A family that treks together, stays together

John Muir, a Scottish American naturalist, mountaineer and ecological thinker had once written, in what has now become an iconic statement – “The mountains are calling and I must go…”

Our calling, as a family (my wife Meera, daughter Kavya, son Krish and me), came in May-June 2022, when our tryst with the Himalayas finally materialized. After an earlier cancelled trek to Dayara Bugyal also in Uttarakhand in 2021, owing to the pandemic; and initial uncertainty due to board exams,  Kedarkantha (not to be mistaken with Kedarnath) it was to be.

Kedarkantha is popular for it winter trek but as novices we decided to keep it relative easy and decided to do the summer trek.

Our preparations started 4 months in advance, initially mainly to purchase trekking gear, as we let loose our purse strings and later, from April, in preparation for the trek as we religiously set out achieving the set target of 5 kms under 38 minutes.

Postcard from Kedarkantha

Day 0 - The Initial Journey

Long story short, come May 30, we embark on the first leg of the trek, in what would eventually turn out to be the most arduous part of the trip, a 10 hour drive from Dehradun to the base camp at Kotgaon, a tiny village in Uttarkashi district. We start early, at around 6:30 am, exchanging pleasantries with a bunch of other families, strangers so to start with, but who would eventually become great friends, by the end of the week.

To be fair, the drive is actually very beautiful and enjoyable, if you are someone not prone to motion sickness. But if you are one that has a rather unamicable equation with winding roads, you would either be puking your gut out or, if you are cautious enough, go into an Avomine induced coma for a large part of the drive and miss out on the scenery.

After you cross the scenic, sinuous but crowded roads of Mussourie you get the first glimpse of the river Yamuna, your companion for a large part of the trip, as it snakes alongside the road, kissing the bottom of the ravines with its green and white rapids. There is a point in the journey where the road is closest to the river and where you can walk down to river bank lined with smoothened rocks and enjoy the serene, cool waters of the holy river.

Yamuna River

Around Naugaon, we part ways with the Yamuna and soon reach Purola from where one witnesses a dramatic change in the landscape. 

The entire stretch from Purola to Mori, a little over 30 kms seems as if God has appointed pine trees to give you a lesson in geometry. Tall, symmetrical in shape and lined perfected parallel to each other, the golden sunlight filtering through them as our vehicle breezes past, makes for a fantastic viewing.

From Mori, the terrain changes once again and you now have the beautiful Tons river for company. Just as it fades away from view we catch a glimpse of a couple of river rafters floating away in its snowy rapids . The scene is quite surreal.   

Tons river

Before long we are at Kotgaon, the summer base camp of Indiahikes, our trek organizer. As we stretch our tired legs, watching the quaint Kotgaon village in the backdrop of the evening sun seeking out the Himalayan mountains, gives us an initial glimpse of the beauty and bounty of nature that would be our companion for the next 4 days.

Kotgaon village from Indiahikes camp

The mobile networks are already off and there is hustle-bustle at the camp, as fellow trekkers scamper around to collect hired trek gear / equipment or gather in groups chit-chatting, kids make friends with each other and pet the friendly mountain dogs at the camp. 

An introductory meet with our trek leader Ashish and trek guides Dwarika and Mukesh sets the tone for the next day and heightens our anticipation. Our group of 23, of which 11 are children aged between 8 and 16 are largely first-time High-Altitude trekkers. So, there are some tense nerves, but one thing we all know - it is going to be fun!

Day 1 (31st May, 2022)  – Kotgaon to Khujaai

By 8 am the entire group, a sprightly team of 12 middle-aged adults and their enthusiastic, energetic kids are decked up to start the trek. Trekking poles in hand, hats/caps and sun glasses to save us from the beating sun and most backs laden with 10 kg backpacks, we set off to our first destination – camp Khujaai. 

Trek team - Iyers

Starting-off walking through the narrow roads of Kotgaon village, we soon take a detour and are immediately engulfed by a dense, lush green forest comprising maple, walnut and oak trees, part of the Govind Pashu Vihar National Park. The trail is beautiful and fairly steep for most part. We take frequent breaks as the body acclimatizes to the steady climb. As we progress, the forest gets really dense at times, then suddenly opens up to present us with scenic green meadows and the lovely blue sky above.

There are trees all around, some alive and green, others dry. Some with gaping holes right in the centre of their thick trunk, others uprooted and dead. Nay! No tree is actually dead in the forest, as even the ones that have been felled by an errant human or uprooted by a storm or lightening are teeming with life, home to green moss / lichen or housing a colony of dried mushrooms.

Dead or alive?

We go past a gentle stream of water and walk through a clearing with lush green meadows that houses a broken shack and cows grazing peacefully. We stop at another beautiful clearing, surrounded by chir pine trees and watch unfettered mules gallop along.

Somewhere on the way to Khujaai

 

We walk across a wooden bridge and climb uphill to finally reach the campsite at Khujaai.

Enroute, I encounter an elderly local and his daughter. We exchange pleasantries as he jokingly taunts me by saying that they generally climb up till the summit and are back to Kotgaon within half a day. And here, we have trekked about 5 hours and covered a distance of just 5.5 kms, gained altitude from 5570 ft. to 8920 ft. and it feels like we have conquered Mt. Kanchenjunga.

My back is already doubling up with cramps and I don’t need to ask anyone for confirmation as I know that all 46 feet are sore. Some heads are throbbing and a few tummies are running loose.

Nevertheless, the campsite is beautiful. Healthy cows are all around us, some grazing, some chewing their cud and others busy lifting their tail to make the soil fertile. 

Gaais and girls

Campsite Khujaai

The canary yellow tents are inviting us for a much-needed rest, but the strong beating sun make them seem a like sauna. People find a tree shade or corners to rest. As evening approaches a game of ‘dog and the bone’ sets the spirits up again.

An early dinner and we are in our tents hoping to have a good night’s sleep. Alas, our hopes are dashed by the constant jingling of bells in the necks of the mules accompanied by cows mooing and the dogs barking all night long; ensuring that we wake up bleary eyed and sleep deprived.

Day 2 (1st June, 2022)  – Khujaai to Dhoka

The second day is expected to be an easy one, designed that way so that the body recovers and gets used to the evidently thinner air at almost 10000 ft. 

It is also a Do-it-yourself Day for the kids, as they pick up roles such as trek leader, trek guide, water guide etc. It is great fun to watch them behave like adults, talking to each other over the walkie-talky, co-ordinating and giving instructions, and most importantly gleefully taking the opportunity to order their parents around.  

The trek terrain also changes drastically. Although the incline is steeper, the forest is not as dense, the pastures are greener and carpeted with small yellow and white flowers with a smattering of tiny purple flowers.            

It is also a day for fun, frolic and relaxation. 

The first break we take is a fairly long one and everyone gets an opportunity to let their hair loose. Some kids display their acrobatic skills, others their lack of them. 

Parents too let out the hidden child in them out, climbing fallen tree logs, attempting acrobatic poses with the kids and happily posing for pictures. The whole atmosphere transforms from being a high-altitude trek to one big, colourful picnic.

The next break we take is at a stunningly picturesque location. There is a stream with the clearest, coolest, purest water flowing downstream, meandering its way over a rocky bed cascading gently between the the tall pines.

There are wild ferns growing amidst the mossy rocks.  A fallen tree serves as a makeshift bridge and also a selfie point. It is a scene straight out of Enid Blyton’s “The Enchanted Forest” and undoubtedly, the entire setting is magical.

Feet are wetted in the icy water, family pictures / selfies are taken and we proceed further. 

By noon we are already at the Dhoka campsite and the team has hardly broken a sweat. Keeping in tune with the DIY Day, kids learn to pitch a tent.

The Dhoka campsite is vast and beautiful. You can see the deep valley and the mountains beyond, from right in front of your tent. Once you walk towards the edges you get panoramic views of the Himalayan ranges. 

A massive rock serves as an ideal vantage point and our trek leader points us to a number of peaks such as Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch, Kalanag etc. that are visible on the northern side of the camp. 

View from camp Dhoka 

On the southern side, one sees the somewhat unimpressive Kedarkantha summit, mainly due to the lack on snow at this time of the year. “It doesn’t seem too far from the Dhoka basecamp”, I tell myself, a misconception that would be proven wrong the next day.

A game of kabaddi brings out the jostling and hustling best in everybody. As dusk-fall approaches Ashish, our trek leader makes the families huddle together to watch one of the most stunning sunsets. As the bright orange ball bows out of view, a massive herd of black and white sheep emerge, as if out of thin air. It is a ‘never-before encountered’ moment that cameras cannot capture. One has to be there to experience it.

Sunset from Camp Dhoka

Campsite Dhoka

Day 2 ends with a pep-talk cum scare-talk by our trek leader, as tomorrow is the big day and starts as early as 3 am!

Day 3 (2nd June, 2022)  – Dhoka to Kedarkantha Summit and down to Udari

At 2:30 am when you make a groggy-eyed exit from your tent, you are initially welcome by pitch darkness and then a gust of cold wind hits you across your face. Once you get used to it and turn your head upwards towards the sky you are presented with the most amazing spectacle of the Milky Way looming right above your head, streaking along the sky in a cluster of a million stars.

It is just the beginning of the ‘out of the world’ experience that we are to encounter over the next few hours. The trek starts at 4:30 am, the climb is steep and at over 10000 ft. even peak summer does nothing to keep the temperature bearable, brrrr. 

By 5 am it is already bright and one witnesses the most amazing shade of hazy blue paint the horizon. If there was anything that gave rise to the term ‘morning blues’, this would be it. But unlike what the phrase actually means, this shade of blue is most mesmerizing. 

Blue is in the air!

A little before 6 am we catch the first glimpse of the sun rays peeking out from beyond the might Himalayan ranges. Within moments the sun has reared its head from behind the mountains and filled the valleys with its bright golden hues.

Kedarkantha view

But the task is yet to be done. We trudge along slowly but surely.

We cross a long stretch of green undulating meadow, one that gives us a continuous view of the Kedarkantha summit. The trek along this meadow is easy and it fools me a second time into thinking that the summit is not really that far. 

However, as we approach the final climb I realize that the last stretch is pretty difficult; as it is steep, the air is much thinner and the strong, cold winds has already frozen your nose to a Rudolph red. 

But all these are small hurdles, as the eventually everyone from the youngest to the oldest member, all reach the destination they started this journey for. 

Kedarkantha peak at 12500 ft. has been duly conquered.

There are tired, smiling, happy faces. Pictures clicked galore. There is a moment of reflection as to what this trek meant to each one of us – captured in a postcard provided by our trek leader (a masterstroke from Indiahikes). 

For me it is a moment that makes me remember The Carpenters’ classic ‘ I’m on the Top of the world, looking down on creation..’ The feeling of exhilaration is indescribable. 

Team victorious!

Kedarkantha summit

Geet gaaya pattharon ne

On the way back, as we walk across the vast meadow once again, we see in front of us the expansive panoramic view of the mighty Himalayas. The feeling of being surrounded by peaks, even mightier than the one you’ve just summitted, the endless blue sky above and the deep valleys below, is quite humbling, as one realizes the insignificance of one’s existence in this mighty universe.

On the way back from the summit

We descend back to Dhoka and after a quick lunch break further down to Udari basecamp. It has been a long day and the sore ankles need a well deserved rest. Lying supine on the grass, watching the mighty Himalayan griffon soar effortlessly in the sky, the magnitude of the achievement finally sinks in. 

Later in the evening, as the families relate their personal experience as stories, a thousand thoughts cloud my mind and I choke up while relating our own experience. A mind-boggling sunset serves as an icing to one of the most gratifying days in my life, especially for being able to do this trek with my family.

Sunset at camp Udari

Day 4 (3rd June, 2022)  – Udari to Kotgaon

Having achieved what we had set out to do, the final leg of the trek, although a longish walk downhill, is fairly relaxed. As we climb down we take time to appreciate the bounties of the forest and its rich flora. 

The occasional orchid, the wild rose, the fallen walnut fruits all seem to bade a warm goodbye. The woodpeckers - play 'knock, knock, who's there?' with the trees and the tiny scarlet munias make a fluttering presence. An angry bull, watches us walk by, waiting to launch a rear-gaurd action of attack, lest we attempt to encroach upon his territory. A happy cowherd boy and the cute family sitting by their wooden house all contribute to the charm and unadulterated aura of the mountains.

Ready to charge!

Before we exit the forest we have a silent tete-a-tete with our chosen tree, giving them the well deserved, but often forgotten word of gratitude and a promise to be a bit more responsible towards leaving behind a sustainable planet for our future generations.

The trekkers

As the cliché goes – “Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter”. 

When we started our journey, we were seven families that had arrived from different parts of the country - Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Panjim and Bengaluru. By the time we left we were one big family, bound together by a common mission – to not only summit Kedarkantha but also have a wonderful experience of the mighty Himalayas.

And a great time we surely did have. The kids bonded with each other like fish takes to water. Doing tasks and fun activities together, endless sessions of Mafia, playing games and racing away during the climbs, keeping pace with the lead guide.

Tent pitching

The trek tested the physical and mental fitness of all of us. Some were fit and agile, some others slower and occasionally struggled. But everyone was concerned about the other’s well being and egged each other on during the difficult stretches. 

Badhe chalo!

However, the trip was not just about adventure and fun. The team took back some wonderful lessons in nature conservatism, sustainability and frugality. Minimum usage of water, sawdust for cleaning utensils, makeshift bio-toilets, eco-bags to plog on littered plastic, were all eye openers that made us realize that life can be much more simpler than we make it out to be. 

The heroes of course were the trio, our trek leader the passionate Ashish, lead guide - the inimitable Dwarika and sweeper guide - the reticent Mukesh. They made sure that the trek was safe, enjoyable and exciting for everyone.

 

The Dynamic Dodiyas - Ahaan, Sonika, Anshul

The Chilled out Jambhekars -  Arnav 'Respect the Toilet', Aabha, Saurabh

 

The Energetic Oletis - Surya and Sid the 'Yoda'

The Super fit Iyers 1 - Praveen, Roona, Ishta, Vihaan

The Determined Desais -Roshni, Bhavin, Khyati, Kushal

The Resilient Teles'es - Karl, Zach the 'Rockstar', Sonia

Ab apni tareef, mein kya karun - The Iyers 2

The Three Musketeers - Mukesh, Ashish, Dwarika 

It was a wonderful team that laughed, cried, groaned and celebrated together. We created memories that will last us a lifetime. Personally for me and my family it was a dream come true. 

As I conclude, I end with some thoughts that reflect the trek for me. So long!

The tall chir pines amidst the lush maple trees,

Swaying together in the cool, gentle breeze

The meandering stream, with waters ice cold

Majestic mountains, bigger than your eyes can behold

Green meadows where the cattle graze

On a flowery carpet that never ceases to amaze

The mighty griffon, soaring high up in the sky

That flock of sheep, returning when dusk is nigh

The orange sunset and the early morning rays

How I wish there were many more Milky Ways

Rising adrenaline, as I reach the summit top

This was just the first one, I ain’t gonna stop