The beautiful and evergreen trek through the valley of Har Ki Dun and the splendid trek to the summit of Kedarkantha Peak needs no introduction to the trekkers. What if you could do both of this beautiful trek together? Well, we just made that possible. We have connected both Har Ki Dun and Kedarkantha in a single trek that goes through untouched meadows and a route that seldom sees any human beings except for a few shepherds. The meadows of Pushtar, Dunda and Taloti are one of the most unventured places in the Himalayas, although being so near to 2 of the most popular treks exploited by the corporates of the trekking industry in India - Har Ki Dun and Kedarkantha. Not just that, the trek route touches one of the most pious and serene High Altitude lake in the region - Saru Tal which is at an altitude of 4200 meters.
frozen Saru Tal - a pristine lake near Taloti
untouched terrain of Taloti under snow cover
The Kedarkantha - Har Ki Dun Circuit Trek takes you through the vast meadows and rhododendron forest and some of the unique looking and holy lakes of Uttarakhand. the trek initially starts with climbing the summit of Kedarkantha Peak and unlike the leisure version of the Kedarkantha trek which is done over 4 days, this trek itinerary means business and crosses the Kedarkantha Peak right on the second day, thus doing justice with the overhyped Kedarkantha trek. We cross the Kedarkantha Peak and trek further to the meadows of Dunda and Pustara. The views from the summit of Kedarkantha Peak is definitely breathtaking. The Swargaroni group of mountains constantly seeks attention. The surrounding panorama of other lesser-known peaks and valleys does enough contributions to the marvellous views that this trek is known for. By the end of this trek, we would reach to the base of these peaks which we now see from the top of Kedarkantha Peak.
venturing into an untouched land
a small lake enroute
nearing Dhatmir, from Taloti
We have also joined the holy lake of Saru Tal with this trek route. Saru Tal is one unique looking high altitude lake above 4150 meters. Though small, the charm and feel around this wonderland is just indescribable. A grand panorama of the Yamunotri range and Borasu Valley is worth mentioning. The ruggedness of the Swargaroni peaks can be witnessed much closely which gives us the answer as to why this peak is considered one of the difficult ones to climb. Black Peak and Bandarpoonch on the other hand rises high through the clouds at a distance. Other lesser-known peaks nearby are very picturesque. We descend down to the beautiful village of Dhatmir as the first sign of civilization after venturing in the no man's land for a few days.
the village of Dhatmir
As we start the trek from Dhatmir, we then descend down towards the Supin River and hence meeting the popular Har Ki Dun trek route. After crossing the Har Ki Dun gad, we then meet the proper trek route going towards the village of Gangaad and Osla and then further to the plateau of Har Ki Dun. The cultural density and uniqueness of this Valley are perhaps one of the most valued takeaways from this trek. A good energetic team can make a good time to further explore the Jaundhar Glacier and Maninda Tal as well. We then return to Taluka and to save time, we board our cab to Dehradoon straightaway, thus bringing an end to a beautiful trek. Next time you venture in this region, try other more challenging Treks like Borasu Pass, Dhumdar Kandi Pass, Bali Pass, etc.
the famous Duryodhan Temple of Osla
beautiful Har Ki Dun