Himalayan Trekking: Kedarkantha Snow Trek

She said: “Arey I saw Death”

I blocked my leaves 2 months earlier for the same dates with some other plan in mind; however it was a flop show as my parents said a strict no, so I was thinking what to do with the blocked leaves? Hoping not to waste a week sitting idle at home, here comes an email from BTC that registration open for Kedarkantha trek, As I was a new trekker, with lot of doubts dropped an email to the organizer, and to my joy she was ok to take me, as it was an easy trek.I was flying in air as soon as my name was shortlisted as it was my first ever trek with bunch of trekkers to the snow hill and convienced my parents saying that I am going to meet "Shiv Ji" on hills.

With full excitement everything was set with pre workouts,long listed medical kit, medical certificate uffff taught came to mind is that soo tough...., anyways safety is first, bag packed and ready for the Himalayaaaaa Trek, Vowwwwww………………..

Now the long wait was over, 9th April my bro dropped me to the airport at 5am, after checkin excited to board my first ever flight at 7.20am to our capital city, I was accompanied by my fellow trekker Ramya In the same flight, we reached Delhi by 10am, we met two more trekkers Geetha and Mahesh, who were ready to join us and explore delhi as the bus to Deharadun was at 10pm. We four of us boarded a cab and covered some of the famous places in delhi, start of the day was awesome, but at one point of time I was busy posing for camera and forgot to pick up my wallet and umbrella which were kept aside. We were just roaming around and it was too sunny, oops that's when I realized that my umbrella was not in my hand and wallet tooo… we all ran to the spot, Ramya ran in opposite direction to find out anyone walking away with my wallet, the wallet was with some boys who were searching for my phone number, this is what the guys told me………… thank god my good luck got my wallet back and till 8pm we managed to roam.

We all reached Kashmiri gate by 9.30pm,went to McD to order our meal and our meal was in hand by 9.45pm, we were about to hog got call from Deepthy that the bus is at 10pm, within no time we ran to the bus stop with meal pack in hand because we should not miss our bus, hahahahaha but the 10pm bus was only for 5 people and remaining 6 of ours departure was at 11pm, relaxed and had our meal and was waiting for the bus to board. We boarded the bus at 11pm me and Deepthy had a bit chit chat and fell asleep, bus arrived to Dehradun at 5.30am on 10th morning and we met our fellow trekkers who already reached the bus stop before us. Deepthy called the TT driver and we boarded the TT, got freshened up in nearby hotel,had chai and started our journey to Uttrakand Sankri village.

Five hills to be crossed to reach the village, Mussoorie, Barkot, Purola, Mori, Netwar, Motwat along the Tons river, the view was amazing but with scary curves tooo, 1st to 4 hills were full of normal trees with bit slided hills and the 5th hill was filled with thick pine and apple trees, no words to describe the beauty of our nature. Famous Saying”A hundred Divine epochs would not suffice to describe all the marvels of the Himalaya”. Our first break point was near the hotel for breakfast and we filled our stomach with parathas and tea. Again started with our long journey, driver stopped near Yamuna river for a break, chilled water yeah of course with bit poses for cam. Reached Govind Wild life Sanctuary and we all signed a consent, reached Sankri village by evening, Trek guide (Neil) welcomed us, we all got nice rooms to relax and hot soupy noodles and bun omelet was ready to savor for that perfect chill weather, after hogging we went for a short walk to the nearest village and met a cute family, took snaps with them, gave chocolates to the kids.

Reached the hotel and had meeting with Neil at 7.30pm, The meeting room was like a underworld Don's meeting point with small dim lights, he had interaction with us, explained us about the rules and regulations of the trek, medications and ended our the meeting with bit scared smile as he said trek might be a difficult or easy cannot predict. Now hot dinner was ready roti, sabji, rice and dhal, ate nicely and time to snuggle under the thick bed sheet. 

11th Morning by 8.00am all trekkers were ready to start the ever wondered trek, and had a self introduction session, our eyes turned towards the small girls who were playing cricket, after that as usual had breakfast, noodles and bun omelet and tea, at 9am we started to ascend to the hill, awesome view, cool breeze with fresh air, nature was ours nothing else was required, chit chatting, giggling, joking, it was fun and also very tiring and sweating. It was not that much tiring becos we sent our bags through mules to the camp site. We reached a resting place after 2 and half kilometer, we were served with a hot hot masala tea, you just imagine having masala tea with a view of four side filled thick huge trees, sitting on the green grass bed that too in the middle of the hill, my mind will not come out of it, It was like "Archana in the Wonderland" and we posed for selfie tooo. Deepthy asked who wanna role from the top so that she will make a video, Ramya did it, from that moment she became the roller Ramya. 

We reached the camp site by12.30pm Juda ki Talab excellent camp site with small pond, hill view and of course greenery. We started our photo shoot again.

I didn’t know how to pose for a jumping pic, all were teaching me how to jump and pose at last I got one jumping pic with some funny pose, by that time lunch was ready, roti sabji rice and dhal, again to the capturing mode with different poses,

Deepthy Rohith and Jackson went to the island which was in the middle of the pond, photo clicks with their reflection in pond, sooner we started to freeze and went inside the sleeping bags and had a small nap, Now tea time with popcorn but here comes the twist, now the real game starts by Neil he kept the entire popcorn aside and said first play the game, winners will get the popcorn. The game was “choas governor”, we should count from number 1 to 14, 14th number can make a rule or change the rule, hahaha first rule was to distribute the popcorn, we were genius than the Neil, and many more rules was in queue, dance, sing, lift chair, go out and sit or stand and come inside etc etc, it was totally fun filled…. dinner time, all met in the dinner tent and had tasty candle light dinner with sweets. Neil said us that we can see milky way in sky at 3am, I was like milkyway no way, but Ramya and Mona woke up at 3am to see milky way, this is called real dedication keep it up girls.

12th Morning we were alarmed by tent tea (bed coffee) hot water to freshen up, I had a homely and comfortable feel and for breakfast (aloo paratha in the hill) thanks to our cook who made everything possible. Now ready to ascend to the base camp, we started by 9.30am and reached the base camp Har Goan by noon, we didn’t had much to do on this day, just photography and resting in our tents as it was too sunny and we also started playing dumb charades, the movie name which no one guessed till the end was “Rapenzula” we were laughing with all their guesses LOL….. fun overloaded, me Deepthy and Mona, went to the nearest small stream to explore with, saw bed of small purple flowers, came back and created a hype saying that the view is awesome with artificial wood stream and saw valley of flowers, everyone were eager to see the place but after the tea and tasty mixed vegetable pakoda. They were all searching for the stream and valley of flowers, all started teasing us after seeing the stream and flowers LOL,We reached the nearby snow covered area and started playing in snow. Snow man was made by Jackson. Neil came in search of us thinking that we all lost. We came back to the camp site Neil gave us the pair of gaters and micro spikes and showed us the demo how to wear it, micro spikes to gives us the grip to walk on snow and gaters to protect from snow.  Now ready for the candle light dinner in the tent, outside its freezing, inside garam garam khana, fun apart, now serious discussion for the summit day, Neil’s instruction was that everyone should be ready by 4am and breakfast will be served, at any cost we should start our trek by 4.30am, as we cannot predict the climatic change and the wind, so that we might face difficult to climb, and whoever is not ready by 4.30am cannot join the trek. Immediately after dinner, we were ready with the dressing and bagpack for the next day and no sooner we all fell asleep. 

13th Morning everyone were ready by 4.00am with gaters for knees and microspikes for the shoes for the snow grip, even breakfast was ready by 4am, it was oat and cornflakes, we all ate breakfast and was ready by 4.30am and now the dreamt trek gonna start to the snow hill. I was in thermals, two tshirts and heavy jacket and two caps gloves, soon after reaching 100 meters i was drenched with sweat, jacket, tshirt, caps gloves went inside my bag, uffff extra baggage. It was not at all a easy trek, almost we reached more than 6 mountain base, still more to go but sun was at its peak. Rohith, Deepthy Mahesh and Jackson was in leading, one more hill to go, i stopped and saw the peak, just four steps ahead to deepthy, as the snow was becoming soft, they slightly losing the grip, they four reached the peak by 8.40am Myself, Mona, Ramya started climbing faster and at the final steep i was standing and thinking where are the footsteps made by the previous climbers, a smart guy came forward from different group made a very far foot steps,I told him your foot steps are too far for me, while making footsteps suddenly he started to slide down without any grip and snow was already very soft without any grip, even our microspikes are not helping us to hold on to the grip. I held his bag and stopped him from sliding down, thank god he was safe without falling down. And further I made my own steps with my pole stick and at last reached the peak at 9.10am ya hooooooooooo, that awesome moment, went near Shiv Ji, kneel downed said thanks for keeping us safe till now.

Deepthy had decided the spots to capture pics and we were all posing for the pics. Mona reached and we asked how was it? she said "Arey I saw Death" Yeah it was not that easy. Geetha reached last. Maya, Mani and Viren could not join us till the peak felt sad. Neil gave us biscuits and haldirams snacks to hog,till 10am we stayed in the peak, Ramya gave her sun screen lotion to the guys, soon after they started shining and was looking awesome in pics,lol. Now time to descend, Neil told us to slide the hill, everyone slided down two hills. Me, Deepthy, rohith and Mahesh with full josh slided down till 4th hill and waiting for others to slide, remaining hills we cannot slide due to huge stones, now time to walk. my legs were totally going inside as the snow was already melting. We all reached base camp by 1pm with capturing all the memories. It was really an awesome experience. We all freshened up and lunch was ready, ate and went to rest,evening with tea and pop corn and fries and night dinner with jamoon, played dumb charades and memories of different poses of Ramya and her vibrations while touching the Trishul, and sunscreen lotion effect it was totally a fun pack,my cheeks started to pain, and now time to sleep, I had a pleasant sleep. Nature at its best. 

14th Morning after tea and breakfast, everyone were busy in removing the pitched tents and packing it, time to descend down through thick forest. By 9.30am we started and reached by noon to the Sankri Village, I even taught the victory sign to even local kids and captured it.lol, we had a hot shower, gave us full relaxation and went to have lunch and chit chatting, time flies too fast, and dinner with chicken curry, next is rest and rest.

15th Morning all were ready by 7.30am and had the soupy noodles and started to Deharadun and reached dehardun by evening and dumped our luggage in the nearby hotel and started our shopping and 12am was our bus to Delhi. We reached delhi by morning 6am, all dispersed and Me Deepthy Rohith Mahesh and Jackson were roaming in delhi shopping streets and picked up something better.

Thanks a lot guys for the lifetime memorable trip.

Memories are Memories without the intention to hurt anyone….

Trek Members: Deepthy, Rohith, Mahesh, Archana, Monisha, Geetha Ramya, Jackson, Maya, Manikandan, Viren(10years)

Written by :    Archana

Organised by: Deepthy Jagadish

Date of event: 9th April to 16th April

Place :             Kedarkanth trek

Members:        5(M) 6(F)