Kedarkantha Trek

The Kedarkantha trek can be regarded as the best trek in the Himalayas because you will have the opportunity to reach the summit of 12,500 feet without having years of technical trekking skills. The trek begins in Sankri, a small and traditional village, where the fresh, clean air and incredible views of the Himalayan peaks will set your mind for trekking. You are now ready to start your trek. Once your boots are laced tightly and you start trekking, you will enter a dense pine forest that is silent and feels like a retreat. Eventually, you will come to the beautiful Juda Ka Talab, or frozen lake area, which is surrounded by giant pine trees. The deep silence that surrounds you while you stand on this frozen lake gives you an exhilarating feeling that will remain with you long after your trek is over. The true test and reward come during the last ascent to the peak of Kedarkantha in the early hours when it is dark outside. Using only the light from your headlamp, you will see the steep, snow-covered trail that you must trek. As you reach the peak, you will be filled with excitement as you feel the incline getting steeper and sharper. You will see the triangular summit from where you will sit and rest, watching the sun rise above the horizon. You will see the magnificent peaks of Swargarohini and Bandarpoonch and see a magnificently panoramic view of 360 degrees of the mountains, and you will have a profound sense of accomplishment by reaching the summit of this mountain.

Why is the Kedarkantha Trek so special?

Kedarkantha has its immense popularity and uniqueness from the good combination of beautiful landscapes, panoramic views with unforgettable experiences they offer. Below we have mentioned all the attributes that can make this trek worthwhile.

1. The Narnia Scenic Beauty

With its Narnia-like views, Kedarkantha sets the scene from the close-knit wooded areas to the endless views from the mountain range above. The trek begins in the Govind Wildlife Sanctuary, where huge snow-covered trees create a white tunnel effect when snow covers the interlocked branches. The arched branch creates an enormous reverberation of silence throughout the environment, increasing the sensory experience with its smell and view of the white powdery snow and softening of every jagged edge of the trail. The sun shines through the trees and reflects off the floating ice crystals in the air, creating God rays and a luminescent look to the atmosphere. The white world is occasionally broken by the intense colors of the plumage of the Himalayan Monal, popping against the white surroundings. Finally, once you break the tree line at 11,000 feet, the enclosed wooded areas give way to the wide-open rolling Alpine Bugyals, transitioning you to a higher altitude and opening the high-altitude view against the deep blue sky that is so strikingly vast and motionless.

2. The Wildlife Sanctuary Immersion

As you make your way through the Govind Wildlife Sanctuary, you will not only see the incredible scenery but you will also experience the wild, uncultivated areas of the forest that abound with wildlife including the legendary Gaur (Himalayan Bear), which frequents the snow-covered cliffs of the Himalayan Mountains and is the most colorful and beautiful of all the birds in India, with stunning colours and feathers rippling in full view of those trekking through the sanctuary. You should also be lucky enough to see the footprints of the Gaur or perhaps witness the beautiful Red Fox wandering around the forest. This diversity provides a new trekking experience as there is a large amount of natural diversity available in the Govind Wildlife Sanctuary.

3. The Frozen Lake: Juda Ka Talab

Located at an altitude of over nine thousand feet in a natural amphitheater of towering pine trees is Juda Ka Talab (the Lake of Juda). However, Juda Ka Talab is more than just water at that elevation; it is a frozen water resource (hydrology) during the winters. During winter Juda Ka Talab freezes over and becomes a solid sheet of ice that one can walk upon it. The most beautiful aspect of Juda Ka Talab is the contrast between the vertical, dark lines of the pine trees contrasted with the horizontal, transparent look of the lake below. Many people have experienced camping on the pure white snow surrounding this frozen lake beneath the Moon during the night. This is considered one of the most exquisite and romantic experiences in the Himalayas.

4. The True Summit Experience

The view from the 12,500 ft. summit is a rare breathtaking reward that stays with you forever. Because Kedarkantha is a freestanding, triangular shaped mountain, one will see the world go away in every direction when standing at the top of Kedarkantha peak. This unique shape creates a natural lighthouse in that you are looking directly back towards the three most famous peaks: Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch and Kalanag (Black Peak). From the center of this circular area, you will feel like you are standing on the highest point of the peak.

5. The Chromatic views of Sunrise or Sunset

For a trekker, the different light phases at Kedarkantha are one of the best parts of reaching the top of this mountain. The following is a brief description of these chromatic events:

• The Emotional Sunrise: Starting at 3:00 A.M. Through the sub-zero blue hour while watching for the sudden change in the sky from electric indigo to ghostly silver, you reach the 12,500-foot summit and watch the sky begin to change. As you reach your summit, you can see the first rays of sunlight strike the 20,000-foot glaciers in the distance and transform the icy peaks of Swargarohini and Bandarpoonch into a vivid burning orange red molten colour.
• The Surreal Sunset: Watching sunset at an 11,250-foot Basecamp is like watching a sunset gallery of tranquillity. When the sun sets over the Himachal ridge, the natural reflection of the snow-covered slopes cast everything around the entire horizon with a pastel pink colour, painting the landscape with a dreamlike purple and pastel pink hue from the very thin members of air we support during this transition of sunsets. After about 30 minutes of sunset, you might have the opportunity to see the milky way in a beautifully bright crystalline clear evening sky.