Har ki Doon, Anyone ?

lonelyaztec

People,

I have just come back from a very fulfilling 10 day trek in Tehri Garhwarl..Har ki doon valley.

It was a Youth hostel trek..and route was Sankri - Juda Talab - Kedarkanth - Dhundha ( via Kedarkantha Peak ) - Talhouti - Lekhathatch - Seema - Har ki Doon - Seema - Taluka - Sankri.

We had 4 days of glacier - one day of snowfall on the way to Har ki doon - one day of Snow storm at Kedarkantha...it was an awesome experience.

Har ki doon valley looked liked Switzerland ( or may even better ) in the snow..it was gr8.

anyone, been there ?

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Aztec

My photoblog

AvidTrekker

Been on the same route with same YHAI ppl in 2003. Great views, great camp sites. I was to go this year as one of the camp leaders, but couldn't make it...

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The Universe is an ellipsoid?... or a Spheroid?? If the sphere smiles... it becomes an ellipse. This IS Creation.

tok

We were contemplating this trek.

What is the weather like in July?

We will be bringing thermal fleece and windproof/rainproof shells, but will not be bringing snowgear for plodding in deep snow. (Snow shoes, crampons,iceax and so forth)

Can this be done with this type of equipment or is a more expedition type necessary with porters and so forth?

How cold does it get on the trail and can you trek below the snowline? No problemwith the occasional snowstorm,we have a great tent, but because we are less experienced in the Himalayas, we will limit ourselves to staying below the snow line.

rahul550

Ya, I was in Group - 02.

Also been upto Swargrohini Base, after some agreement with the Seema Guide - Gajendra Singh. He has also done BMC from NIM as my self so we got togather and without informationto the camp leader of HKD we moved up to the true base at 5.00 A.M in the morning. Covered the distance in one hour 15 min and got very close range snaps of the mighty peak. It was extremely cold there and the river streams were frozen solid (we could actually stand on them without breaking them) and see water flowing under the ice.
Wonderful experience.

Rahul

rahul550

Tok i would suggest a good feather Jacket and one or two ice axes will also come in handy.

July will definitely see a lot of showers/ hail/sleet below the snow line a good rain gear/ gore tex will be very helpful. It will be cold at the higher elevations of the trek. But that depends on what is your threashhold for definition: cold.

Rahul

lonelyaztec

Rahul, group 2 - did i meet u.
I was in group 1, which did the Bhook Hadtal at Seema, on return from Har ki doon.

rahul550

Probably,

I was wearing a maroon sweter and a local style scarf on the head with a large army chemoflage rucksack.

lonelyaztec

Avidtrekker,

Missed u this time.

Rahul,

Standing on frozen river, must have been awesome. For me, waking up in the morning, to the sound of the whistle was a pain. So, forget trekking beyond the given route. My legs r still swollen....and have not recovered.

lucky

Hi Lonelyaztec

I've been there in 1999. We took the traditional route. Taluka-osla-harkidoon-osla-taluka. It was june and it snowed at Har-ki-doon. Our tents sagged under nine inches of snow and we had to move to mandal guest house. Stayed one extra day at the place. You have aptly described the doon. But comparison with switzerland is out of place. I think each locale has its own unique flavour. To a culturally trained eye a santa in place of a trident has the capacity to invert the scene. There is a thread "himalayas vs swiss alps". It has some interesting revelations about comparisons.
This year we plan going back and beyond. Planning har-ki-doon-chitkul over Borasu-la. Let's see if it comes through.
The route you took looks better. Can you give details of places of stay enroute and how are they like. Degree of difficulty ?

Lucky

lonelyaztec

Lucky,

Forget the comparison....it is not meant to be taken in the literal sense. What i meant, it was like a picture post card.

i am told it snows in HKD valley every afternnon. It rained as i was trekking there, dunno if the other teams experienced snow fall.

Rahul,

maroon sweater, local type scarf.......like Dev Anand....
and army camoeflage bag...there were enough people in group 1 who would fit the criteria....

When ur HKD trek snaps r ready, post a pic...then, may be i will recognize u. Ok. :-)

rahul550

Ya sure. Just hold on to your boots.

AvidTrekker

There is a thread discussing trek sangla to harsil at this link.

The Borasu pass trek is a difficult trek. No comparison to Har ki doon.
The YHAI routes including Har ki doon can be done by anyone who is reasonably fit. Currently the best option is to join YHAI at Sankri. It works out cheaper.... and it is five star trekking. [ you don't have to pitch tents in heavy rain, you don't have to cook breakfast at five in the morning, you don't have to wash ALL the cooking vessels at frozen glacier streams... you don't have to carry a full load... etc. ] If not this year, go next May

somnath

Hi Aztec,
Congratulations for such a nice trek . We are waiting for another article. And when we can expect the photos?
Get well soon (swollen leg ).

Rahul and Aztec you missed it !! It could be a great IM meetup.

- Somnath

babuchand

hey rahul, nice adventure as it seems...

can u provide us with a brief but info packed travelogue / itinerary of the path from har ki doon to swargarohini base???
also attach any map that u have....

is it possible to attempt Barasu pass by trekking team (not a mountaineering expedition with aal gears)???

what r the other hiking points around Har ki Doon????

babu

lucky

Hi

Please see the itinerary given to me by by Great india Outdoors. The trek is strenuous but not technical. If you give me your mail ID I can send you a monk's travelogue and pictures of the trek.

all the best.

Lucky


GARHWAL TO KINNAUR TREK VIA BARASU PASS (5360 M)


Day 1 MORI– OSLA (2560 m / 8400 ft)
After an early breakfast we drive to Taluka (45 kms) and from there trek 13 kms to reach Osla ( 5-6 hrs). Overnight in tents.
Day 2 OSLA – HAR-KI-DUN (3566 m / 11700 ft)
Today we will trek 12 kms to reach Har-Ki-Dun, this will take about 7-8 hrs moving at a leisurely pace so as to enjoy the beauty of the valley. Overnight in tents.
Day 3 HAR-KI-DUN
On this day everyone does his own thing. One can go on an exploratory trek in the valley, capture some magnificent views on the camera, or just chill at the campsite. Overnight in tents.
Day 4 HAR KI DUN - MORINDATAL (4200 m)
Today we trek 6 kms at moderate pace to reach Morinda tal. Overnight in tents
Day 5 MORINDATAL – BARASU PASS (5360 m) - CAMP
Today we trek 8 Kms to reach Barasu Pass. We pitch our camp on the other side after crossing over to the other side of the the pass. Overnight in tents.
Day 6 CAMP – ZUPICA GAD DOARIA CAMP GROUND (4000 m)
On this day we trek 10 kms to reach Doaria, Overnight in camp.

Day 7 DOARIA – CHITKUL (3430 m)
Today’s trek is of 10 kms takes about 8-9 hrs. Overnight in Chitkul Village.

Day 8 CHITKUL - SANGLA
Today we drive from Chitkul to Sangla. Overnight in Kinner camp at Sangla

Day 9 After breakfast proceed with your onwards journey. Trip ends here.

COST OF THE TRIP


Rs. 13,500 Per Person (for a group of 10 people)


COST INCLUDES
 Accommodation in Dome/Alpine tents on twin sharing basis.
 Meals: All meals beginning with lunch on Day 1 to break fast on Day 9. On the trek meals will be freshly prepared by the kitchen staff accompanying the group. Meals will be a variety of Indian, Chinese and Continental. Meals would be vegetarian except for Sangla & Chitkul.
 Camping equipment like tents, sleeping bags, mattresses, camping stools
etc.
 Professional and experienced trekking guide will accompany the group.
Guide would be a senior mountaineer caable of handling technical situations.
 Porters for carrying camping equipment and some amount of personal gear
of the clients.
 Camping chares at various locations
 Entry fee into the Govind Bhallabh Pant Park


COST DOES NOT INCLUDE
 Any meals / services not mentioned above
 Liquor, soft drinks, beverages, etc.
 Personal expenses like tips, telephone calls, laundry, etc.
 Any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances like landslides, road blocks, bad weather, etc.


DISCLAIMER
Great Indian Outdoors takes utmost care to ensure safety of its clients. However in the case of any unforeseen mishaps, Great Indian Outdoors will not be liable for any injuries caused or for loss of life.