Kedarkantha

Adorned with ravishing beauty of falling snow and fringed with pine trees, The Kedarkantha Peak is one of the most sought after snow trekking destinations in India. With falling winter snow its a mesmerizing pictorial view and whats more attractive, is the view of the Mighty Himalayas from the trails right to the top. For this group, which comprised mostly of first timers, the trek was something everyone was looking forward to with admiration, excitement and nervousness. The contingent, after packing their rucksacks and a few hours of excitement hindered sleep gathered at 4:00 AM to board a private bus to Sankri. Whilst the excitement didnt let most of the newbies sleep, others slept, refuelling their energy for the next day. At the daybreak the bus was traversing curvy paths of Mussoorie, where they were welcomed by light snowfall. After having a light breakfast at a local eatery. The concrete forests were now fast disappearing, being taken over by pine trees that bordered the gradually narrowing trail. Naturally, everyone was now wide awake. After an exhausting 12 hour journey, the contingent finally reached Sankri, where a hotel was booked and after some fun, dinner and dance, everyone sneaked into their blankets and dozed off. At 6:00 AM next day, everyone was on foot, covering themselves in multiple layers of clothes, sunscreen and packing their rucksacks. After having heavy breakfast and a small walk from the hotel, the group had the starting point. Now the trek had begun. The path to the base camp was covered with virgin snow from the last fall. All of them guide, mules, trekkers and even guardian dogs were slowly ascending, cherishing the growing snow cover, until it began sucking energy out of everyone legs. Nevertheless the trek leaders and seniors kept on boosting everyones confidence. After a continuous walking, the group had reached their first milestone, Jud ka Talab, a picturesque frigid lake nested between snow covered pine trees. After resting for a while, the group continued trekking until they finally reached their base camp at 4:00 PM. After setting tents and taking a numerous snaps with the visible sky kissing summits, everyone had dinner and sneaked into their sleeping bags and finally dozed off. The dogs howls outside the tents made everyone freak out, still the exhaustion took toll, and everyone was asleep. Next day, a group of trekkers went up the slope to investigate if the trail to Kedarkantha peak was visible. On discovering that the path further was too dangerous, the contingent decided to return from the base camp itself. The descent was supposed to be easy, until everyone realized that solid ice and smooth soles werent an excellent combination while descending. Everyone fell, over and over and eventually decided to pull on their mattresses and skid over the solid ice. As the group neared the base, everyone noticed that the snow had melted away, creating muddy and confusing paths. The entire group reached Sankri by about 4:30 PM, after which everyone loaded their luggage onto the bus, ready for returning back. Most of the path was covered playing games and people discussing their first experience on mountains. After their first trek, many discovered their love for trekking, whilst some accepted themselves to be city lovers. Still, no one wanted to return. Thanks to the memories made and relations developed during the journey.