Kedar Tal

Kedar Tal

Kedartal is a high alitude lake nestled in the Himalayas close to the Gangotri glacier. The approach to the lake is via massive boulders and one can see snow near the lake throughout the year. The trek starts from Gangotri and goes through some beautiful birch forests. One highlight of the trek is that the views are breathtaking but the trail is pristine and still unknown to many trekkers.

Kedar Tal Itinerary 

Day 1 - Dehradun to Gangnani/Gangotri drive

From Dehradun we drive to Gangnani via Uttarkashi. Gangnani is known for the natural hot water spring baths it has. We can also drive till Gangotri on this day itself. We stay at a guesthouse overnight.

Day 2 - Gangnani to Gangotri to Bhoj Kharak (3,780 m)

After early morning breakfast we drive to Gangotri(30 km) via beautiful villages. We reach Gangotri and visit the temple. The trek to Bhoj Kharak begins with a steep trail through fir forests before traversing the Kedar Gorge to reach camp. We will trek 8 km (5-6 hrs) as we follow the Kedar Ganga (Lord Shiva's contribution to Bhagirathi), all the while enjoying the thundering sound of the river emerging from Kedartal.

Day 3 - Bhoj Kharak to Kedar Kharak (4,270 m)

We will trek 4 km (4-5 hours) passing through a beautiful birch (bhoj) forest, before departing from the tree line and arriving at camp. The Bhrigupanth peak provides a nice backdrop as we make our way across the long meadow, where the shepherds come to graze their sheep and goats. The day is short in distance, but it has its steep sections, so caution is necessary.

Day 4 - Kedar Kharak to Kedartal (4,425 m)

The 5km (4-5 hrs) trek up to Kedartal is considered to be laborious, and crosses very difficult terrain of boulders and stones. It is a maze of rocks and relatively easy to get turned around, but if you look closely you will see little cairns that have been placed on the route to the lake. Kedartal is one of the most enchanting glacial lakes with the majestic Thalaysagar (6,904 m) looming up behind it. Some of the climbs to this peak have been testpieces of modern mountaineering. Thalaysagar is truly a delight to watch at sunset! Another peak on the left side of Thalaysagar is Bhrigupanth (6,772 m)

Day 5 - Rest day at Kedartal

We rest this day to enjoy the pristine surroundings.Be sure to get up extra early to catch the magnificent sunrise and reflections off the lake and surrounding peaks!

Day 6 - Kedartal to Gangotri

We wake up early and trek all the way back to Gangotri. Being downhill we can cover this in 1 day. The stay is at a guest house in Gangotri.

Day 7 - Gangotri to Dehradun drive

On this day we drive back to Dehradun.