Dec 30, 2015

Har ki Doon Trek

Posted in trek, self

Just a week left for the year to change to 2016 and holidays were lined up, I was in the search of a winter trek, had Kauri pass and Har ki doon in my mind. A month ago Kiran and I had just been to Hemkund Sahib and Valley of Flowers. Another friend Dalima, was also willing to join us in our next trek as she needed an escape from city life. Har ki doon is well known as one of the most popular winter treks in Uttarkashi.

We started from Delhi to Dehradun on the night of 26th December. After reaching Dehradun, we couldn’t find any conveyance to Sankri so we travelled ahead to Rishikesh and from there we took a bus to Sankri. It was long ride of around 11 hours and by the time we reached Sankri, sun was about to set. Sankri is a small and quiet place. Due to heavy trekking season, accommodations were already full but after some search we were able to find a place to stay. After enjoying dinner and some talks with fellow trekkers, we headed for some last minute purchase, booked the jeep to Taluka (Starting point of our trek).

It was around 8 AM, when we reached Taluka. It was a cold morning.

Just after walking few miles from Taluka, we were on the beautiful trail that goes along the river Supin. The gentle sound of river flowing all along with you was very comforting and refreshing.

Walking on the trails, we crossed a bridge on Supin river and started our steep climb to a village names, Osla. It was around 4 PM when we reached Osla and the village welcomed us with a very picturesque landscape. From the river bed it seems as if people have made nests in the mountains. All the houses were of same color, made of wood which blends with the background perfectly.

Started with just the breakfast, we had not eaten anything till now. I got some maggi and biscuits from a shop in the village. A man from village offered to prepare maggi for us while we talked to the children who flocked around us asking different questions. The village was very small and there aren’t many people in the village. Those with whom we talked, were very keen on having us as their guest, but we were carrying our own tents. So, we decided to have dinner with the old man who prepared maggi for us and pitched our tent outside his home.

It was cold out there, so Dalima stayed with one of the family in their house. These houses were made of wood and housed a hearth made of mud in the room. Just above the hearth roof open to make room for smoke. There is a place to store wood and hay below the house. Dalima’s knee problem had aggravated and she decided to take some rest the next day and we decided to go ahead. So, we enquired about the logistics needed and arranged food for the rest of our trek. We left Dalima with the family with the promise to be back as soon. All of them were happy to have her.

Next day morning (Tuesday it was), we started off early after wrapping up our tents. Passing by the famous temple of Osla village which is said to be originally dedicated to Kaurav King Duryodhana, we rushed for Har Ki Doon with a promise to ourselves that we’ll try to reach as early as possible. Crossing Kalkatiyadhar campsite, we reached Har ki doon by afternoon.

It was a sunny day and there weren’t much trees on the trail. The trail just before the Har ki doon was enchanting and covered with snow with beautiful little streams joining Tons river and trees around. Har ki doon valley is a big amphitheatre which lies in the valley of majestic Swargarohini peak.

It is an inexplicable experience to see such a close view of Swargarohini peak. I couldn’t take my eyes off from the Swargarohini peak and was immersed in the thoughts of how Pandavas who attempted to climb the peak in Mahabharata era. This trail is believed to be taken by Pandavas who attempted to go to heaven with their bodies.

Sitting there for a while and munching all what Kiran got, we took water and essential stuff in our daypack and sent off to explore towards Juandhar glacier in the valley. We walked inside the valley until sun started to set.

We pitched our tents beside the forest rest house and requested the caretaker of the rest house for the dinner. We watched the setting sun sitting on the big boulder near campsite. Soon the night turned cold and windy. We spent most of the time in the kitchen before going to sleep, talking about what lies further on the trail and treks in the area. I wanted to do the Borasu pass next time which lies further on the trail and take a diversion to Ruinsairatal which is around 14 km from Osla village and thats when I did Bali Pass which goes via Ruinsaira Taal.

We woke up at 7 AM the next morning and soon started our retreat after wrapping our tents. It was an easy descent and we walked on scout’s pace. Dalima was eagerly waiting for us in the village where we had lunch around 11. It was not long when we reached Taluka.

We still had two spare days left and we could’ve attempted for Kedarkantha trek. But on the other hand, we thought New year parties with friends in Delhi are also cool and we left for Delhi the next morning.

Here is the link to our shared album.

References:

Shrine for Duryodhana! by Vrinda and J. Ramanan

I am a software engineer, based in Delhi, India. I was born in Sonbhadra, raised in Varanasi/Allahabad and graduated from Lucknow.

References:

Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib Trek