Kedarkantha Trek Distance & Route Details Explained
The Kedarkantha trek spans approximately 19 to 20 kilometres, making it one of the more approachable Himalayan summit trek especially in winters. This distance includes both ascent and descent, passing through forests, meadows, snow slopes, and ridgelines, thus attracting both beginners and experienced trekkers.
Day-wise Breakdown of distance for Kedarkantha trek:
Day 1: On the first day, you travel by road from Dehradun to Sankri. This initial leg covers roughly 206 km and takes about 8 to 10 hours, depending on the roads and the traffic to reach the destination. While not part of the trekking distances on foot, it’s important for acclimatization. You arrive in Sankri village in the evening, rest, and prepare your body, gear, and mindset for the upcoming trekking days.
Day 2: On this day, the real trekking journey begins. You cover approximately 4-4.5 km of the Kedarkantha trek. You leave Sankri walking through dense pine and oak forests, rivers, and gentle slopes, reaching a peaceful campsite near Juda Ka Talab, a high-altitude lake. The trek takes about 4-5 hours, providing a gentle but satisfying first climb.
Day 3: Today, you hike from Juda ka Talab to Kedarkantha base camp, covering roughly 3-4 km. This is where the forest begins to thin and you move into more open meadows, with more clearer view of the most prominent Himalayan ranges. The trek duration for this day is shorter—roughly 2 to 3 hours, depending on pace and trail conditions.
Day 4: This is the toughest and most challenging day of the Kedarkantha trek. You ascend from Base Camp to the summit of Kedarkantha at roughly 12,500 feet (≈ 3,810 metres), then descend to a lower campsite, often called Hargaon. The Kedarkantha trek distance for this day, including both parts, is approximately 7-8 km or more, depending on the chosen route. This is a long day, expect around 8-9 hours of trekking. The summit views are spectacular, with 360-degree panoramas of surrounding peaks.
Day 5: On the final stretch of the trek, the distance is approximately 4- 5 km as you descend from Hargaon back to Sankri, retracing much of the route through meadows and forests. Since it’s mostly downhill, this day requires less effort against gravity, although knees and ankles may feel the strain. The terrain includes familiar forests, meadows, and occasionally stone-paved or rocky paths. The trek typically takes about 3 to 5 hours, depending on your pace and breaks.
In total, these daily stretches add up to the Kedarkantha trek distance of about 19-20 kilometres on foot. This makes it possible to enjoy steep climbs, summit views, snowfields, and varied forest and meadow terrain without overly long, harsh trekking days—especially good for those doing their first Himalayan summit trek.