Exploring The Winter Perfect Treks: Kedarkantha and Brahmatal Trek

 With excitement and a want to feel the comfort amongst the hills, this year, me and my cousins went to explore two of the most adored and winter perfect treks of India, namely, the Kedarkantha Trek and the Brahmatal Trek. The journey during both of the treks were magical, peaceful and so thrilling that the memories that we made during the trekking journey, will live in my heart rent free, forever!

The Chilly And Soulful Kedarkantha Trek

Day 1 — To The Base Camp : Sankri

After completing our exams and making a sudden plan to go on a winter trek, we finally reached Dehradun on November, following which, to reach Kedarkantha, first, we had to reach Sankri, a small village which was situated at an altitude of 6,455 feet. A drive of 198 kilometres advanced us to the Sankri base camp where the trek actually started. The beauty witnessed throughout the trail was mind-blowing. The last 20 kilometres on the mesmerizing journey to Sankri passed through Govind National park which had a name for its diverse collection of flora. We reached Sankri by evening and stayed at a home-stay for that day.

Day 2 -Towards The Juda Ka Talab

The next step on the way to Kedarkantha Trek was a trek from Sankri to Juda Ka Talab. The overall trail had dense pine forests, maple trees and also the unforgettable pretty meadows. Our actual trek commenced from Sankri village. The trail commenced by getting out of Sankri by following an extension named Sor and after that we came across a road that proceeds towards Kedarkantha. The trail constituted the peaceful sound of the running streams. We also saw the Himalayan Languars leaping from one tree to another. After crossing some streams and making our way to the sharp trails of dense oaks, we finally reach the beautiful campsite of Juda Ka Talab. We got to witness a huge lake that appeared to be magical and also very pretty. After reaching the campsite, we had a little rest and then went out and explored the beautifulplace.

Day 3 — From Juda Ka Talab To The Heavenly Kedarkantha Base

On the third day we trekked from Juda Ka Talab campsite to Kedarkantha base. It took around 3 hours to complete the trek. After reaching Base Camp, tents were set up. The night sky, was wondrous with bright and shining stars creating a magical aura that was just so peaceful to witness. The sight became more alluring with the stretches of Milky way being visible in the open sky. Wecamped for some time under the sky while we had our dinnerand with that sound sleep markedthe end of our fruitful day.

Day 4 — From Kedarkantha Base Towards Kedarkantha Summit

The fourth day was the most important day of the trek. We were destined to conquer the Kedarkantha summit and then descend back to Hargaon. The total trekking distance was around 6 kilometres and it took around 7 hours to complete the journey. We started the day with a healthy breakfast and went ahead for the journey to the Kedarkantha summit. We again passed through oak forests but this trail was somewhat easy. The view from the top was worthy to witness after our hard efforts. We also found a beautiful temple of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati at the top of the peak. Along with this temple, we even found a shrine of Lord Ganesh as well. Getting to witness the view of the snowy mountains of Himalayas was a mind-blowing experience. After lunch, we descended down to Hargaon and had our overnight stay at tents.

Day 5 -Trek From Kedarkantha Base To SankriAgain

On the fifth day, we had to descend from Hargaon to Sankri which was located at an altitude of 6,400 feet above the mean sea level. We had to descend through the pine forests and the trekking distance was around 6 kilometres. After having breakfast , we set out for the trail which led us to the Sankri village. The trail from Hargaon to Sankri had a well-defined pathway, completely laden with small pebbles. The sunrise wasjust so pleasurable to witness and we also passed through some slow-flowing streams which were satisfying to watch. Wereached Sankri by evening and went out again to explore the lovely village of Sankri and did some shopping. The good time was followed by sleep and this marked the end of the last night of our trek.

Day 6 -From Sankri To Dehradun

This was the last day of our trek. We will drove back to Dehradun from Sankri village. In the middle, we had our lunch and played games on the way back to Dehradun. We reached Dehradun around 7 pm and the next day we flew back to our respective places. This finally mark the end of our beautiful journey.

The Mesmerizing Brahmatal Trek

Day 1 — From Dehradun To Lohajung

On the second week of December, our trekking journey started from Dehradun to Lohajung. The journey from Haridwar to Lohajung was long but was worthy as wecame across many rivers and pretty landscapes along the drive from Haridwar to Lohajung. We passed through Devprayag, Srinagar and Rudraprayag. We also found the confluence of the two purest rivers, Bhagirathi and Alaknanda at Devprayag. The water was serene with a blueish texture. From Devprayag, we made our journey to Srinagar which was around 40 kilometres. An hour of the drive took us to Rudraprayag which was around 33 kilometres from Devprayag. We found the confluence of the Mandakini and Alaknanda river here. The journey to Kedarnath started from Rudraprayag. A drive of 120 kilometrestook us to Lohajung and once we reached Lohajung, we could see the beautiful Nanda Ghunti peak. Lohajungis said to be the place where Goddess Parvati had a warwith the demon, Lohasur.

Day 2 — From Lohajung Campsite To Bekaltal Campsite

On the second day, we started early with a few exercises. After having breakfast, we advanced to Bekaltal. The complete trek distance from Lohajung campsite to Bekaltal campsite was around 6.3 Kilometres and went through greenery and beautiful trails of the trek. The trail comprised of dense forests with oak and fir and the rest through frost. There was a moderate-level ascent through the oak forest. We got to see a bunch of snow-clad mountain peaks from there and were in awe by the alluring views of the Nanda Ghunti peak. Following the trail, we reached the Bekaltal campsite soon. After reaching the camp, tents were put and lunch was served. Later that day, we went to Bekaltal lake in the evening.

Day 3 –From Bekaltal To Brahmatal Campsite

On the third day, we trekked from Bekaltal to Brahmatal. This trek took us around 4hours to reach the destination. We loved the mountain vegetation and trees on route. We started our day soon. After breakfast, we set out for the journey to Brahmatal from Bekaltal. We also witnessed the beautiful sunrise from Bekaltal. During the first 1hour, we found a steep ascent via Bekaltal Lake. Then we founda gradual ascent for a few hours followed by a steep descent and then a gradual ascent till the campsite. We also witnessed the Shivalik range as well as the Greater Himalayas from there. There were no water points throughout the trail and hot packed lunch was served on the trail. After reaching the Brahmatal Campsite, we rested for some time. In the evening, we went to visit Brahmatal Lake which was merely at a distance of 500 metres from the campsite. Dinner was served at night and tents were set up for the overnight stay.

Day 4 –Trek from Brahmatal to Brahmatal Top and Back to The Campsite

On the fourth day of the trek, we had to cover the Brahmatal and then come back to Brahmatal campsite. The total trekking distance was around 7.6 kilometres and it took approximately 6 hours to complete the day’s journey. That was a long day but thejourney to reach the peak was worth the challenges. We started the day early withbreakfast and set our foot on the journey to the Brahmatal trek. On the further advancement on the trail, we found a small stream thatwas formed as a result of the melting of the snow. After walking for a while, we finally reached Brahmatal. The mountains that were visible include Chaukhambha, Mandir, Mana, Nilgiri, Neelkant, Trishul, Nanda Ghunti, and Maitoli to name some of the mountains of the Panchachuli range.The 360-degree panoramic view of the snow-clad mountains of Himalayas was a mind-blowing experience. Wespent some time at the summit and descended back to the base camp. We had an overnight stay at tent with a delicious dinner which brought us to the end of the tiring yet fruitful day.

Day 5 — From Brahmatal To Lohajung

On fifth day, after having breakfast, we set out for the next trail which was straight forward to Lohajung village. The total trekking distance was 9 kilometres and took approximately 6hours to complete the journey. We descended around 3,000 feet through oak and rhododendron trek. We then reached Lohajung by evening and went to explore the lovely village of Lohajungi and we also bought some handmade stuff. A lot of mela and fairs were organised there. We enjoyed the dinner at a nearby Dhaba and this was followedby a warm sleep.

Day 6 — Back To Dehradun

On the final day of the trek, we went back to Dehradun from Lohajung village. A drive of 300 kilometres led us to Dehradun where it all began. We once again passed through Rudraprayag, Srinagar and Rishikesh. We reached Dehradun by6:45pm. This marked the end of our wonderful journey.

The Kedarkantha Trek Package and the Brahmatal Trek Package by Trekmunk cost INR 9,500 and 9,600, which included accommodation, meals, and experienced trek guides. It’s a must say that Trekmunk is by far the one of the best trekking companies to start trekking journey with!