Kedarkantha Trek

TREKKING INTO THE DOORS OF HEAVEN

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Still, it feels like yesterday. Actually, it was an impromptu journey to the Himalayas. Obviously, I was feeling a little bit jaded, exhausted from the mundanity of Work-Eat-Sleep-Internet life, so me and two of my college friends thought of escaping from the industrious life to the Himalayan paradise, a snowy trek to Kedarkantha. This trek is no doubt a potpourri of natural beauty and mythology. This is one of most popular snow treks in India. Do not mistake Kedarkantha as a place, it is a mood which is congested with the redolence of petrichor. The Himalayan beauty fits the bill for a perfect trekking destination.  Kedarkantha is the quintessence of serenity; no hullabaloo, no fuss, no uproar except the sweet notes of chirping.

 

The itinerary for the trek was something like this:

●       Day 1 Trek: Netwar (Gaichan Gaon) → Jalouta

●       Day 2 Trek: Jalouta → Pukhrola

●       Day 3 Trek: Pukhrola → Kedarkantha Top → Munaila

●       Day 4 Trek: Munaila → Sankri

 

Reaching Netwar from Kolkata

Kolkata → Delhi → Dehradun → Netwar (Gaichan Gaon)

We travelled to New Delhi from Kolkata by train. Three of us boarded Rajdhani Express from Sealdah Railway Station at 4:50pm. On the next day we missed our next train (Janshatabdi Express) towards Dehradun because our train was 6 hours late due to heavy fogs. We quickly made the decision and took a bus from Delhi at night towards Dehradun. The bus journey was nefarious for us because there was a lot of fog and the journey was frightening. Next day we reached Dehradun around 5 am in the morning. Remaining members joined us at Dehradun station. From Dehradun station we started towards Gaichan Gaon in 3 cabs. We had our breakfast in a restaurant near the Kempty Falls which is a popular tourist destination around Mussoorie.

Day 1 Trek

Netwar (Gaichan Gaon) → Jalouta

We trekked to Jalouta from Gaichan Gaon after having our breakfast. The food was very simple, easy to digest but tasty. I think it was the atmosphere which increased the food quality. It was no doubt a long walk but it never felt monotonous. I started to click photos and videos but our guide told us "ruk jao beta, aur bhi bohot kuch hai" but I never stopped. Oh my God! The scenic beauty is sure to embrace your heart and eyes. After reaching Jalouta, I was in a state of euphoria. Indeed, the paradise has come to earth. Camping sight in Jalouta was situated around 8950 ft. above sea level, surrounded by lush green in the mountains. We were so tired that me and my two friends got asleep in the tent and missed the dinner call and had to eat the chocolates and nuts for that night! It was a lesson for us, never miss your meal after the long walk.

 

Day 2 Trek

Jalouta → Pukhrola

We started our trekking towards Pukhrola. Pukhrola is the base camp of Kedarkantha, situated around 10,800 ft (3292 meters) above the sea level. The weather was bone chilling. The place is going to test you physically but more mentally. No photo or memoir can do justice to the feeling of standing on the peak and experience the flabbergasting eternal beauty. It was snow all over. The combination of white snow, picturesque sights and enchanting forest is nothing but a dreamland. Needless to mention, that the snow fight with my boss gang at the end of the day was the most enjoyable activity. The sunset of Pukhrola left me totally lost in my reverie.

 

Day 3 Trek

Pukhrola → Kedarkantha Top → Munaila

At dawn, in a frosty weather we started our attempt to conquer the peak. We are lucky that the day was almost sunny. We packed water, medicines, energy drinks and other essentials in our backpack and hit the road for our journey. With almost 3 to 4 layers of clothing, we almost packed ourselves to protect from the harsh and freezing wind. Our steps were filled with enthusiasm. It took almost 3 to 4 hours to reach the Summit from the starting point. But it is important to share that, one must not try to overtake while walking because the paths are narrow. And always take a pause whenever you feel tired. Almost an hour later we reached a temple of Lord Shiva. According to the chapters of mythology, this was the initial Shiva Shrine Kedarnath, but Lord Shiva was disturbed by something or someone during his meditation and moved to the present day Kedarkantha. (Kedar= Shiva, Kantha= Throat). The 360 degree view of the mountains was masmerizing. Whenever we felt exhausted, the slogan "chalo chalo chalo" worked like a bottle of Glucose. After reaching the apex, I couldn't believe my own eyes. Munia is a place of oxymorons and paradoxes. Anyone can overcome his sickness to see the serenity of Himalaya.

 

Day 4 Trek

Munaila → Sankri

We started our trek from Munaila that day. The mountains seemed like "Precious golden diamonds" because of the rays of sunshine. One of my friends started enchanting " Thine beauty dispels all that is dark" to see the beauty amidst the oozing woods. The sight of the snow will be a reason for your goosebumps. And finally, we got to Juda Ka Talab, a high-altitude lake. This place will definitely be a reason behind your dopamine discharge. The frozen lake is surrounded by majestic views of the mountains. The history behind the lake is awe-inspiring. According to the old historic legend Lord Shiva had opened a small lock of his hair and water dropped from his hair forming this huge lake. The mythology bound frozen lake is every trekker's main point of attraction. Winter is the most preferable season to visit the place but summer also offers a pleasant experience. The dirty and narrow path of Sankri connects it to another picturesque village called Taluka. Taluka is a place from where the trek to ' Har ki Dun' starts. Almost after 3 days we saw some guest houses which were adorned by wooden furniture and colorful flowers. You can actually use the words "ethereal beauty" without any doubt. The happy hamlet Sankri is probably the most popular destination for the Uttarakhand trekkers for a number of reasons. One can locate their wild spirit of adventure here, in the midst of its premodern pristinity; because Sankri happens to be one of the rarest of rare places which can be named a “village” in the truest sense. Devoid of cellular connectivity, this place is also not much electrified, as a result it becomes a dream place for the trekkers to enjoy a province in its undraped, unclad and unveiled reality.

                     To have got a chance to bath in hot water at Sankri after all those glacial days was like dreaming with one's eyes open. Needless to mention, being a greedy carnivore, it was hard for us to spend days on a grassy diet, Sankri also came as a blessing in disguise with sacks full of our most desired non-veg dishes; got to meet meat almost after a decade!

 

Reaching Back to Kolkata from Sankri

After spending quality time, almost 4 days in the lap of the Himalayas, we had to accept the bitter truth that our bustling-busy life is calling us so we had to say “au revoir” to Kedarkantha. We took our breakfast at Sankri. After taking the breakfast we took a cab from Sankri to Dehradun station. When we reached to Dehradun it was almost 6 pm. We boarded Nanda Devi Express at night towards Delhi. Next morning, we arrived in Delhi and took a cab to move to Indira Gandhi International Airport. Our flight was at around 1 pm and we finally landed in the land of Kolkata around 3 pm. The trek ended with a bunch of memories and a little muscle pain.

 

Special Notes

Ungrateful it would be not to mention indiahike.com. Kudos to the organizers for making our reverie a reality. Choosing indiahikes.com was the wisest and choicest decision for us.

 

Do's and don'ts

●     Always carry a small and light weighted backpack

●    Take plenty of fresh drinking water, energy drinks and some chocolates (if you are a chocoholic person like me)

●       Do not forget to take medicines.

●       Bring your charger, selfie stick

●       Bring eco-friendly products and use your own waste bags     

 

So, best of luck buddies and Bon Voyage!