Har ki Dun Trek

Meet us early in the morning at Dehradun. From here we will start the scenic drive to our base camp set up at Sankri, located at an altitude of 6,400 ft. During the drive, you will pass through the beautiful places like Mussoorie, Naitwar and many more. It will be the picturesque drive of a lifetime to reach base camp. Also throughout the drive, you will feel nature with you along with the beautiful landscape and fragrance of pinewood and Himalayan flora and fauna. The drive will take around 7-8 hours to complete.

Upon reaching, you can check-in at your hotel/homestay/camping and drop your luggage before heading out for a stroll through the quaint little hamlet Sankri. This is a small Himalayan hamlet full of natural richness.

You will spend the night in the tents or in village Homestay/Hotel.

After breakfast this morning, you will taken to Taluka through four wheeler and from Taluka we will trek to the Pauni Garaat. We will drive through a forest road flanked by Deodar and Bamboo trees. Streams of clear water swerving down the hills accompany you throughout this stretch. The drive is a delight for all as you will be able to spot rare Himalayan birds like the Red-Billed Blue Magpie, Himalayan Raven, and Himalayan Bulbul

The trek commences on an stony trail that runs out of the village. A few minutes into the trek, the trail expands into an open land and you will find yourself walking along the banks of the Supin River.

Eventually, the trail translates into a level walk through dense lush conifers where you spot the first cemented bridge running over a small gentle stream. After about 15 minutes, you will come across another wooden bridge over a stream. You can fill your water bottles here.

The hike is quite pleasant throughout as you will be walking under the shade of Walnut, Pine and Cedar trees accompanied by the sound of the flowing river. You might even find walnuts on the ground in autumn. The gradient of the trail is easy mostly with gradual ascents.

A couple of hours into the trek, you will see the small village of Gangar on the other side of the river. Small wooden shops serving tea and snacks dot the landscape. We will be taking a quick halt here to have our packed lunches.

The trail out of the Gangar village runs along the right hand side of the river. Fields of Potato and Maize can be spotted along the way.  The campsite for the day, Pauni Garaat, is situated in a vast clearing enroute. The actual village of Pauni Garaat, however, is located on the other side of the river.

After setting up camps and freshening up, take some time to explore the area around the campsite. Have a hot dinner and tuck in early to get ample rest for the next day.

Post breakfast, we commence the 8 km long trek to Kalkattiyadhaar. The trail runs through a thicket of towering forests culminating in the village of Seema. It is marked by a sparse cluster of concrete structures and a forest department guest house set on the banks of the Supin River

Next to the village of Seema lies the infamous Seema Bridge, a large hanging bridge running across the Supin River with a backdrop of colossal mountain ranges. The jewel-blue Supin River can be seen sparkling as it winds its merry way through the boulders. After half an hour, the trail opens up to grand snow-capped views of the Banderpoonch and Swargarohini I,II and III ranges.

The trail eventually culminates at a ridge locally named as Kalkattiyadhar

We will camp at Kalkattiyadhar/Seemathra/basla for night stay. You will be able to spot some magnificent peaks like the Buyal Devsu and Mt. Black Peak from here. You will also be able to see the Ruinsara Range running on the left and the Kedarkantha Summit on the right.

The summit day is the longest of all days as we will be covering a distance of about 14 km. Be prepared for an early start. We begin our hike at 6 AM post breakfast just as the sun rises. In December, the pristine white snow-blanket all around shines meekly as we trail through. Depending upon the density and rigidity of the snow, your trek leader may provide you with microspikes and gaiters for easy navigation.

The trail heading out of the campsite runs high above the convergence of the Supin River and the river from the Ruinsara valley. From this point onwards, sprawling views of the snow-clad peaks of Ruinsara valley (including Mt. Black peak) with the Har Ki Dun valley resting below take over the landscape. The trek gradient is moderate with a mixture of steep and gradual ascends.

The trail eventually leads you to a stretch with an incline of about 45 degrees. Although it is not steep, the section is likely to be covered in knee-deep snow making it a taxing ascent.

The last leg to the summit climbs side by side with the river through a dense forest before opening up to a clearing cradling some of the prominent peaks in the region. This is the Har Ki Dun Summit. From the summit, you will be able to see the open grounds below Swaragrohini-1 peak and also catch glimpses of Hata Peak and Black Peak covered in snow.

The valley has plenty to explore such as meadows full of alpine flowers, glacier moraines, coniferous forests, swift streams and the grand view of huge mountain ranges. You can explore the entire ground in about an hour or two and head back to Kalkattiyadhaar/Seemathra/basla after lunch. Three Person Sharing In Camp.

Wake up in time to catch a pleasing sunrise from the Kalkattiyadhaar campsite. The morning temperatures are quite low and can even drop to subzero levels in December. The journey back is fairly easy since the trail is mostly downhill. After having breakfast, we begin the trek by crossing the Har Ki Dun Bridge and continue the gentle descent downstream. From there, ascend up to the Kalkattiyadhaar and descent gradually till Pauni Garaat.

Since the trek is not very long today, we will explore the quaint village of Osla along the way. The village, spread along a mountain slope, has several double storied wooden houses with slant roofs. There is a charming Someshwar temple dedicated to Lord Shiva with beautiful and detailed carvings on the walls here. If time permits, you may also spend some time talking to the locals who are always happy to see trekkers. We will then head back to Pauni Garaat over the downward trail and spend the night there.

After breakfast, we begin our descent to Taluka retracing the same path we came through. The trek runs through thick forests of Chir Pine, various ferns and flowering trees making up for a beautiful trail. Beware of “bichu ghaas” growing along the sides of the trail. Even a gentle touch of the plant can leave you with a stinging sensation for some time. Don’t worry though, the herb is not poisonous.

Since we will be descending throughout today, be careful do not exert too much pressure on your knees while walking. Trekking poles can come in handy.

After couple of hours into the trail, you will find yourself walking alongside the waters of the Supin River. The final stretch to Taluka is over a cemented trail, at the end of which our vehicle will be ready to take you back to Sankri by road. We reach Sankri just in time to sit back, relax and reminisce on memories of the trek over a hot cup of tea.

The participants leave from Sankri to Dehradun through Four Wheeler.