Main Info
The Kedartal trek is for lovers of adventure. It is for those trekkers who have done a considerable amount of Himalayan treks and now want to push themselves. It is a difficult trek, with a truly magical experience to give in return for all the effort.
The trek climbs to the glacial Kedartal lake, sitting amid a cauldron of big mountains. Famous mountains of our country rise in front of you in this cauldron – Mt Thalaysagar, Mt Bhrigupanth, Manda Parvat, Mt Jogin, Mt Gangotri. You camp in the shadow of the mighty Mt Thalaysagar and Mt Bhrigupanth.
Very few treks bring you so close to such big mountains. And fewer still allow you to spend so much time in their proximity. The closest we can think of is Goechala, and that is a big statement to make.
The trail is also extremely remote. There is no human habitation at this altitude. And you find very few trekking groups on this trail. This solitude, when seen in comparison to a lot of other unfortunately crowded trails, is a blessing.
The trail, however, has a lot of challenges. You start the trek at around 11,000 ft and climb to over 16,000 ft. This altitude gain happens in the course of 3-4 days. Climbing boulders, navigating steep ascents and descents on tricky terrain becomes infinitely more challenging when you are also trying to catch your breath. This needs sufficient physical and mental preparation.
This preparation and hard trekking is rewarded amply on this trek – there are lovely bhoj forests, vast high altitude meadows and then there is the indescribable serenity of the Kedartal lake. You complete the trek having a very high feeling of accomplishment.
Before we begin, here are a some quick facts about Kedartal trek:
The Kedartal Trek lies in the state of Uttarakhand. It begins and ends at the pilgrim town of Gangotri. It is a 50 km trek hiked over a period of 4 days (7 days including drive to and from the trek, and an acclimatization day) in the Himalayas. It is a difficult trek (more on this ahead on this page) that should be attempted only by experienced trekkers.
It lies in the Greater Himalayas and is known for its brilliant big mountain views of peaks like Mt Thalay Sagar, Mt Bhrigupanth, Manda Parvat, Mt Jogin and Mt Gangotri.
