Overview
Region :- Uttarakhand
Duration :- 16 Days
Grade :- Difficult
Max Altitude :- 20960 Ft.
Approx Trekking Km :- 24 Kms.
Black peak is located in the Govind National Park area known for its diverse flora and fauna. The trail leading to the mountain is blessed with magnificent alpine meadows, pine forests, moraine ridges, boulders, and glacier basins. Being the highest peak in the range amongst Saraswati Devi Parvat (Bandarpunch I, 6316 m) and Hanuman Parvat (White Peak or Bandarpunch II, 6102 m), to reach the zenith of the Black Peak will take a lot of effort and experience testing your limits but rewarding you with unparalleled views of the full Bandarpunch family, a milestone for any aspiring trekker and mountaineer.
Itinerary
Day 01: Dehradun to Sankri
Arrive at Dehradun railway station or bus stand (ISBT) and leave for Sankri. The total journey will take about 8 hours. The journey takes you through some of the most picturesque villages. Sankri is a beautiful hamlet serving as a base camp for many treks. Sankri is the last village before the Govind Balabh Pant Wildlife Sanctuary. Sankri presents you with stunning views of the Himalayan horizon and an abundance of mountain peaks. Today is a rest day as you prepare yourself for the expedition which starts tomorrow. You will get all the necessary details and information regarding the expedition. Have dinner and rest for the night.
Day 2: Drive from Sankri to Taluka and trek to Seema (2700M)
Today is the start of your expedition. Begin early and drive to Taluka, a small hamlet located 11km from Sankri. It has a few shops and houses. It is located near Govind National Park. From Taluka you begin your trek towards Seema. The trek is an easy one through picturesque villages and pine trees. A gradual ascent through an abundantly present walnut and chestnut trees will take you to a trail over a stream towards a vast green meadow past the village of Datmir leading to a thick forest section. The trail becomes steep and leads to a couple of bridges which when crossed will take you to the beautiful village of Seema. Have dinner and stay overnight in tents.
Day 3: Seema to Ruinsara Tal (3350M)
Today we trek to the hallowed lake of Ruinsara through trails with a vast array of alpine flowers. Ruinsara Tal has enthralling views of the glittering Swargarohini peaks. This is your campsite for the night with beautiful landscapes and views of mountain farming. Ruinsara Tal is associated with the Indian mythological epic Mahabharata, where the Pandavas were exiled for fourteen years. Overnight camp at Ruinsara Tal.
Day 4: Ruinsara Tal to Kyarkoti (Base Camp) (3500M)
Today’s journey from Ruinsara Tal to the Kyarkoti Base Camp will be undertaken in 5-6 hours. The kyarkoti base camp is a patch of grassland with a spring adjacent to it and surrounded by boulders and snow peaked mountains. The view of the Black Peak summit from this base camp instills excitement and an adrenaline rush. This campsite is a perfect base camp to exercise your mountaineering proficiency and plan to overcome challenges involved in peaking the Black Peak. Overnight camp at Kyarkoti.
Day 5: Rest day at Kyarkoti Base Camp
Today will be a rest day at our base camp. It will help you to get acclimatized and prepare all the necessary equipment needed for the upcoming summit day.
Day 6: Base Camp to Advanced Base Camp (4600M)
Today a 4-5 hours trek will take us from the Kyarkoti base camp to our advanced base camp where we will load ferry, shift all the essential equipment and luggage. Our technical guides will discern the further gradient and evaluate the route and environment. With the team we setup our advanced base camp and retire for the night.
Day 7: ABC to Camp 1 (5100M) and back to ABC (Load Ferry at Camp 1)
The trail from to the ABC will take you through grassy land, boulders followed by a steep climb through a landslide region which will descend to moraine patches followed by a glacier. The clear view of the Black Peak from this point will be enthralling as you will be heading to summit this majestic mountain. We establish our Camp 1 here and load the ferry and carry all essential things. Return back to the ABC and retire for the night.
Day 8: Camp 1 to Summit Camp and back to Camp 1
Today we will load ferry from Camp 1 to Summit Camp and return to Camp 1 where we spend the night.
Day 9: Camp 1 to Summit Camp (5500M)
Today we make a move to our Summit camp. After bypassing a number of crevasses we set-up our camp on a snow field with the majestic view of Swargarohini in the North, Bandarpunch in the south and the Black Peak visible towards the South-east. The thought of summiting Kalanag has been in your mind since day one and tomorrow it will finally come true. Excitement levels are over the peak. We set up our camp for the night and prepare for the summit attempt of Black Peak the next day. Retire early as the summit attempt will start a little after midnight.
Day 10: Summit camp to Summit attempt (6387M)
Today is the day you all have been waiting for. We start by 0200 hours while the snow remains hard making it easier to walk with a decent pace, aiming to reach the summit in 7-8 hours. The summit climb involves fixing a rope to negotiate a 75-100 feet vertical wall of slope making it extremely technical and challenging. Utmost care needs to be taken at this point. The slope being very steep, it is important for the lead climber to open and fix the route leading to a ridgeline. Finally, you reach the summit. The summit of Black Peak (Kalanag) is flat. Take some photos of your spectacular endeavor to cherish this moment. Don’t spend a lot of time at this extreme altitude and start to descend down to your summit camp and Camp 1 and if possible to your base camp.
Day 11: Reserve Day
Reserve a day for summit climb if the weather does not allow you to summit the day before.
Day 12: Summit Camp to Base camp (3500M)
This day we shall wrap up our summit camp and camp1 and move to our base camp. Celebrate your success and cherish the moments. Retire for the night.
Day 13: Kyarkoti Base camp to Ruinsara Tal (3350M)
From the base camp descend down to Ruinsara Tal. Spend the rest of the day exploring the mythological lake and indulge in stories about Ruinsara associated with Mahabharata from the locals. Retire for the night at the camps.
Day 14: Ruinsara Tal to Seema (2700M)
Today we descend to the Semma village. Set-up tents here and spend the day exploring the beautiful village at your pace. You can also explore the nearby village of Osla located on the other side of the river. Visit the temple of Duryodhana, the main attraction Osla and spend time with the locals. Retire for the night.
Day 15: Seema to Taluka and drive to Sankri
From Seema we trek back to Taluka where a vehicle will be waiting to drive you to Sankri. Spend the day reminiscing and celebrating your successful feat. Enjoy your stay in the hotel.From Seema we trek back to Taluka where a vehicle will be waiting to drive you to Sankri. Spend the day reminiscing and celebrating your successful feat. Enjoy your stay in the hotel.
Day 16: Drive from Sankri to Dehradun
Have your breakfast at Sankri and leave for Dehradun. You will reach Dehradun by 1800-1900 hours. Consider this time in order to plan your stay in Dehradun or your departure from Dehradun.
How to Reach
By Air :-
Take a flight to Jolly Grant Airport Dehradun, Hire a cab to reach Dehradun City as the airport is 29 km away.
By Train :-
The Dehradun railway station is located in the centre of the city which is well connected to all the major cities of the country.
By Bus:-
Dehradun is easily accessible from major cities of the country as it has an excellent road connectivity with other major cities and towns of North India. There are state-run and private buses that offer a regular service.
Fitness
At high altitude as the air gets thinner oxygen becomes less abundant.The percentage saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen determines the content of oxygen in our blood. After the human body reaches around 2,100 m (7,000 feet) above sea level, the level of oxygen in our hemoglobin begins to plummet. However, the human body has both short-term and long-term adaptations to altitude that allow it to partially compensate for the lack of oxygen.
The Kedarkantha Trek is an easy trek suitable for first time trekker with basic fitness
Trekking Experience: Ideal trek for a beginner.
Fitness Required: The Kedarkantha Trek falls in the category of Moderate treks. The trail is fairly laid out path and has very few steep ascends or descends. Water is available through out the trail. But still if you are thinking of your first big Himalayan trekking experience its better to be prepared. Here is the training schedule to prepare for the trek.
.png){kind=icon}
