List of Essentials

It is very important for this adventure trip that you need to be equipped properly and with a bit of back up. Mountain/adventure travel requires one to be adequately equipped with the right kind of personal gear. Since one is travelling in the wilderness there will be hardly any opportunity to buy anything once you hit the trail so we urge you to carefully pack everything into your bags. Also please keep in mind you can rent out or purchase equipment from our Gear Store, if required.

    Shirts / T-shirts – 2/3
    Warm shirt/light micro fleece pullover/full sleeve T shirt
    Trekking Pants (water resistant/repellent & having inside lining for extra warmth) - 2
    Windproof/water resistant outer shell (jacket) of good quality (no flimsy wind cheaters please!) with a proper hood
    Down jacket with min 600 fill power rating
    Thick Fleece / Full-sleeve Woollen sweater
    Thermal inner wear (upper & lower)
    Woollen cap (Balaclava)
    Inner fleece gloves
    Outer water proof gloves
    Thick woollen socks & regular socks (4 – 5 pairs)
    Scarf/muffler (optional)
    Comfortable waterproof (Goretex) Trekking/Hiking shoes (shoes with a thick sole and high ankles are recommended)
    Camp shoes (these can be easy to slip in sneakers/sport shoes)
    Gaiters
    Raincoat / Poncho
    Small light weight towel
    Insulated water bottle & hydration pack (optional)
    Cap / floppy hat to keep the strong sun away from your face
    Sun glasses with UV protection and ability to cut the glare (imp when traversing through snow)
    Sturdy walking stick / Trekking pole
    Sunscreen Lotion
    Lip Balm
    Torch / Flashlight (with extra batteries)
    Medicines, if requiring any specific medication
    Personal toiletries
    Book, if you like reading
    Day pack/small bag which you will carry on your back every day and keep your essentials in it
    Carry rain cover for your bags
    Keep a few poly bags or waterproof bags in your bag in which if required you can put your belongings in case of heavy rain
    Camera if you like (with fully charged batteries)

…LOADS OF ENTHUSIASM!! AND A PLEDGE TO LEAVE NO TRACE

Carry your stuff in a duffel bag, soft shoulder bag or a rucksack. Avoid suitcases, trolleys or any other hard luggage. As you will be walking long distances carrying a rucksack, avoid bringing unnecessary items on the trek. Please avoid carrying expensive watches, jewellery and electronic items on the trek.

For Departure Dates just call 7350530009 / 7350540009 / 7350550009

Transport Options (Delhi – Dehradun – Delhi)

For travel to Dehradun and back one can choose between air, rail & road. For air travel, the closest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport (at Dehradun) and is well connected to Delhi and other parts of the country by Air India, Jet Airways and SpiceJet.  Train travel is highly recommended with enough options being there. For train details, you could log on to www.indianrail.gov.in  and for online railway ticket bookings you could log on to www.irctc.co.in .

There are frequent Public Transport buses including Volvos available from Delhi to Dehradun that cost about Rs. 200-700 per person. These buses depart from Delhi ISBT every 30 mins. or so and take about 7 hrs to cover the distance. The same is also applicable on the return journey. A private vehicle could also be arranged for if you require the same.

Weather Details

This snow trek is organized between Dec & mid-March when the region has had good snowfall. Contrary to the popular belief winters is a good time to be in the mountains if one is equipped properly. Most locals inhabiting higher reaches of the mountains don’t mind the problems associated with snowfall and seem to have a good time during these months. Also there are lots of local festivals in these months. In these months weather is generally clear most of the days. Day time is normally pleasantly warm with one getting to enjoy sitting out in the sun. Temperature would be around 12-17 °C. Evenings are quite cold and one would need to be inside a tent/room or sitting outside next to fire with proper winter clothes. The evening temperatures will be around – 3 to 5 °C. Nights can be very cold with temperatures in the range of – 8 to 0 °C.

Please keep in mind that the above information is not exact and does not account for sudden changes. Whatever the temperatures and conditions rest assured we will be prepared to handle it with ease as we use equipment of very high specifications.

Duration: 7 Days

Season: Dec-Mar

Grade: Moderate +

Region: Garhwal (Uttarakhand)

Description

This is a great trail for people looking at winter treks in the Himalayas. With the falling of winter snow the landscapes take on a completely different and refreshing look. The trail is mostly through forest sections and meadows making it safe for walking even with lots of snow on the trail. What make this trek special is the views of the Himalayan ranges that one gets along the trail and from the summit. In winters the sky is usually absolutely clear and the air clean ensuring fantastic views. At an altitude of around 3800 m/12500 feet, the summit (Kedar kantha) offers a good challenge to trekkers who are rewarded for the hard work with mesmerising views which are sure to stay with one, lifelong. Days are going to be warm and sunny but be prepared for cold nights with temperature always being sub zero. If lady luck is taking the trip with you then get ready to be enthralled by spotting wildlife of the region. There are leopards, wild cats, birds, bear, boars and the musk deer to be seen. We have a policy of Safety first and in line with this have chosen campsites which have back up Gujjar huts so just in case the weather gets really bad we can use these huts and be totally safe. Also another great attraction is the opportunity to indulge in fun skiing. One can extend the trip and do skiing with us based at the shepherd camp

The trip begins with a beautiful drive from Dehradun to the remote village of Sankri in the Har-ki-Dun valley. This valley plays host to some of the most popular and enchanting treks in the Indian Himalayaslike Har-ki-Dun, Ruinsara Tal, Rupin Pass, Black peak etc, and is home to many a trekker during the popular summer trekking season. The trek starts with an easy climb to a beautiful water pond called Juda-ka-Talab, we continue a short distance beyond the pond to our camping site for the night and get acclimatised to the conditions. By the end of the day we start seeing the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas including some peaks that stretch into the Himachal region. The next day we start climbing and gaining altitude and trek through snow fields (green meadows in summer!!) towards the base of KedarKantha. The ease or difficulty of todays hike will depend on the snow conditions but one thing is guaranteed we will have a great hiking day. We camp at the base. The next day we move as early as possible to try and get maximum time for the climb to the top. From the top we get brilliant views all around, the Himalayan ranges and the underlying valleys make quite a sight. Equally enjoyable as the views is going to be the sense of achievement that one experiences on climbing a snow clad Himalayan mountain. Next day we get down to Sankri early and celebrate the successful summit of the Kedar Kantha peak. From Sankri we drive down to Dehradun next day.