Travel Memoir : Kedarkantha Summit Trek, Uttarkashi, Garhwal Himalayas. March '13

NOTE: All distances with respect to Dehradun. All timings are Indian Standard Time (IST)

It began with a disturbing, rickety overnight bus ride to Dehradun. The feeling that something that begins in a wrong way, would continue to be ominous all along, engulfed my tired mind as I stared outside the giant bus window. “How would Kedarkantha, our first major Himalayan trek, come along?” was the question I kept asking myself.

Turned out, it would be quite the opposite.

A hurried, anxious arrival at Dehradun
March 26. 07:30 am IST

The dash to the predetermined congregation-cum-pick up point outside the colonial-era Dehradun railway station was a mix of excitement as well as anticipation.

Meeting your fellow hikers for the first time who are absolute strangers is a peculiar feeling. Basis my past experience, I have come to realize that it’s them to whom one exposes one’s deepest vulnerabilities and insecurities, under trying conditions high up on the mountains.

Naturally so, I felt shy, nervous and try exchanging glances (am an amateur trekker after all)

We quickly exchange pleasantries, and are lobbed into Mahindra jeeps that immediately leave for Sankri, the base of our trek.

Dehradun – Sankri: The Yamuna I never knew existed
March 26. 07:30 am - 17:00 IST

Early morning drive through mountains can be quite a soothing experience.

No sooner do we leave Mussoorie (35km), than we are accompanied by a raging torrent far below at the base of the valley. We are told that it’s the Yamuna River, and that it would be our constant companion for the most part of the journey till Sankri village.

For a moment we could not believe our eyes. Crystal clear and gurgling hundreds of feet beneath our winding road, I was reminded of the appalling state of the same river Yamuna, we are witness to at Delhi.

The 192km distance from Dehradun to Sankri takes almost 8 hours to cover. The first leg of the journey is regular terrain found in the lower reaches of the Himalayas. The landscape, however changes remarkably after one crosses Purola (129km).

The air becomes cooler and the flora changes from deciduous to alpine. Purola is incidentally also the last mid-sized town on the road. Like all hill towns, Purola is also a barrage of settlements organized around one main thoroughfare. A  State Bank of India ATM, a smattering of provision stores, a confectionery shop, pharmacy, a roadside dhaba ('Hotel Mehar'), a liquor shop and rows of tiny settlements line the road.

Since we are told, this is the last civilized settlement, which in today’s mobile world implies cellphone connectivity. We make quick calls to our kith and kin, steal a quick lunch of rajma-chawal and proceed.

River Tons comes into sight as we prepare ourselves for the last leg of the winding journey to Sankri. Tall pine trees, dense woods, gurgling streams and occasional glimpses of distant snow-covered mountain ranges behind awning valleys accost us. We have arrived in the Himalayan kingdom, at last!

After almost a 9 hour ride, we arrive at Sankri at about 17:00.

Sankri: A sleepy hamlet in the lap of high mountains
March 26 Evening.

Sankri is a small and sleepy hamlet that sits in the lap of massive snow-clad mountain ranges, deep within the remote Uttarkashi district. It is the last village on this route connected by bus; has no phone connection as yet and had no electricity until very recently (i.e. 2007). Located 13km inside the Govind Pashu Wild Life Sanctuary, Sankri is the gateway to the pristine Har-ki-Dun valley and the ethereal Swargarohini Peak (6096m) that towers beyond it.

IndiaHikes has made fairly decent arrangements for us. In this remote land, a hotel, Swargarohini Palace and a Garhwal Vikas Mandal guest house, our rest-houses for the night, seem like luxor to our tired minds and bodies.

A quick briefing session for the trekking group, quiet dinner at a dimly-lit Garhwali household, and a short after-dinner stroll under a sky awash with moonlight, and we are ready to retire for the night.

Our rooms have 5 wooden cots each, cotton blankets and washroom with running water – bare necessities we take for granted, that'll become no less than luxuries for the next 3 days to come!

Sankri (6300 ft)– Juda Ka Talab (9200 ft): a climb through dense pinewood followed by snow sections
March 27. 07:30 am - 12: 15 pm IST.

A beautiful, sunny morning beckons us. The snowy mountains, painted golden-yellow by the rays of the sun, seem way too inviting. We freshen up, hang our backpacks, dig into a quick breakfast and prepare ourselves for the day ahead.

there's excitement in the air! At 07:30 am sharp, we commence walking, almost in tandem. A short 10min walk on flat road and we reach the base from where the climb starts. It's a decently moderate gradient.

Almost immediately, we are in the midst of a dense forest. Pine, fur, birch, spruce, and occasionally Maple – trees, some almost 100 feet tall – provide the much appreciated canopy.

We keep climbing, almost relentlessly. The group splits immediately, into – the racers: who determinedly pace ahead, as if it was a competition; the steady walkers: who walk at their own pace, occasionally stopping to catch breath; and the strollers: who gambol about, drifting, laughing, posing, clicking, and trek, when they find time for it. Some, of course, are perennially breathless. They are a different breed.

The walk to Juda-ka-Talab is very picturesque, indeed. You are in the constant shadow of the Swargarohini and Kalanag peaks (literally translates to ‘Black Peak’). Swargarohini, lying at the head of the cradle-shaped Har-Ki-Dun valley, has a mythological legend associated with it: The Pandavas and Draupadi had escaped to heaven from this peak, after the Great Mahabharata War.

The route is adorned with pretty bright red flowers called ‘Burans’. Part of the Rhododendron Arboreum family, this evergreen shrub, we're told, produces very nutritious juice and wine. We pluck a flower or two, and move on.

The entire trail till you hit snowline is carpeted with dry leaves, at least in March. Walking on dry leaves emanates crunchy sound, that combined with the gurgling of tiny rivulets, the very occasional chirp of birds and faint rustle of pine leaves, immensely relaxes one's strained nerves.

We hit snowline at around 8000ft, roughly around 10:30am. We pause at a clearing surrounded by Maple trees, to catch breath, steal some shots and begin our onward journey soon. As we climb higher, the view gets better and better. The receding tree-line ensures that we get wider panoramas: Har-Ki-Dun to North-East, Bandarpoonch range that towers over us and Rupin Pass, and the mountains of Himachal Pradesh beyond, to our North West.

It feels like no less than heaven here.

Huffing and puffing
Dragging ourselves up the icy slope
Prodding and digging
Trekking poles, our rays of hope
We stare above
No end, seemingly, in sight
But, when we halt to look around
The universe here seems just so right

At 12:15pm, roughly 4:45 hours after we had set off, we arrive at the Juda-Ka-Talab camp (9,2000 ft).

Juda Ka Talab: the campsite painted as if on an oil canvas
March 27, 12:30 pm - March 28, 07:00 am IST.

A half-frozen pond with moss-laden water, cocooned comfortably amidst tall conifers, and little camps set up on the lakeside escarpment, seems like the perfect campsite setting created straight out of an oil canvas. Juda-ka-Talab, here we arrive!

Our IndiaHikes team had already made the necessary preparations by the time we arrived. We are greeted with cups of fresh fruit juice on arrival. We offload burden from our tired shoulders, and settle at the campsite for the rest of the day.

Camping in the wilderness has different meanings for different people. Some stay glued to the campfire, warming themselves and their paraphernalia; others ambling about the campsite, chatting and joking; some others stay by themselves, pretty much in quiet reflection, and a few, retire to their tents.

As evening drew to a close, the ambient temperatures fell drastically to -1 degree Celsius. Our trekking group huddled closer to the camp fire, exchanging stories, belting out old Hindi and English numbers, or simple lazing around. Sometime before sunset, our coordinators, Manish and Rajmohan demonstrated techniques for walking comfortably on snow and rescuing co-trekkers should any calamity strike.

As darkness fell, we hurriedly finished our dinners (meals organized by IndiaHikes was quite wholesome, delicious and rich in nutrition), and scampered to our little tents.

Juda Ka Talab (9,200ft) - Kedarkantha Base Camp (11,200ft): the day we mastered snow
March 28, 07:30 am - March 28, 11:30 am IST.

 The 2000 ft climb to the base camp was entirely a snow climb. The trail that led out of Juda-Ka-Talab was initially a winding snow-filled path amidst tall trees. Further ahead, we encountered a reasonably steep section, completely snowed under, that required traversing on some sections as the trail was too steep the walk straight upwards.

We made good progress and reached a lower ridge in about 2 hours.

Once on the ridge, the walk became reasonably easier. With each step, the magnificent mountain unfolded in front of us, in all its hues and vistas. We felt humbled and awe-inspired. As intimidating as it seemed, climbing the mountain one step at a time felt like life's little lessons well learnt: no obstacle, however big, is insurmountable. All one needs to do is conquer it one step at a time.

Out on the ridge, we suddenly felt the brute force of the wind chill smashing into our frigid faces. We looked around; we could spot snowstorms lashing the higher reaches of the Bandarpoonch range, which now seemed remarkably closer to us.

Our trek coordinator Manish yelled out to us to pace up as the grey clouds were fast approaching us. A sudden rush of blood and panic engulfed us. The gail grew stronger, we lowered our backpacks and yanked out our raincoats. Braving the tearing force of the wind, we somehow managed to slip into our raincoats, slithering and swaying. And suddenly, there came from the sky above, a downpour of soft, fluffy snow flakes. Snowfall, at last.

A wide expanse of snowy slope lay ahead of us. We paced up amidst diminishing visibility, then found a comfortable position under a tree and waited for the rest of the group to catch up with us.

What a mesmerizing and exhilarating experience it was! Indeed, the first ever snowfall for quite a few of us. In a moment the gale subsided, the snow receded and we proceeded towards Kedarkantha base camp, barely 15min away.

It almost seemed God had ordained a snowfall for many of us to witness it for the first time.

Kedarkantha Base Camp (11,200ft): no man's land
March 28, 11:30 am - March 29, 07:30 am IST.