We leave early from Sankri post breakfast and start trekking towards Juda Ka Talab. It is a 4 km trekking which can be covered within 2-3 hrs. The path from Sankri to the base camp is a happening one. With kids on their way to school and local village women starting their daily errands and chores, the trek starts from the village crossing another village, Saud, before you reach the trail that leads to Kedarkantha. The trail takes you into the pine forest and starts to climb sharply until you reach a ridge after a while. On the ridge, the trail evens out and widens. The density of the forest makes the walk very cool for the sun is not able to penetrate through the thickness of the pine and maple trees. We camp overnight alongside the Juda ka Talab which freezes in the winters. The site witnesses significant snowfall during the winter months. Altitude: 2,774 metres.

Moving past Juda Ka Talab, a trail takes you deeper into the dense pine forests. Continue walking and you will finally hit a meadow dotted with shepherd’s huts. After climbing another thousand feet, you will reach the destination of the day - Kedarkantha base camp. It is a 3 km long trail, which takes about 2-3 hours to complete this part of the trek. The trail from Juda Ka Talab till the base camp is indescribably beautiful and mesmerising. It is the perfect location for photographers and nature lovers! The base camp is colder than the summit because of lack of insulation. Even from the base camp, the famous peaks of Uttarakhand are visible at a stretch, making it the perfect spot to camp at at an altitude of 3,429 metres

The trek from the base camp to the summit is not a long one. On reaching the summit, your jaw is going to drop and your eyes will not blink. The Kedarkantha summit is marked by an arrangement of stones with a Trishul that points to the sky. The summit offers an astonishing 360-degree view of the peaks of Uttarakhand and the Chaainsheel Pass and Kailash ranges of Himachal.From the top, you can also see the Har Ki Dun valley below. The storey behind Kedarkantha is an interesting one. The name literally means the throat of Lord Shiva (Kedar refers to Lord Shiva and Kantha means Throat). The legend has it that this peak was supposed to be the original Kedarnath temple but Lord Shiva, who disguised himself as a cow hiding from the Pandavas was disturbed during meditation by the villagers. The interruption made him change his location from this peak to the present Kedarnath temple. We make our way back to Sankri along the same route or through alternative route of Hargaon. Altitude 3,810 metres

At Juda ka Talab it was our first camping, and again you will spend here overnight.

Going back home always feels great. But the drive will not make it easy for we take the same alluring road back to Dehradun. The landscape slowly changes from pine forests to wider roads as we head back towards Dehradun, finally opening up into the bustling city life.