Bliss in Kedartal
The idea- The idea of doing Kedartal trek germinated two years ago, the first time we visited Gangotri (birthplace of river Ganga and base of Kedartal trek) in 2018. Gangotri holds a very special place in my heart, mainly due to the countless stories told by my grandfather about its mythical origin. That time, I had heard about this splendid lake in front of the vicinity of Mount Thalay Sagar (one of the most beautiful peaks in India) and I had fallen in love with this place ever since. Also, there is something about these alpines water bodies which attracts me a lot, the sound to the boundless fluid wrenching in the lap of the gigantic mountains always makes me more placid and tranquil.
The beginning- After spending almost 8 months locked at home due to COVID-19, I finally had the opportunity to go for the Kedartal trek in Uttarakhand, India on November which I had previously planned in September. Kedartal or Shiva’s lake situated at 4,750 mts. is an alpine lake which is fed by the snowfall on mighty Himalayan peaks like Thalay Sagar, Meru, etc. It is also the birthplace of river Kedar Ganga, a tributary of Bhagirathi river which later on becomes Ganga.
The Team- Our team consisted of only three people which makes me really doubt whether I should be calling it a team or not. Anyways, the most important member without whom this trek won’t be possible was Sandeep, trek leader, mountaineer and my dearest friend. We met at Gangotri in 2018 and did the Gomukh trek together since then we were planning to do another trek with him. The second member of our team was Surabhi, companion and my travel partner and the last member were me.
Preparation- Shifting our trek from September to November, changes a lot of things for us. The trek has now become even more difficult for us not only because of the cold (temperature would reach a minimum of -10°C- -12°C) but also because of the state of my body as I have not had any training during the long period of lockdown. I had to carry more than 20kgs of weight on a trail which is mostly uphill and I had not carried such heavy loads before. So, we arrived early so that we could do some training. But mountains are known for unpredictable weather, we had previously thought to start our trek on the 1st of November but the weather predictions showed us that there would be heavy snowfall in that area on and after 1st. We had to prepone our trek to 30th of October and now we have to finish the trek in 3 days which was originally a 5 days trek. This did waver my thoughts on completing the trek.
30th October- Day 1- Gangotri to Bhoj Khadak (8 km)- We arrived Gangotri a day before to acclimatize. It was a cold morning in Gangotri and we had not finished our packing due to our laziness, so we were late naturally. The hike of the day was steep with a significant altitude gain. The first 2 km was very tough for me as I was struggling at every corner and the heavy loads of all the camera equipment and my stuff was taking a toll on me. Now, I was seriously doubting my decision to do this trek with much less training. Yet, after 2 km I started to get the hold of it, the silence of the mountain and the whispers of the cold wind lit the energy bulbs in my body and I started enjoying the hike. All the doubts and the frustrations of the lockdown were starting to get blown by the alpine winds with the bright yellow leaves of the ending autumn. As it was almost November, we were the one to the two groups who were trekking this route, so the whole landscape was reserved for us to endure and enjoy. We reached the campsite Bhoj Khadak at around 5 p.m., it was named after the Bhoj Patra trees which readily grows in such altitudes. Now, they stood as skeletons preparing for the harsh winters and maybe waiting for the spring when they would bloom again. We set up our tent, cooked some hot food and had a sound sleep.
31st October- Day 2- Bhoj Khadak to Kedar Khadak (4 km)- Perhaps the most difficult day of the whole journey. Little did we know when we woke up that morning from a sound sleep and had a hot breakfast that this day was going to be a tough one. We started when the sunshine started striking us, as we gained elevation, the vegetation became less and less which means stronger winds. But now we can have a clear view of mount Thalay Sagar and the Kedar Ganga river all along the trail. Then came the difficult part, we reached the area which was notorious for landslides and had taken lives of several trekkers over the years. As I was setting up the GoPro, Sandeep went to inspect the area and suddenly big boulders started falling on the trail. Adding to it was the high-velocity wind which was blowing the clay and it made visibility quite low and the furious flow of Kedar Ganga on the other side made the already slippery trail, deadly. Fortunately, nothing happened to him due to his presence of mind as he ran as fast as he could to the other side leaving his rucksacks. We crossed that path with caution and a bit of fear. Then Sandeep decided to change the trail as it was likely to receive more landslides. The new route was longer and we had to cross the river to get to it. The river was furious with freezing cold water from the glaciers and we had to cross it by jumping over the wet and slippery rocks. One wrong step and consequences would be devastating. Luckily we three and the other group crossed the river safely but we were extremely exhausted. We reached the campsite late, just minutes before sunset. There we were greeted with beautiful alpine glow over the peaks and some low hanging vibrant clouds. I quickly took my camera and tripod to take a few shots as I knew it won’t last very long. Those few minutes spent under the grace of the scene vanished my exhaustion and I believed the cogency of this statement, ‘Nature is the biggest healer’. We slept tight that night cherishing every moment we had in that beautiful place.
1st November- Day 3- Kedar khadak to Kedartal to Gangotri (22 km)- The summit day and also the longest day of the whole journey. We started early in the blue hour, it was cold but the scene was stunning. Kedar Khatak to Kedartal was a 5 km long glacial trail which is comparatively easy as we had left our big rucksacks at the campsite only carrying the camera equipment and some food. Surely, we can now feel the lack of oxygen now but we were maintaining a good pace. All those days during lockdown sitting in my 1 room house at Noida in the hot summer, I always imagined such a place surrounded by the huge mountains and the morning sun gently waking them up. It felt that I was reliving that distant dream. With all those thoughts playing in my head, we finally reached Kedartal. I am generally against any kind of comparison but this place was one of the most beautiful places that I have seen in my lifetime. Of course, photos cannot do justice to its beauty. I was overwhelmed with the variety of emotions pouring at the same time. I was so overwhelmed that for the first half an hour I was not able to make any picture, I struggled to find any good composition. I took a break, walked along its shore, drank its water and sat near the lake trying to grasp the enormity of the scene with my small mind. Now, I felt connected to the place as if it’s a part of me and then I was able to make a few pictures. The wind was high from the time we arrived and it had started to pick up. We knew we could not stay longer as the temperature was extremely cold due to the high winds and now the clouds had started to roll in. As soon as we had our breakfast it started snowing, the prediction of the heavy snowfall was coming to life in front of our eyes. We were lucky to witness a clear view of the lake and the mountain. We then rushed back to our campsite, packed everything and headed towards Gangotri. There was a sense of satisfaction which I felt after a long time. While returning the weather became more unpleasant and we were happy about our decision to complete the trek within 3 days. Part of the journey is the end, we reached Gangotri at 8 p.m., completely exhausted. With a promise to return, I was thankful for the mountains to give us another chance to witness their allure.
