Itinerary

Day 1: Reaching the base camp

The base camp of Kedarkantha is Sankri, which is approximately 200 km (8 hrs) from Dehradun. The city of Dehradun is well connected with India's major cities by flight, train, and bus services. If you are traveling in a planned group departure, your transfers will be made available beforehand. For solo travelers, local transport to Sankri is also readily available. The drive to Sankri is a very scenic route. The last 22 km of the drive passes through the wildlife sanctuary itself and is exceptionally beautiful. Dinner and night stay at a guest house in Sankri.

?Day 2: Trek from Sankri to Juda ka Taal (9000 Ft./ 5 Km)

This is the first day where you start your journey up the mountain on foot. After a filling breakfast and some warm-up exercises, you will begin your trek from Sankri to Juda Ka Taal. In case of winters', your trek leaders will provide you with spikes and gaiters before you start and followed by a demonstration of how to wear & carry them. You will cover a total of 5 kilometers today. The trail begins in a peaceful pine forest after a short 10 minutes walk from the village. The gradient of the path is easy and in a zigzag manner so that one can maintain a steady pace, with gradual ascends all the way to Juda Ka Tal campsite. 

?It’s hard to come across wildlife on Kedarkantha trek during winters, but keep an eye out for woodpeckers as you walk along with the pine trees. They are quite common in this region. 

?The thick forest gives way to a vast meadow, where you’ll see two small shacks that serve piping hot tea, omelet, Maggie noodles, and other hot beverages. You can have your packed lunch here. The campsite is just an hour away from this point. As you gain altitude, you’ll start seeing the beautiful Himalayan ranges in the background. The most prominent peaks that you’ll see throughout the trek is Swargarohini. By early afternoon you’ll be at your campsite. Juda ka Taal is a mesmerizing sight to witness. During winters, the pond is completely frozen.

?Juda ka Taal offers an immensely beautiful experience. The entire mound runs along with a thick cover of oak and pine trees so dense that light barely seeps through it. The area lies entirely in the shadow of some of the densest pine tree formation you will ever see. 

?Dinner and overnight stay at Juda Ka Taal.

?Day 3: Juda ka Taal to Kedarkantha Base Camp (11,200 Ft./ 4 Km trek)

Post breakfast, we start our journey towards the Kedarkantha base camp. The gradient of the trail is a bit steeper than yesterday. As we walk with the pine forest for about an hour, the route later opens up to a beautiful meadow. During winters, our trek leaders take the opportunity to teach the group ascending and descending snow techniques on the slopes. 

?From Juda ka Taal to Kedarkantha base camp, it is a 4 km stretch, which takes 3 hours to complete. The view at your next campsite is absolutely stunning. At night, the mountain peaks shine bright under the white light of the moon. One can clearly spot the Kedarkantha peak from the campsite. 

After an early dinner, we proceed to sleep in our respective tents as we have to wake up early at 2 AM to start our summit.

?Day 4: Kedarkantha Base Camp - Kedarkantha (12,500 Ft.) -  Hargaon (8,450 Ft./ 6 Km trek) 

Wake up at 2 AM for breakfast as we start towards our summit peak by 3 AM. The objective is to reach the summit before the break of dawn. You can leave your backpacks inside the tent and collect them after returning from the summit. Carry only the essentials like snacks, water bottles, camera, etc.

?The trail starts at a steady pace. Approx. 1 ½ hour later, you will come across two small huts that offer refreshments. You can stop there on your way back. From here, the summit is two and a half hours away. From here, the trail starts to gain its ascent. In winters, you might find yourself in knee-deep snow. As the sun rises, you’ll see a dramatic show of colors, which is absolutely spellbinding. The summit offers a majestic 360-degree view of the mountains, which will leave you speechless. The most prominent peaks from the top are Swargarohini, Black Peak, and Bandarpooch peaks. One can also spot Gangotri, Yamunotri, Har-ki-dun, and Rupin mountain ranges from the top. As the Himalayas continue to brighten the sky in the backdrop, it is a great opportunity to click some memorable photographs. 

?Note: A word of caution for the first kilometer of descent since it is as steep as it was for the ascent.

?During winters, you will also get the opportunity to glissade during the descent on the snow slope. You can stop at the small shacks for refreshments and make your way back to the base camp for a warm meal. 

?We will head to the Hargaon campsite from here after lunch, which takes about an hour and a half from the Kedarkantha base camp. Dinner and Overnight stay at the campsite.

?Day 5: Hargaon - Sankri - Dehradun

Start from the campsite and follow the trail for your decent. The gradual descent takes you through the pine forest, which will give you company for a long time. As you keep up with the meandering trail, you will see an entire valley, including Har-ki-dun and Swargarohini. A great place to stop over to take a break and to click some more pictures. 

During winters, the trail might be a bit muddy because of the melting snow. As you continue walking, you will spot Apple orchards, which are dried up during winters. 

Once you can spot the road below that leads to Sankri, it is almost a 30 min walk. You pass through a small village named Saud and finally reach Sankri. There are plenty of shops in Sankri to refill your supplies for your journey onwards to Dehradun.

You may also choose to stay another night at Sankri and leave early for Dehradun the next day. The drive to Dehradun is again a 200 Km/10-hour scenic drive.

Cancellation & Refund Policy

If you cancel your trek, this is the cancellation policy we follow:

• Cancellation 30 days before the starting date of the trek — Get your full trek fee back in the Himalayan Daredevils Trek Voucher OR get a monetary refund with 15% of cancellation charges.
   
• Cancellation between 30 and 15 days before the starting date of the trek - Get 80% of the trek fee in the Himalayan Daredevils voucher or get a monetary fund with 50% cancellation charges.
   
• Cancellation less than 15 days before the starting date of the trek - No monetary refund. Get 50% of your fees in your Himalayan Daredevils voucher.
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Refund Policy-

• No refund shall be made to the Guest(s) for unused services, transportation, air conditioning/ heater in accommodation & transportation, sightseeing, unconsumed meals included in the package (breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea), or for voluntary modifications made by the traveler.
• All extra charges for laundry, telephone, minibar, alcohol, beverages, food, room heater, fireplace, air-conditioning, loss or damage of the accommodation and its assets, taxes, etc. as billed by the accommodation are to be paid directly by the Guest(s) on his/her account.
• “No Show” will result in forfeiture of the full amount paid during reservation. “No Show” is applicable when the Guest(s) is not available on day 1 of the itinerary. If one member of the family/group is not available, the “No Show” policy will still be applicable for that member, and the entire amount will be forfeited.

Fitness/ Difficulty

A high altitude trek in the Himalayas requires substantial fitness. Your body needs to train itself to tolerate more work with lower levels of oxygen. Therefore, on treks, cardiovascular training is essential.

As a measure of your fitness, we require you to be able to run at least 5 km in 40 minutes by the time your trek starts. If you are 45 years or above, try to cover 5 km in 50 minutes. This is a minimum requirement.

If you prefer cycling over running, then try to cover 20 km in 60 minutes.

Unable to perform the same can make your trek difficult. Trekkers who have not adequately prepared might be asked not to continue the trek at any point.
The team of Himalayan Daredevils has the right to reject trekkers who do not meet our eligibility requirements at the base camp.

Package Details
Inclusions –

• Accommodation – Stay at a guest house/ homestay/ swiss tents/ dome tents during the trek as per the sharing pattern/occupancy opted.
• Meals – All meals from your arrival to departure from the base camp are included (Morning Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Hi-Tea with Snacks, and Dinner). We provide simple, nutritious yet tasty vegetarian meals on all days of the trek.
• Permit/Charges – Cost of all trekking permits, forest & camping charges are included. Charges of the porters, helpers, mules, trekking leaders, and guides are included.
• Trekking equipment – High-quality tents, sleeping bags, ice axes, ropes, microspikes, gaiters, etc. as required are provided.
• Safety equipment – First aid medical kits, oxygen cylinders, etc. will be available at all campsites to deal with emergencies.
  Porters, Mules, and helpers shall accompany us during the trek to carry the common load such as gas cylinders, tents, sleeping bags, toilet tents, etc.
• The rates are inclusive of GST
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Exclusions –
Anything not specified in the Inclusions section
Additional Meals unless specified
Transport unless specified
Air Fare / Train/ Bus Tickets 
 Travel Insurance
Additional expenditure and Extra Services if taken
Any expense incurred or loss caused by reasons beyond our control such as bad weather, natural calamities(landslides, floods), flight delays /rescheduling/cancellations, any accidents/ medical evacuations, riots/strikes/war/pandemic, etc.

• All the prices are for Indian Nationals only, unless specified.