the most sought after snow trekking destinations in India. With falling winter snow it’s a mesmerizing pictorial view and what’s more attractive, is the view of the Mighty Himalayas from the trails right to the top.
Nestled at a height of 3810 meters which is about 12,500 feet this is an ideal trekking trail which covers a consolidated distance of 20 kms. The distance is not much and the trekking trail is neither very difficult which enables even the first time trekkers to set on the adventure and enjoy the beauty of nature at its best. With charming and captivating sights of snow clapped Himalayas, the verdant greenery, lush landscapes, myriad collection of flora, frozen ponds, to the sights of mesmerizing peaks, this trek have all the delightful marvels that a trekker wish to experience and view in his journey. Not only for the adventure seekers and trekkers, to enjoy thrilling challenges, the Kedarkantha Trek is an ideal destination for the nature lovers to bask in the beauty of undisturbed nature and enjoy delightful and blissful moments with exhilarating experiences.
Based in Western Garhwal in the Uttarakashi district, the Kedarkantha Trek is known for being one of the easy treks of the country which can be attended by people who are in experienced trekkers and have no knowledge of prior trekking. However
physical fitness is required where one should be able to jog at least for 4 kms in 30 minutes before committing for the trekking tour. As the altitude rises the air becomes thin and people needs to carry backpacks too, which can all be very difficult, without proper physical fitness.
Trekking in Uttarakhand is always a pleasure due to its ravishing beauty and panoramic natural views that cannot be matched with any other destinations within the country. But among all the fascinating locations and thrilling trekking sites available it is the snow treks of Kedarkantha which inspires every trekker a lot. In fact it has a lot of reasons of being such a terrific trek which makes it so popular among the enthusiastic travelers. The very first reason is the availability of snow till the end of April making it one of the best winter trek destination of all. And what more one can view the lovely snows at a height of only 10,000 feet lying at the base of the pine trees. The next reason for its popularity is the lovely campsites, where
every site is unique in its own way and does not match the beauty with any other campsites in the journey. Another beauty of this trekking trail is that it starts from dense pine forest where one can begin the trekking trail walking over the bed brown dried leaves creating a unique experience and a magnificent view that is absolutely unparallel. Last but not the least is the splendid jaw dropping breath taking view of the famous snow clapped mountain summits that comes into view as soon as one steps in Kedarkantha base and the view gets more stunning which each step towards the summit. In a whole the trekking tour promises refreshing and heart filled pleasure which makes the destination so attractive to millions of visitors throughout the year.
Though Kedarkantha trek can be conducted almost the whole year but the aspiring views that it provides in the winter months from December to April cannot be compared with summer times. The snow clapped trekking trails and the buckets of snow at the base of the pine trees are a fascinating beauty to savor and which remains only available during the winter days. In fact for the locals the winter months are a time for rejoice and they enjoy with a number of festivals during this time. However it is better to avoid the monsoon time for trekking in these trail.
About the trek
The journey for the beautiful Kedarkantha peak commences from the city of Dehradun. From Dehradun it’s a long drive to Sankri located at an altitude of 6400 feet and takes about 10 hours to reach. It’s a distance of 220 km from Dehradun. The
trekking trip starts from Sankri the next day towards Jadu Ka Talab which is based at 9100 feet and takes about 5 hours trekking to reach the destination. During this trail one can experience the beauty of lush meadows, dense pine forests, cascading beautiful streams, and gorgeous maple trees. Here is the first campsite where the trekkers need to stay in tents. From Jadu ka talab on the following day one needs to trek up to 11,250 feet towards Kedarkantha base which is again a distance of approximately 4.5 kms. In this trail the trekkers pass through lush meadows and for the first time catch the view multiple snow capped peaks standing tall encircling the location. The next destination is the Kedarkantha peak which is based at a height of 12,500 feet and this trail can be a little challenging in compared to others. However the views of the fascinating Himalayas make it up for all the hard work with its breathtaking views. On conquering the peak it’s a journey back where the first stop would be at Horegaon camp at 8900 feet which can be reached on the same day evening. The next day it’s a trail back to Sankri through dense pine forests. From Sankri it’s a journey back to Dehradun and way forward.