Kedartal (also known as Shiva's lake) is a glacier lake situated at an altitude of 15,500 feet, which is located in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas in India. Kedartal Lake is formed by melting the Kedar glacier, giving birth to the Kedar Ganga River, an important tributary of the Bhagirathi River. The 18 kilometres Kedartal Trek in Gangotri is strenuous. Still, the breathtaking views of snow-clad peaks, lush green valleys and alongside the flowing river and beautiful waterfalls are worth giving a try. Kedartal trek requires previous trekking experience due to its moderate to difficult terrain. Trekkers get an amazing experience as they have to cross the Kedartal spider wall twice on the trek's first day. No wonder the Kedartal trek is one of the most rewarding treks in Uttarakhand. Kedartal is just below the Thalay Sagar and surrounded by Bhrigupanth, Jogin 1, Jogin 2 and many more peaks; since the region is naturally diverse, the lucky ones can spot varied species of flora and fauna during the trek. Kedartal Lake holds crystal clear water, which is situated at the base of the Thalay Sagar Peak (6904 meters) and Bhrigupanth Peak (6772 meters). The view of the reflections of the Thalay Sagar Peak on Kedartal is truly alluring. Kedartal temperatures drop up to -3 degrees Celsius during snowy nights. Stay on this page for more information like Kedartal weather, trek itinerary, photos and more about the Kedartal spider wall. Scroll the page till the end to read Kedartal trek blog posts.
Drive Distance: 250 KM | Drive Duration: 8-9 Hours | Altitude: 10200 feet
The Kedartal trek commences from Gangotri. The road to Gangotri will go through Uttarkashi and Harsil. On the side of the road, keep your eyes to spot several popular tourist places. The ride to the Kedartal trek base camp becomes more enjoyable after you cross Uttarkashi. Halt for some time to watch out for the pretty town of Harsil.
As you know, Gangotri is the place of origin of the Ganga River. It is one of the Dham of the Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra. Gangotri is situated on the banks of the Bhagirathi River at 10200 feet in height.
You can book transport from us, which will pick you up from Dehradun Railway Station in the morning at 6:00 AM. Bolero cab costs 8,500 and will be shared by 6-7 trekkers, and Tempo Traveller costs 14,000 and will be shared by 11-12 trekkers. The transport charge is not included in the trek cost. It is to be split amongst trekkers and pay the driver directly. Otherwise, you can easily reach Gangotri by road transport from Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh.
Altitude: 10200 feet
This day is reserved for acclimatization in Gangotri, as it is essential for Kedartal. See, this trek is physically demanding and rapidly gaining altitude within three days of the trek. So it is very important to get properly acclimatized before starting the trek. On this day, we will ascend the trails into the forest and gain some altitude and return to the place also have briefings and introduction sessions with all participants and team leaders. After this, you can visit the holy temple and explore the secret caves there.
Altitude: 12900 feet | Trek Distance: 8 KM | Trek Duration: 5-6 hours | Trail Grade: Moderate
Finally, the Kedartal trek starts after having breakfast at Gangotri. The trail is through the forest, which has fresh pines and is replaced with a thick grove of birch trees. You will be walking under the shades of trees, and the heartwarming sight of Kedar Ganga flowing on your left will come in your view with waterfalls too. This day's trek is strenuous due to the steep ascend all through the day, but it is worth's because you will be blessed with the first sight of Thalay Sagar. Before reaching Bhoj Kharak, you have to cross the two spider walls (steep slant rocks) just enough footing for you to reach the other ends. Overnight stay in tents at Bhoj Kharak campsite.
Altitude: 14250 feet | Trek Distance: 5 KM | Trek Duration: 4-5 hours | Trail Grade: Moderate - Difficult
The trek from Bhoj Kharak to Kedar Kharak is relatively easy compared to the previous day's climb. The only challenging part that comes after covering 2 kilometres distance is the landslide zone, where you have to be a little careful while crossing that part of the trail. Sometimes you have to cross the Kedar Ganga and follow the route from opposite due to the landslide part and then again cross the river after the landslide part ends. After traversing for a couple of kilometres, you will witness a sudden change in the scenery, soon you'll catch a glimpse of the Manda peaks, and as you come closer to Kedar Kharak, the stunning views of Bhrigupanth, Thalay Sagar peaks will leave you mesmerized. Kedar Kharak is one of the fascinating camps in the Gangotri National Park region.
Altitude: 15500 feet | Trek Distance: 5+5 KM | Trek Duration: 6-7 hours | Trail Grade: Difficult
After breakfast, you head towards Kedartal. Trek to Kedartal is through moraines and rocks. You have to cross the three ridges covered with snow by following cairns markings to reach your final destination. The beautiful and majestic Kedartal is laying below the Thalay Sagar. One can see the mirror reflection of the towering Thalay Sagar peak on the still water of this lake. Here you will get a full view of other mountains, like Mt. Bhrigupanth, Mt. Jogin and Mt. Meru etc. After exploring, you will return to the Kedar Kharak campsite and stay overnight there.
Altitude: 10200 feet | Trek Distance: 13 KM | Trek Duration: 7-8 hours | Trail Grade: Moderate
Start the descent to Gangotri right after breakfast. The Kedartal to Gangotri trail is entirely downhill. Trace the same route back and cherish the surroundings one last time. It will take 4-5 hours maximum to reach Gangotri. After getting Gangotri, take a hot water bath after a long time and visit the temple one more time. Overnight stay at the hotel/Guesthouse in Gangotri.
Drive Distance: 250 KM | Drive Duration: 8-9 Hours
Today is the last day of the Kedartal trek, which is the departure day when the trekkers need to return to Dehradun. Check out the hotel after breakfast. If you have booked the transport with us, Bolero/ Tempo Traveler or a similar vehicle will pick you up from Gangotri and drop you in Dehradun by evening. The journey will take 8-9 hours to reach the drop point at Dehradun railway station. So, it's advisable to make further bookings late in the evening or keep a margin of at least 3-4 hours.
The following is a list of things we suggest that you carry with you. It is not expected to be a comprehensive list; rather, it is intended to remind those items essential for your comfort during the trek. However, we recognize that you may have your personal preferences for clothing, which may be equally appropriate.
Gangotri can be reached by road from Dehradun, which is well connected by road with the major cities of Uttarakhand. Buses, shared taxis and cabs are available from Dehradun to Gangotri. The road to Gangotri will go through Mussoorie and Uttarkashi. Gangotri is a remote location and the roads can be challenging, especially during the monsoon season. Bus and sharing cab leave early morning, so it is advisable to plan the journey accordingly.
Note: - The bus journey from Delhi to Dehradun takes 6 to 7 hours for 250 KM. It is advisable to book your tickets around 09-10 pm in the night to reach the early morning for your trek to avoid delays.
The nearest railway station to Gangotri is the Dehradun railway station. It is well-connected to all major cities of the country like New Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Patna, Kolkata, Bangalore and Ahmedabad circuitously. The railway station is located at the heart of the city, which is 3 km away from ISBT. Cabs, autos and sharing rickshaws are easily accessible for exploring all parts of the city. You can take a taxi or a bus from the Bus stand and Railway station to Gangotri.
The nearest airport to Gangotri is Jolly Grant Airport, approximately 22 km from Dehradun City Centre. Domestic flights connect Dehradun with Delhi, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Once you reach the airport, you can take prepaid taxis outside the airport, which can be transferred to the central city of Dehradun and then continue the journey to Gangotri by road.
The major airlines operating in this airport are IndiGo, Jet Airways, Spice Jet, and Air India.
Nearest Airport: - Jolly Grant (DED), Dehradun
Nearest International Airport: - Delhi International Airport (DEL)
Kedartal is a moderate + trek at an altitude of 15,500 feet. The steep ascend narrow trails, spider walls and crossing rockfall area make this trek challenging. Before coming to this trek, you should have prior trekking experience of high altitude treks. You will enjoy the trail more; even beginners can come to this with some physical preparedness beforehand.
On the Kedartal trek, temperature in the May-June will range from 15° C to 20° C during the day and 6° C to 0° C at night. Post-Monsoon September-October temperature will range from 10° C to 16° C during the day and 6° C to -2° C at night.
The best time for the Kedartal trek is from May to June and September to October. September and October are especially considered the best months as you can see the greenery all around with clear weather. If you want to witness more snow, plan this trek in October to get the best view visit in the summer.
You will be accommodated in 3 Men Tents on twin sharing basis. The tents Hikers 360 uses on the trek are 3 plus in which you get enough space for your rucksack and even you get inner & outer gate space for your trekking shoes, trek poles and wet clothes.
Hikers 360 uses well planned nutritious meal menu suitable for high-altitude treks. We provide a full nutritious diet that changes every day. As you wake up in the morning, we serve Milk/Lemon Tea. After that, our Breakfast varies from Bread and Butter/Jam, Poha, Daliya, Sandwiches, Upma, Paranthas and Cornflakes and milk etc. Lunch mainly comprises of Roti, Veggies, Puri with Chole and Rice. After lunch, we serve evening snacks with Tea / Coffee / Soup. In Dinner, we serve Roti, Sabji, Rice, Dal, Salade, Pickle and Desserts. We also serve refreshments (Fruits, Juice, Chocolates, Dry Fruits and Biscuits).
Trekking with Hikers 360 Adventures means you’re trekking with an expert trek leader and experienced local guide. Our leaders are certified mountaineers, first aid responders and search & rescue train. Also, we carry safety Equipment (Ropes, Harness, Carabiners, Jumar, Descender and Ice axe etc.), Medical kit and Oxygen cylinders as required per trek to face any kind of unforeseen situations. So it is safe to trek with us.
A Hikers 360 Adventures team consisting of a qualified Trek leader, Trek Guide, Porters, Cook and support staff.
Our transportation cost is mentioned on each trek, or you can check the inclusion and exclusion tab to see if transportation is included or not. We arrange transport for you and it may be shared by you or the group and the cost is on an actual basis.
Yes, you need adventure sports insurance. As you know, adventure travel has inherent risks and dangers that travel insurance covers, including medical emergencies and evacuations. Therefore, assess how likely it is that you’ll run into any of these issues.
We expect you to carry your personal backpacks on your own, but for any reason you are not able to carry your bag, then you can opt for offloading option by informing us 7 days before the trek so that we can make suitable arrangements for you and offloading in between the trip is not an option.
The trek details page gives a list of things that are essential for this trek. Check the "Things to Carry" on the Trek Itinerary page.
Yes, you can rent trekking gear and other equipment from Hikers 360. Go to our website Rent Gear page and select the date according to your trek date. Here you can find amazing deals on trekking gear rental.
A trekking pole is helpful on the trek. It gives you stability and balance and reduces fatigue. If you want a trekking pole on rent, go to our website and select the rent gear, and get the best deals on rent gear.
You can carry medicines prescribed by your doctor, if any. Although we have our First Aid kit with us on each trek, we suggest you carry some painkillers, Volini spray, kneecap, Electrals/ORS, etc.
Generally, people prefer Diamox for easy acclimatization, but we strictly avoid this kind of acclimatization. We encourage our trekkers to a natural acclimatization process. Hence you shouldn't be on the Diamox course before the start of the trek.
Drinking Alcohol or any other intoxication during the trek is strictly prohibited. Alcohol or this type of stuff dehydrates our body and at high altitudes, dehydration becomes a big cause of Altitude Sickness.
We have expert leaders who are experienced in First Aid on all our events but still, there might be situations under which an emergency evacuation might be needed. If this kind of situation arises, we are committed to making a safe evacuation for you in an emergency. Also, we will make all necessary & adequate arrangements for your evacuation to the nearest road head or hospital. The participant himself would pay any additional expenses incurred during the process. Our company will not be liable to pay for these expenses.
The maximum group size of our treks by any region is 15 participants. We focus on individual attention and the safety of our trekkers.
Yes, we do have our minimum group size as we require just 5 persons to depart. We had never cancelled or combined with other trekking companies any of our group of 5 persons from departure dates.
The toilet tents will be set up on each campsite. Inside the toilet tent, one pit hole would be digged with the help of a shovel, a heap of mud and one shovel kept beside the pit (it is used to spread the mud after you have done your business). Use it in Indian style.
It is not mandatory, but they expect a little token of goodwill gesture and appreciation from you. As a group, you can collect money and distribute it to the local staff by yourself.
Cancellations up to 30 days prior to departure date
5% Deduction
Cancellations up to 20 days prior to departure date
25% Deduction
Cancellations up to 10 days prior to departure date
50% Deduction
Cancellations less than 10 days prior to departure date
No Refund