Trek to peak of Kedarkanta, “ Abode of the almighty , Har Har Mahadev”

 

     “ The night is darkening round me,

                                 The wild winds coldly blow;

                                  But a tyrant spell has bound me

                                 And I cannot, cannot go.

                                  The giant trees are bending

                                Their bare boughs weighed with snow.

     And the storm is fast descending,  And yet I cannot go……..”,

 

       Words of  Emily bronte from her classic  winter poem, :”The spellbound”, resounds  through  the trek as we cross the snow laden mountains ,every single breath  pushing the body forward which refuses to abide frozen by ice.

             

    

         In the wintery peak of december , I embarked on an inspiring adventure to experience trekking in snow. Kedarkanta is touted as the best winter treks of India and rightly justified looking at the number of trekkers thronging Sankri, the starting base camp at 6155ft, in last weeks of month. Spanning over a period of 5 days and walk of 20 kms, it takes you to breathtaking visuals of the majestic Himalayas and thick deodar forests of Govind national park .

 'juda ka talab'

          The first day starts with a long drive of 8-10 hours from dehradun to Sankri , passing through the small towns of Mori and Purola. I have been trekking with the local operator, Trekupindia , one of the oldest and experienced name  in this field. On way we pass through the picturesque   landscape of lush green forests of uttarkashi district of uttarakhand. A brief halt for lunch is at  Mori , a quaint little township on banks of river tons.The topography of the area offers a panoramic view of deodar forests interspersed with small hamlets . I have travelled the length and breadth of uttarakhand  ,however every time I pass Mori  its scenic beauty surpasses that of  any other region .

 

                   'Lohasu base camp'

       

              Previously sankri was  known only for the Har ki doon trek, one of the oldest trails starting from there but in recent years , the village inhabitants have profitabily tapped the trekking potential of the region especially kedarkanta , successfully running homestays , guide /porter services and trek rental equipments. The temperatures are freezing during the night and only basic accommodation and simple food is  available. Before switching off for the night, the trek leader ensures a quick head count of all members  with a crisp talk on  list of dos and donts for next five days.

             The next three days are the most excruciating and crucial part of the trek. The groups are divided each with two guides, leading at the front and back .The comfort of mule porter is available for those who do not want to overburden themselves with backpacks however one must carry a small daybag for  water ,medicines and other essentials.The first base camp is at 'Juda ka talab' which is at a distance of 4 kms from sankri, at a height of 9100ft and can approx take 5 to6 hrs to reach . The terrain is a continuous ascent passing through  dense forests , devious mountain ranges  and as you climb further, the cold begans to enter the bones . Carpets of fresh snow greet us at the juda ka talab , a lake surrounded by forests and meadows. The camps are pitched next to the frozen lake  , a mesmerizing sight to behold. After spending an eventful night in small tents spread over acres of snow covered slopes , the walk begans to the next campsite which is at a height of 11000ft , Lohasu base camp. It takes only 2 hrs to reach there from juda ka talab. Multiple companies are conducting kedarkanta trek from sankri ,but the USP of trekup india is that the  distance between its two campsites have been calculatively decided so as to enable the trekkers to gain maximum physical  rest and acclimatization to the temperature before the final ascent to the summit on the fourth day .

     

            Early morning at 3 am when the sky above  is still looming dark with stars , the final ascent begans . After a  nourishing breakfast of sweet dalia followed by a short briefing and war cry of ‘har har mahadev’ from  the trek leader, all the trekkers wearing head lamps ,start the climb in a straight line towards the summit. The  illuminating headlights moving across the  pitch dark mountains  appears like a beautiful  strings of floating  lanterns .The summit is at a height of 12000ft ,the beauty of which is indescribable . With the first light of the rising sun ,the captivating sights of the snow draped peaks of  swargarohini and black peak also embrace you  . The people of uttarkashi region hold a sacred reverence to the kedarkanta peak which is  marked by the trishul of lord shiva. According to the local legend, mahadev took refuge in hiding at kedarkanta in his bull avtar while fleeing from the pandavas before settling in kedarnath. After the completion of summit, descent to sankri begans with a night halt at the campsite in Haragaon. The descent  is equally challenging on the   dangerously  winding icy mountain trails .

        The kedarkanta trek has been widely publicized on social medial and internet as easy which is a misnomer because it is  slightly moderate when contemplating on snow .Battling the harsh cold, freezing temperatures in minus degrees, perilous and tricky mountain bends  , slippery frozen paths, and survival in the bare minimum facilities  makes kedarkanta a dauntless feat to achieve. Life appears to be mundane after going to such heights and so the words of  our  highly motivated trek leader, Shiv rawat continues to  resonate with the soul of every trekker. Conquering the mountains is not just a journey outside but also within the self, a test of our mental endurance , willpower  and a  zeal to win on the face of   adversities. My life has never been the same once I started trekking to the mountains and as some one once said, “everyone wants to live on the top of the mountains but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it”.