Kedartal trek: Reaching the lake of Shiva

If the idea of mythology, tales and worship fascinates you, a trek to Kedartal might as well turn out to be a game changing experience for you. The map of the trail, the route, the distance, itinerary and the height of the lake make for an enthralling, enigmatic and thrilling package altogether. The trek is adventurous, rough and difficult in all its might, yet that is exactly what pushes it to a really high echelon. What you get to read about this trek is just the tip of the iceberg and what you actually get to witness is beyond comprehension. The sight of mighty mountains such as Mt Gangotri, Mt Jogin, Mt Thalaysagar and Mt Bhrigupanth of the Greater Himalayas, unfolding before you is astonishingly refreshing and engaging. The most thrilling part of the trek are the trails that sneak into really remote places and take you deep into the wilderness making room for ample amount of solitude and tranquility. Brace yourself as you experience the surreal moments of witnessing cold, fresh breezes from amongst the snow smeared mountains at Kedartal, battle against your face and enjoy the butterflies dance in your stomach. On another note, the Kedartal trek is explicitly a difficult trek to do and does require average fitness for the same, as reviewed by most experts. It is also not recommended for solo travelling/ expeditions without an experienced guide because of the unprecedented weather conditions that swirl up here, anytime as well as the diverse terrains that lie here. The best time to do this trek is either between mid May to June or during the months of mid-August, September and October. 

The trek to Kedartal begins at Gangotri which can be easily accessed from cities like Dehradun and Delhi that have plenty of public transports available to ferry travelers to Gangotri on a daily basis. Situated at an altitude of 10,055 ft, Gangotri is a beautiful town that rests as the most popular base camp for treks to Kedartal. The town is usually crowded with passionate pilgrims who yearn to see the origin of River Ganga. It is pleasantly energetic to even exist within the realm of this surreal town. Upon reaching Gangotri, you can rest and pump up for the activities to be done in the coming days. You are required to spend an additional day at Gangotri to acclimatize well. You can hike up to nearby places and explore the town on your own this day. However, do not exhaust yourself per se; a warm up for the expedition is all that you need to do at this stage. The third day precisely, will mark the actual beginning of the expedition. You will have to trek from Gangotri to Bhoj Kharak this day. The trail between the two points is rocky, sharp and quite steep even, passing through forests of fir, opening into the famous ?spider-wall?; an extremely narrow trail on an almost vertical rock, and ultimately opening into Bhoj Kharak, an ideal place to stop by and camp for the night. At this point you will find yourself resting at an altitude of 12,772 ft with untamed grasses growing haywire all around. Wake up energized, next morning and resume your expedition with a trek to Kedar Kharak. This bit of the trail spans over approximately  4k of land and at the same time elevates you to a whopping height of 14,238 ft. However, most part of this trail is easy to be trekked along, with fascinating meadows and snow clad distant mighty mountains entering the frame. You can expect to reach the campsite at Kedar Kharak from Bhoj Kharak in about 3-4 hours of steady trekking. Upon citing a stream cutting across the few boulders at the meadow, you can call off the expedition and set up your camps to rest for the night. Begin trekking towards the much anticipated Kedar Tal, the next day. The terrain from this point onwards is rocky, tricky, taxing as well as demanding. Carefully make your way towards the top and enjoy the experience of offbeat, exhilarating and stimulating trekking. As you step higher, Mt Thalaysagar will begin to appear bigger and bigger by the distance indicating the close proximity of the Kedartal Lake. Hold your horses and climb up with grit and vigor to find the emerald blue Kedartal Lake, unfold before you. The sight of the Kedartal Lake or the Lake of Shiva, alone will leave you astonished and brimming with aesthetic pleasure. Enjoy your time here and gear up to retrace the trail and return to Kedar Kharak, the same day. Retrace the same route to return to Gangotri the next day, where you can spend the last night of your expedition before departing from Gangotri, the next morning.