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If watching the mountains directly wasn’t a thrill, capturing them in the reflections of a lake is a thrill. Kedartal is an emerald lake that manifests the flawless reflection of the Thalaysagar peak. After Shivling Peak, Thalaysagar is considered the most beautiful peak. The surprising fact is both of them lie in the Gangotri Range. After Gaumukh Tapovan this is another trek heading from Gangotri, therefore it does not lag in enticing views.
Lying at 15,500 feet, Kedartal is one of the most astounding glacial lakes. It is fed by the melting snow of Thalaysagar and Brighupanth Peak. This lake is the best place to witness the magnificence of huge peaks from the closest. The mountain peaks like Manda, Bhagirathi, Gangotri, Bhrigupanth, Mt. Meru, and Thalaysagar encompass the skyline. In the barren lands of the higher Himalayas, the lake fits perfectly in the landscape. It is like a blooming lotus in the mud! Except the mud here is rising black-white mountains.
This trek is considered difficult due to the presence of a rocky path right from day 1.
The path is steep, and filled with scree, dust, and boulders. The first day of trekking goes through a thin ledge on 60 60-degree rock face. And the complexity keeps increasing until the final steep summit ridge.
The trail also goes through vibrant blossoms and lush meadows with a few streams crossing over Kedar Ganga, the trail has it all.
If you are an experienced trekker and willing to go on an exceptional adventure then the Kedartal Trek is waiting for you!
Kedartal Trek is a difficult grade trek and is ideal for those who have done a couple of Himalayan treks before. The lake sits amid high-rising mountains like Mt. Thalaysagar, Manda Parvat, Mt. Bhrigupanth, Mt. Jogin, and Mt. Gangotri. There are very few Himalayan treks that will bring you to such proximity to the mountains and this trek is also much less crowded as compared to other Himalayan treks and the solitude comes as a great blessing.
The transportation from Dehradun to Gangotri is arranged by TTH and you will be driven to Gangotri on the first day of the journey, followed by an acclimatization day at Gangotri. The following day the trek will lead to Bhoj Kharak and then next to Kedar Kharak and on to Kedar Tal the next day. This is an extremely hard trekking route to Kedar Tal and you get surreal views of the Gangotri Ranges. Descending from Kedar Kharak to Gangotri, you will be driven back to Gangotri in a Tata Sumo or similar vehicle.
The trek starts at an altitude of 10,200 ft and takes you to an altitude of 15,500 ft and the altitude gain happens within a period of 3 to 4 days. The terrain can be quite tricky most of the time with steep ascents and descents and you need adequate mental and physical preparation before doing the trek. You need to prepare well for the trek if you want an enjoyable experience. There are a couple of spider walls on the trek that is near-vertical boulders and you have to climb them to progress ahead. Good physical fitness is a must for the trek.
There are diverse sceneries along the trek and it includes charming forest covers in Bhoj Kharak, followed by some beautiful high-altitude meadows the tranquility at the lake is simply indescribable.
It is a 50 km trek and the entire journey from Dehradun and back takes 7 days including driving days and acclimatization days. The trek lies in the greater Himalayas and is thus big on mountain views. The trek can be done in two seasons, one is in summer between the months of mid-May to June and in autumn during the months of mid-September to the end of October. In summer you will find leftover snow from winter in some sections of the trail and in autumn there are no traces of snow. In summer the temperature is pleasant and lingers between 15 to 20 °C in the daytime, however, the nights can be pretty cold with the temperatures dropping close to 0°C. In autumn the temperatures go as high as 20°C in the daytime and at night range between 3-5°C
Kedratal region is also the natural habitat of the mountain goats – Bharal but you will rarely spot them on the trail. Keep an eye out and your fingers crossed, you may spot one feeding on the sides of the mountain.
This is not a trek that you can do by yourself and you will need a guide with technical skills to complete the trek. All our trek leaders are mountaineering certified as well as Wilderness First Aid Responders and as such, they will assist you every step of the way, especially on technical sections like the spider wall and there is also a rockfall section from Bhoj Kharak to Kedar Kharak, where technical skills help. These sections require technical safety equipment as well as a skilled technical safety team. Trying to do this trek without technical assistance can be quite risky.
On the lower part of the trek, the weather is more or less stable and as you gain altitude, the weather becomes unpredictable, and at an altitude above 15,000 ft, snowfall can occur at any time of the trek. So carry the appropriate gear and clothing layers to be prepared at all times of the trek. In summer, snow on the Kedartal Trek is a big probability and sometimes the snowfall can obstruct the previously cut path and this means fresh paths have to be cut by us. The technical team with the trek leader will decide if we are to proceed on the trek or turn back.
The base camp for Kedartal is at Gangotri which is already at a high altitude of 10,000 ft and goes all the way to Kedartal at 15,484 ft. so the oxygen level is already low from the beginning of the trek and it only gets rarer as you trek to higher altitudes. Relatively colder temperatures and high oxygen levels can make you susceptible to AMS and you might develop your symptoms as early as Bhoj Kharak or even before that. Our trek leaders are all trained to detect the signs of AMS early on and will provide the necessary precautions. We also add additional acclimatization days to the itinerary to maintain the safety of our trekkers. If you feel any symptoms of AMS, report to the Trek Leader immediately.
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