Kedarnath: A Spiritual And Adventurous Journey

Delhi to Rishikesh (230km):

After a week long discussion, we decided to take a bus from Delhi to Rishikesh. We booked an overnight sleeper bus on Redbus as we wanted to give our backs some pre-journey rest and buck ourselves up for the rest of the journey which was to happen on a bike. We boarded the bus around 10 pm. Now how can any road trip start without a ‘cup of chai’ on a dhaba in the middle of a highway, where we had taken a halt for a while. Excited and thrilled, we crossed Haridwar, the ancient city cradled on the banks of river Ganga, early in the morning. It was so peaceful to see the holy river perfectly reflecting the lights, giving itself a bright silver colour in the night. I could almost hear the chimes of the bells and chanting of the priests, even in that sweet silence.

We finally arrived in Rishikesh, the ‘Devbhumi’, in the morning. The air was inwardly pure and refreshing. We went straight to fetch the bike, our another companion for the trip. We had rented a royal enfield classic at Rs 1100/day. We decided to have breakfast in ‘The Backpacker’s Panda’ because of their famous Apple Cinnamon Cake and Coffee, which is perfect to start your morning in the hills.

Rishikesh to Devprayag (70km):

Our fellow riders were supposed to join us in Rishikesh, but they were behind us so we decided to move ahead slowly and enjoy the ride to the fullest. Riding in the hills, with the river Ganga flowing beside us, and the autumn breeze caressing us, was a sight to enjoy. The roads were quite fine with a few rough stretches in between till the ‘Devprayag- Sangam’. It is where two rivers Alaknanda (muddy in the pic) and Bhagirathi (blue in the pic) meet, to form the holy river Ganga. Although we could see this mesmerising sight from a distance, we couldn’t help ourselves but hike down to the Sangam to feel it ourselves. The freezing water of the river comforted our feet, surprisingly. It washed away our fatigue and we were good to go ahead. We had lunch in a roadside restaurant and we continued the ride till Srinagar.

Devprayag to Srinagar (35km):

It was our first time to have a very long ride on a bike, so we continued while taking short breaks in between to stretch our legs. It got a little exhausting for us when we reached Srinagar but the scenic views encouraged us to move further. We wanted to stop in between to see Dhari Devi Temple and check out the beaches but we decided to skip it for the return trip due to lack of time. The mystical view around us was magnificent and filled us with gratitude for mother nature. It rejuvenated our lockdown-affected minds and bodies.

Srinagar to Rudraprayag to Augustmuni (54km):

We had to cross Rudraprayag in the daylight as the roads were sometimes narrow and unpaved. It got slippery at times on a two wheeler as it was rocky, so we had to be careful and mindful. Also, due to the possible delay because of maintenance going on, in some places. We didn’t stop in between for the rest of the evening until we reached Tilwara. We had our evening tea there, and were advised by the people to stop at Augustmuni as it was unsafe to move ahead in the night. It was already dark and we decided to take a night halt. We were looking for hotels on the way but couldn’t find anything suitable. We kept moving on and finally arrived in Augustmuni, where we managed to get a decent room in ‘Gangadarshan Guest House’ at 1200/night for four people. The rooms were fairly okay and the food was good. Our fellow riders were on the way, so we arranged stay and dinner for them too. We took almost 10 hours from Rishikesh to Augustmuni, because we were moving slow. Exhausted and sore, we had dinner and slept as we had only 5 hours left to wake up.

Augustmuni to Guptkashi to Sonprayag (53km):

We slept like babies and woke up at 5 a.m. in the morning. We were carrying heavy backpacks so we left them in the guest house. We took just two with us as we had to carry them up while trekking to kedarnath. The ride from there till Guptkashi was very turbulent and inconsistent. The roads were often steep and rocky. The turns were sharp and unfenced. As torturous as it was for our backs, it was equally mystical and exceptional for our eyes. The sunbaked trees adequately covered the road on one side. On the other side, the river Mandakini flew innocently beside us. It produced a pleasant sound as if it was joyful to see the first glance of its beloved Sun. It took 1.5 hours for us to reach Guptkashi in the morning. We had our morning Chai and Matthi at a roadside restaurant. The streets were silent and almost all the shops were closed as it was very early. The Chai refreshed us and provided us the sugar to move ahead. It was another 1.5 hours bumpy ride to Sonprayag.

Sonprayag:

We touched Sonprayag at 9 a.m. We parked our bikes in the parking area as bikes and cars were not allowed to move further. We had to go to the registration counter to show our e-passes for Kedarnath and give our biometric details for registration. We took turns to freshen up as there were toilets available and have breakfast while standing in the queue. We were done by 10 o’clock. It was time to lift up our backpacks and take a taxi to Gaurikund (5km), from where we had to start trekking. We bought wooden sticks (Rs30/stick) for the trek and the taxi cost Rs40/person. It took 10 minutes to reach Gaurikund and we couldn’t contain our excitement when we disembarked at the entry.

Kedarnath trek (18km):

We were at the entry gate and none of us had done a trek as difficult as this, ever. Bucked up, we started moving up, around 10:45. We were welcomed by stairs surrounded by restaurants and guest houses for the first 1.5km. There were mules available for those who were unable to do it on their feet at 1500-2000/mule for one person and a bag. But we had sworn to walk it up so we weren’t tempted. There was a tiny hot water spring when we crossed almost 4km. We could see immense enthusiasm in people who were chanting ‘Har Har Mahadev’ while moving. Small stalls selling lemon water, fruits, snacks could be found after every kilometre initially. We had lemon water and fruits after every two kilometre as it was hot and sunny and we didn’t want to be dehydrated for the rest of the trek. The combination of sunlight that kept us warm and the water that we sipped after every 20 minutes provided us the energy to move forward. There are toilets and medical facilities after every kilometre. We were walking at out own pace taking small steps that prevented us from breathlessness. It took us almost 3 hours to cover 6.5km. That’s where we found a few restaurants and we took our first stop to have our lunch. We had Rajma chawal and sweet lassi as we wanted to eat light. The food was very expensive so it’s better to carry some light snacks with you, if you can. We continued the trek before we would start to feel lazy and fall asleep. It was getting tougher and steeper after every kilometre until we touched Bheembali which is almost the mid point of the trek. The trek was a little easier till there. Once we crossed the steel bridge over the river Mandakini, the elevation increased and it got tougher to climb. After almost a kilometre , we were delighted to find a lot of shortcuts joining one end to the other and covering over a km in just 200 metres. The shortcuts encouraged us to move further. We took a break for tea and snacks when we had 4 more kilometres to reach the base camp, where we had pre-booked our hotel. Our bodies had almost given up and the temperature decreased but we had to keep going up. We had an hour to go when it got blind dark and cold. And that’s when our foot-worn bodies took a moment to gaze upon the galaxy of stars above us. It was mesmerising to feel a little more close to them. For anyone, it would be just a normal day, but for us, it felt like a lifetime. It took us 9 hours and we reached the base camp at 8 p.m. We took accommodation in the GMVN rooms for 800/head. It was -3 when we reached and we were dying of cold. We had our dinner in the same accommodation and passed out for the night.

Kedarnath Temple (3583m above sea level):

We had to take a good sleep as we had to trek down the next day. We woke up at 7 and got ready for the Darshan. We had a light breakfast and then we moved towards the Temple. The pastoral landscape was exactly what poets describe in their poems: glorious and unearthly. You have to be there to feel it better. There is a helipad near the temple where you can rent a helicopter for 2500/person/seat. There was medical assistance and good restaurants near the Temple. You could also eat in the Temple, where khichdi and chai was being served. There was a long queue to enter the Temple. We had to wait for 1.5 hours for our turn to come. We had our breakfast in the meanwhile by turns. The sight of the Temple and the peak was magnificent. It was protected by a huge ‘Shila (rock)’ at the backside, which also saved it from drowning in the 2013 floods. There is a huge statue of Nandi in front of it. Belief has it, that you need to whisper your wishes in the ears of Nandi and it goes straight to Lord Shiva. Having that view in front of our eyes, erased all the strain and pain. The arduous trek for this spectacular view was worth it. We were on the land which was surrounded by snow-capped mountains and nourished by mighty rivers. After hours of enjoying the view, we decided to trek down around 12:30 p.m. We had started trekking down, when we were greeted by a heavy snowfall. We just couldn’t contain our excitement and stopped for a while to enjoy it. Snow started wrapping everything like a blanket and that’s when I knew why they say that this place is close to heaven. Capturing it was the only way, we could take it with us. We left the place at 2 p.m. and descended down faster than we climbed up. It took us 5 hours to reach Gaurikund. Sore and exhausted, we took a taxi back to Sonprayag. It was late and we had to take a night halt. We rode up to Sitapur where hotels were cheaper than Sonprayag. We got a room with three beds at hotel Jagatraj at 1200/night. We had our dinner there and went to sleep as we had to recharge ourselves for the long journey ahead of us.

Sitapur- Rishikesh- Delhi

We took a good amount of sleep and woke up around 8. We got ready, had our breakfast and started the ride. Riding back felt easier and we took plenty of short stops while enjoying the view and taking pictures. We stopped at Dhari Devi temple and paid our regards there. We had lunch near the temple and decided to take the next stop in Rishikesh. We reached Rishikesh around 8 p.m. We had dinner in ‘The Backpackers Panda’ and it was delicious. We gave back our rented bikes and booked a bus on Redbus back to Delhi. I had thought while trekking, that it’s just a once in a lifetime trek but If I ever get a chance to go there again, I wouldn’t think twice.

Tips:

- Apply for the kedarnath pass beforehand

- Make sure to cross check when the trek opens or closes

- Travel as light as you can

- Carry a mini first- aid kit

- Carry healthy dry snacks and water bottles

- Carry warm clothes, raincoats, to cover all parts of the body

- Cross Rudraprayag in the daylight as the roads are rough

- Keep yourself hydrated and eat light while trekking to prevent altitude sickness

- Carry a lot of cash

- Make sure to have an advance booking of hotel in Kedarnath and helicopter (if required).

- Rent a room in Sitapur and not Sonprayag as it’s very costly there.