Kedarkantha Summit – Snow Trek

Doctors Said, No | I was in Dilemma but My wife said, YES | that strengthen me and finally I moved on.

“All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go, I’m standing here outside your door”

But I won’t leaving on a Jet Plane, I have left my home to take up a high gradient rough road and completely unsure about my destiny. For the last couple of months, I couldn’t able to sleep properly for acute spondylitis pain  in my left hand. Most of the night I slept in sitting position due to unbearable pain. Just one month before that event, I met with a bike accident and I got a severe injury on my right knee. That’s not the end of the list, just one week before the event, suddenly I fell down from the staircase and again I got a severe injury on my right ankle. Still more to come from life and the blood report brought an extremely good news for me that I have Uric Acid problem, it was found 7.8. This was one of the reason of my joints pain. Fitness would require for the event and even for a day, I couldn’t hit the ground. I had to say No because No option has been left with me. Somebody from Kolkata also had the same plan to go and she would join me. If I would say No for the event that means It would be a deviation from my word.
Earlier we registered for Kuari Pass but at the final hour, our trek operator “Himalayas Climber” changed the route from Kuari Pass to KedarKantha Summit and informed me a day before the journey. Seriously, I was little depressed due to change in plan. Although, I had nothing to do with it because I wanted to do a snow trek before Dzongri Goechala trek. On 8th of January we left Kolkata to Haridwar for Kedarkantha Summit 2016. Ruma Roy who board the same train with me from Kolkata for the trek. Seriously, before the trek, merely I met her once or twice. Basically, she is a friend of my wife and now she is also my friend. My wife came with me to Howrah Station to say goodbye.
We talked to each other during the journey and become comfortable with each other. We reached Haridwar on 9th afternoon and went for a city walk.

Kedarkantha Summit
Duration – 6 to 7 Days
Altitude – 12500 ft
Gradient – 50 degree Average, 75-80 Maximum
Temperature – -10 to -17 in Winter
Difficulty Level – Depends on individual
Fitness – Mandatory
Important Notes
Stay – Tents are Mandatory
Last Ration – Sankri Village
Kerosene – Sankri Village
BSNL network is available in Sankri but not in everywhere. During Trekking there are no network coverage, sometime BSNL may work But after Juda Ka Talab completely will be out of the cell phone network coverage area.
Guide and Porters are available from Dehradun/Mussoorie

See the Album 1 Click Here – Moments

See the Album 2 Click Here – Nature and Camps

See the Album 3 Click Here – Summit

Day 1 (Haridwar to Sankri)
Journey – 12 Hours
Altitude – 6450 ft
Route – Sankri Via Mussoorie, Barkot, Purola, Mori, Netwar.

I couldn’t sleep that night because I was little tensed but with broken sleep I woke up early and we left the hotel. Initially there was a confusion about the car that we supposed to embark. After half an hour it was resolved and we boarded the car at 5:15 am. Few minutes later, met with Yogesh Patel and Harshit and we left for Dehradun. I met everyone in Dehradun and our 24 members team boarded in two separate cars (Traveler Car is popular there as TEMPU). We saw the Kempty falls in Mussoorie on the way but I was completely engrossed in my memory. I went there along with my mother and elder sister in 1989. So passing through the same place evokes much memory with my family especially with my mother. My mother is no more, so it was also painful. Although, the drive from Dehradun to Sankri is very beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We stopped many times in between the journey for taking photographs and we had our lunch at Purola. After crossing tons of rivers, forest of Pine and Oak trees and glimpses of the Himalayan peaks finally we reached “Govind Wildlife Sanctuary National Park”. Individually we registered our name at the check post and after 45 minutes of the drive we reached Sankri Village. Sankri is the end of the motorable road and also starting point of our trekking. At evening, we gathered in a small hall of the hotel for formal introduction session.

Places to See during the road trip – First and last on the list is Nature. Where ever you see, beautiful nature of Uttarakhand will surely mesmerize you. Many Himalayan Peaks and Har Ki Dun are visible from Sankri.

Note – Do not eat heavy/Junk foods during this journey otherwise there will be massive chance of vomiting. So consume low quantity food and try high-calorie foods like Chocolates. Do not drink plenty of water at a time but take one or two sip after an interval. I will separately cover the foods section in future post.

Day 2 (Sankri to Juda Ka Talab )
Altitude – 6450 ft to 9150 ft
Walk – Ascending

I woke up very early and the temperature was around 1/2 degree C. It was really unbearable for me unless I acclimatized properly. We had our breakfast and as per the instruction of our trek leader we assembled in front of the Hotel with our sacks. I and Ruma decided that we would carry one Ruck Sack for both of us and she kept her necessaries in my sack. I took the responsibility to carry entire luggage as porter hahahaaa and I kept my word, throughout the trek. We started our journey at 8 am and initial few hours were just breathtaking. After few minutes intervals most of the trekkers felt exhausted because of gradient and altitude.

Around 3:30pm we reached the campsite of Juda Ka Talab and decided to go to Juda Ka Talab on the next day. Tents were pitched and we kept our luggage in the tents. The entire campsite was covered with snow and pine trees. Me and 3/4 trekkers went to the nearby jungle to collect woods for campfire after had a cup of hot tea. At night the view was outstanding specially the sky was of full of twinkle stars and reflected lights from snow. The temperature at night went down to -4/-5 degree C and exhaustion felt like kill myself.

See the Album 1 Click Here – Moments

See the Album 2 Click Here – Nature and Camps

See the Album 3 Click Here – Summit

Day 3 (Juda Ka Talab Campsite to KK Base Camp )
Altitude – 9150 ft to 11250 ft
Walk – Ascending

After an extreme night spent at tent with broken sleep, I woke up early. Hot tea was served but it was not actually hot for me cause I was in need for a drum of hotteeeeer tea. We assembled at ground and got to know that 5 of our trek members returned back to Sankri camp as they were not feeling well. I heard that It was one of our trek member’s birthday from Maharastra Trekkers Team and they arranged for a cake. It was excellent way to celebrate one’s birthday, in the middle of mountains. We finished the celebration and started our walk around 8am . After few minutes of walk 2 of our members decided to return back. Another one hour of walk we reached Juda Ka Talab. “Juda Ka Talab” was half frozen pond and we took photographs. Most of the trekkers played with snow on the half frozen pond.

Few minutes of walk from Juda Ka Talab the entire trail was full of snow and it was extremely difficult for us to walk. I fell down on a snowy trail and down around 20/30 feet from the point that’s made my camera faulty. After that incident my DSLR started malfunctioning but worked sometimes and now it is in coma. After a long day of hard walk reached Kedarkantha Base Camp and everybody was extremely tired. This was the first time we saw the Kedarkantha Peak and seriously the beauty of nature was everywhere. Hard work pays off when we saw the beautiful nature. Rupin Pass is also visible from the KK base camp.

Here I met with 4 trekkers from a different team and that day they returned back from KK Summit. They informed us the situation was extreme on the peak and we would require fixing up the rope, crampons, and ice axe to reach the Summit. Immediately I informed the same to my trek captain and he told us that with the effort we have to reach the peak as he wouldn’t provide such equipment’s for the time being. Everybody was tensed after such statement made by our trek captain but he also assured us that we would make it by our will power. I will cover essential equipment for snow Treks in a future post.
Everything was nice until sun goes down and at night the temperature went down to -15/-17. It was an extreme night for me as I felt extreme pain everywhere in my body, like in left hand, right leg bla bla bla uffffff.

Day 4 (KK Base Camp to KK Summit and KK Summit to KK Base Camp)
Altitude – 11250 ft to 12500 ft
Walk – Ascending / Descending

Around 4am I woke up and along with Yogesh bhai we went to nearby jungle for resolving early morning issues. It was completely dark and suddenly I saw many glittering eyes were coming towards me. As our trek captain intimated about the animals attack, believe me, that point of time both of us were completely got lost for few moments. Some time later we found all were dogs.
Earlier it was decided that we would start our walk for Summit at 6am. One member of our team stayed back because she was not feeling well. We were getting ready to move but found that every body’s shoes were frozen due to ice. It was really impossible to put on my legs inside the shoes but had no choice left for me. Although, We had our breakfast and left the base camp for Summit. Our trek leader informed us that the condition of the weather would be deteriorated after some time and we had to walk fast to reach. It was horrible trail full of snow and ice, as we were not able to walk properly. Falling down on the trail were common for all and some of our trek members went back to KK base camp after some time. It was difficult to walk on snow and especially during snow fall. We were informed by our leader that we would find different form of snow and also told that how to managed that snow during the walk.

Just 100mt before the summit we found a 70-75 degree gradient icy trail and I don’t know how I managed that day. Finally, Me including 10 members reached the Kedarkantha Summit successfully. Finally we made it, so everybody were happy. Mahinder, Negi Ji from “Himalayas Climbers” and Ruma kept checking with me that I am feeling fine or not. After spending some time at the KK Summit, we started our walk. During descending to base camp, we played with snow, slide and did much fun. In the middle, we found that it was literally snow storming  would be about to start. It become tough for me to descend but managed it. We get down to Kedarkantha Base Camp around 3:30pm and stayed back that night. It is really tough for me to pen down everything and seriously I can’t describe the day here, It will remain with me forever.

Day 5 (KK Base Camp to Sankri)
Altitude – 12500 ft to 6450 ft
Walk – Descending

At early morning after the breakfast, we left for Sankri and say goodbye to Kedarkantha Peak. It was also tough to descend and we had to cover a long trail in one day via Hargaon. At evening we finally reached Sankri. Some of our trek members arranged a small party for a successful trek in the night.

Day 6 (Sankri to Dehradun/Haridwar)

On the early morning, we left Sankri. Some members has been dropped at Dehradun and some to Haridwar. Me and Ruma Roy reached Haridwar at evening. She would leave on the next day for kolkata but I would stay for to cover Rishikesh and Haridwar Heritages.

It was really wonderful experience for me that I will cherish forever.

See The Albums and Videos

Moments

Nature and Camps

Summit

Special Thanks:- It wouldn’t be possible for me to did the expedition successfully without their help. Here I would love to mention some names. My wife, my Father, the entire team of “Himalayas Climber” specially Netik Joshi, Negi Ji, Mahinder, and Tapati. Thank you Yogesh Bhai, Ruma Roy, trekkers team from Maharastra (Amchi Mumbai), and trekkers team from Ahmedabad.

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