Trek to Har-ki-Doon
NATURE OF TRIP Trekking
LOCATION Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand
DURATION 7 Days (Dehradun - Dehradun)
TREKKING DAYS 5 Days
MAXIMUM ALTITUDE Jaundhar glacier (4300m)
GRADE Moderate+
SEASON Apr-Jun, Sep-Dec
ACCOMODATION Alpine Camping - 4 Nights Hotel/Alpine camping - 2 Nights.
OVERVIEW
There are endless lush green meadows, wild alpine flower gardens, scraggy mountains, towering snow-capped peaks, glaciers and gushing streams & waterfalls that seem to spring from nowhere. To top it all it this valley has a very interesting, unique, old and time tested culture very different to any other mountain or plains region. Our guides ensure that we get a very up close experience of this culture as this is one of the highlights of this trek. We have made a change in the traditional Har-ki-Dun itinerary by adding another stage which takes you to the high altitude Jaundhar Bamak (glacier). This will add a contrasting element of high altitude scenery to the trek as we cross the 4000m mark. We get close views of a big glacier, walk on moraine and scree and get very close to the famous and towering Swargarohini peaks. If you are willing to do more than just touch Har-ki-Dun and head back, then Har-ki-Dun with
ITINERARY
DAY 01: DEHRADUN – SANKRI (2000m) Drive/200 kms/6-7hrs
From Dehradun we will drive to Sankri via Mussorrie. We will stop for lunch en route. This is an enjoyable drive initially along the Yamuna and towards the latter part along the beautiful Tons river. There are very beautiful pine forest sections along the drive today. Upon reaching Sankri we will check into the scenically located hotel Wild Orchid. Sankri is paradise on earth and we will take an evening stroll in this beautiful hamlet to get our muscles charged for the trek to come. Overnight stay in the hotel.
DAY 02: SANKRI (2000m) – TALUKA – SEEMA (2560m) Drive/40 mins & Trek/15 kms/5-6 hrs
We start the day with a short, scenic & adventurous drive to Taluka, starting point of our trek. The hike today is through beautiful mixed forest sections and along the Supin river. The gradient is moderate throughout with an odd steep patch in between. This region is blessed with a very old and unique culture which thankfully is still preserved. You will get a very up close & personal experience of it today. On the trail you will meet locals from the nearby villages and get to see the special construction style of the local dwellings. We will cross a few villages en route to reach Seema, a small market place. We will camp ahead of Seema in beautiful fields by the riverside. Overnight in tents.
DAY 03: SEEMA (2560m) – HAR-KI-DUN (3566m) Trek/5-7 hrs
After breakfast we cross over to the other side of the Supin river and negotiate a steep climb to get warmed up for the day’s hike to come. It is a delightful day where you catch some fabulous views of the Bandarpoonch & Swargarohini peaks and also of meadows and jungles towards the Ruinsara valley. There are interesting forests en route with lots of opportunities to see variety of birds and meadows having wild flowers. Also to make it picture perfect there is an inviting waterfall and many small rivulets/streams. We reach Har-ki-Dun in about 5-7 hrs moving at a leisurely pace and soaking in the beauty of the valley. Reaching our destination Har-ki-Dun we land in absolute paradise. This open valley has been blessed with so many natural elements that one is pleasantly surprised by its beauty. There is a network of streams, many a meadows carpeted with flowers and big and small mountains spread all over. Overnight in tents.
DAY 04: HAR-KI-DUN (3566m) – JAUNDHAR GLACIER (4300m) – HAR-KI-DUN (3566m) Trek/7-8 hrs
Jaundhar glacier adds a beautiful element of high mountain scenery to this trek. This place is in total contrast to the lush green Har-ki-Dun and has moraine, scree, glaciers all around and the towering Swargarohini peaks overlooking it. The walk is a long one and at times over uneven scree & moraine terrain but will surely be worth the effort. We get magnificent views from the glacier and having captured them in our cameras we will head back to Har-ki-Dun. Overnight in tents.
DAY 05: HAR-KI-DUN (3566m) – SEEMA (2560m) Trek/3-4 hrs
We have a leisurely breakfast today and have the option of trekking up to the beautiful meadows at Haata which will take 2-3 hours (round trip) or just relaxing at Har-ki-Dun. After lunch we will hike down to Seema. Depending on the time we reach Seema we can decide to visit the ancient temple at the nearby village of Osla and also get a chance to interact with the locals and get to know more about their tradition and culture. Overnight in tents.
DAY 06: SEEMA (2560m) – TALUKA – SANKRI (2000m) Trek/3-4 hrs & Drive/40mins
Early morning, trek down from Seema to Taluka and from here drive down to Sankri. There will be plenty of opportunities today for a refreshing bath in the super cool waters of the many streams we cross/pass by. Overnight in the hotel.
DAY 07: SANKRI – DEHRADUN Drive/200 kms/6-7 hrs
Post breakfast, depart for Dehradun. You can also have a brief stopover at Mussoorie, one of India’s most popular hill stations. The drive from Mussoorie to Dehradun would take an hour, from where you could continue ahead towards your onward destination.
TREKKING INCLUDES :
- 2 guides for the group of maximum 12 trekkers so 1 guide for 6 group members. This will ensure high safety and more information and personal attention which are necessary to appreciate a trek. All our guides are professionally trained and have many years of relevant experience in guiding treks.
- Accommodation in standard rooms in a hotel in Sankri on single/double occupancy
- High quality Camping arrangements
We believe that roughing it out necessarily doesn’t mean sleeping in smelly sleeping bags, compromising on safety by using low quality equipment and having unappetising meals. We focus on your safety, basic comforts and the environment while camping. Keeping this is mind, the following equipment is provided on the trek:
- 3/4 season imported alpine tents
- Fresh and clean sleeping bags of very good quality
- Good quality Camping Mattresses
- Camping stools
- Mess Tent
- Toilet tents (2) with portable toilet seats
- First Aid / Medical kit.
4. All meals starting from dinner on Day 1 till breakfast on Day 7. A lot of emphasis is given to nutritional needs and a menu of vegetarian dishes is prepared accordingly. Tea/coffee will be served throughout.
5. Porter/mule charges for carrying camping equipment & rations
6. Forest entry charges, permits & camping fee (if any)
7. First aid kit (our guides are certified in handling first aid situations)
8. Service Tax
PRICE ON REQUEST
TRANSPORT TARIFF INCLUDES
Do keep in mind that transport is a very critical component of your trek. This aspect is most often not given proper attention and can result in lot of discomfort especially in the mountains. We provide transfers to get you to the
starting point and back as comfortably and in as less time as possible for you to enjoy the trip. We only use quality vehicles like Toyota Innova, Mahindra Xylo, Mahindra Scorpio, Tempo Traveller, etc. and no local jeeps or similar vehicles are used except where there are short transfers from the lodge to the trek points, etc. The transport tariff includes all driver charges, fuel, parking, toll and taxes.
COST DOES NOT INCLUDE
- Porter/mule charges to carry your personal bag
- Any meals/services not mentioned above
- Any charges for video cameras, still cameras, etc.
- Alcohol, 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.
- Insurance
