Kedarkantha in Winter
The trek most people do first, in snow. A summit at 3,800m and two nights camped in a pine forest.
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Placeholder artwork — real trip photography drops in here.
About this trip
There is a reason Kedarkantha is the trek half of India starts on. It is six days, it tops out at 3,800m, and in December and January the whole thing is under snow — which is what most people who sign up have actually come for. We walk in from Sankri through pine, camp at Juda ka Talab beside a frozen lake, and summit before dawn so you get the Swargarohini range coming out of the dark. It is properly cold and not technically hard. Micro-spikes and gaiters are included because half the people who arrive without them regret it by 9am on day three.
- A pre-dawn summit at 3,800m, with the Swargarohini range at first light
- Two nights camped in snow at Juda ka Talab and Kedarkantha base
- The frozen lake at Juda ka Talab
- A night in Sankri, the last village on the road
- Micro-spikes and gaiters provided, not sold to you at the trailhead
Day by day
6 days, written by the host who runs it.
Day 1Dehradun to Sankri
A long, spectacular drive up the Tons valley to Sankri at 1,900m. Gear check and briefing in the evening. Your bag gets weighed.
Day 2Sankri to Juda ka Talab
4km through pine and oak, climbing to 2,700m. Camp beside the lake, which in winter you can walk across. First night in a tent in snow.
Day 3Juda ka Talab to base camp
4km to Kedarkantha base at 3,400m, out of the tree line and into open snowfield. Early dinner, earlier bed.
Day 4Summit day
Up at 3am for the summit push. Two and a half hours in the dark, then the top at sunrise with Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch and Kala Nag laid out. Down to Hargaon for the night.
Day 5Hargaon to Sankri
6km down through forest to Sankri. A guesthouse, a hot bucket bath, and a dinner nobody talks through.
Day 6Sankri to Dehradun
The drive back down. Trip ends at Dehradun by evening.
What the price covers
Included
- 5 nights — 2 in Sankri guesthouses, 3 in trek camps
- All meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 6
- Tents, sleeping bags rated to −15°C, mats and a dining tent
- Micro-spikes and gaiters
- A certified trek leader, local guide, cook and support crew
- Forest permits and camping fees
- Transport from and to Dehradun
Not included
- Travel to and from Dehradun
- Personal trekking gear — rucksack, boots, jacket, poles
- A porter or mule for your bag, around ₹2,500 for the trek
- Travel insurance with trekking cover
- Anything personal
Where you sleep, how you move
Stay
Two nights in simple Sankri guesthouses with hot water by bucket, and three nights in three-person tents used as twin sharing, with sleeping bags rated to −15°C. Toilet tents on the trail. It gets to −10°C at night at base camp.
Transport
Shared tempo traveller from Dehradun and back, roughly nine hours each way on mountain road. Everything above Sankri is on foot.
What to carry
- A 50–60L rucksack, plus a small daypack
- Layers: thermals, fleece, and a windproof outer shell
- Broken-in trekking or walking shoes — not new ones
- Sunglasses, SPF 50, lip balm, a wide-brimmed hat
- A reusable water bottle — we do not carry single-use plastic
- Personal medication, plus any prescription you rely on
- A power bank; charging points are scarce past the last town
Who this trip is for
Open to 14–50, with under-18s accompanied. You should be able to walk 5km on flat ground comfortably. It is a beginner-friendly summit but it is winter camping at altitude — anyone with a heart, lung or blood-pressure condition should not book.
Cancellation & refunds
Specific to this trip, because a permit-bound Himalayan departure cannot carry the same terms as a weekend by a river.
- More than 45 days before departure — full refund, less a ₹2,500 processing fee.
- 30 to 45 days before departure — 60% refund. Permits and stays are blocked this far out and are non-recoverable.
- 15 to 29 days before departure — 30% refund.
- Under 15 days before departure — no refund. Your seat is transferable to a friend at no cost.
- Weather or road closures are outside anyone's control. If we cannot run the trip you get a full refund or a free transfer.
Full terms are in our refund & cancellation policy.
Meet your host
Rehan Qureshi
Based in Srinagar, Kashmir · 6 trips led
Certified mountain leader with eleven Great Lakes crossings and a wilderness first-responder certification he has unfortunately had to use. Our most senior trek host and the person who trains the others.
“A good trek host is boring. Nothing goes wrong, because you saw it coming two days ago.”
Not quite the one?
There are other departures, and we would rather put you on the right trip than the nearest one.
Or reach us on WhatsApp at +91 96063 37793