The Uttarkashi traverse began from Newtar at the base of Rupin river and headed towards Barkot via Kedarkantha, over Palachu Pass, Dayara Pass and Belakkal pass. The route goes through Rupin river, Tons river, Yamuna river, Binsi Gad and Bhagirati river.
Newtar to Barkot (via Kedarkantha), May 27th-29th 2023
Note: I missed the trail going towards Darsaun, so the mapped route ends after the ridgeline.
Trail head
Villages/Hamlets enroute
Night halt
I was joined by Avish, a batch mate from Alpine Field Bootcamp for this hike to Kedar Kantha. A shared taxi from Newtar completely packed with villagers took us to Halthari.
Todays hike was 28kms with a significant climb of 2665m elevation gain. We started our day early by 6am. Walking up from Halthari village to the trail head of Kedar Kantha. The path is well marked all the way up to the base of the peak. 400m of ascent lead us to a meadow where we could see some smoke in the distance. It was a shepherds camp- they are the most welcoming people in the mountains especially when you are a small group of just two individuals. We gathered around the fire for chai as the sun was still making its way up.
The climb to Kedar Kantha was fairly straight forward with a steady ascent through pine forests and meadows, many streams flow down due to snow melt from the peak. On our way up magnificient views of the Bandarpunch mountain range revealed itself, ice walls towering 6000 meters high.
The last 200 meters up to Kedarkantha was steep climbing with fresh patches of snow, we walked up the south facing ridge to be treated to panaromic views of the Gangothri mountain range, it was a heavenly sight atop this sacred peak.
The route ahead was 9-10kms of following the ridge towards Darsaun. The views were fantastic with many animal shelters and caves along the way. We encountered a few shepherds climbing up from Jewanu hamlet, who warned us that we might get lost on the way and to always stay on the ridge. Using the survey map as a reference we kept going south until a trail going towards Darsaun appeared, we followed it downhill for 200 meters eventually losing the trail. Too tired to go back up and not having enough food for the night, we pushed on ahead bushwacking through dense jungle, negotiating many gullies and steep terrain along the way. We finally made it to Darsaun after a few hours deep in the jungle but we didn't have any luck of finding food here so we marched ahead totally exhausted to Dingari and stayed the night at a local family's house.
We walked towards Barkot the next morning following the Badyar Gad river on a newly constructed road. It was 15kms of walking on a mud road under the harsh sun until we finally hitched a ride from Koti to Rajgarhi and continued our walk to Barkot.
Nandgaon to Uttarkashi (via Palachu Pass), June 1st 2023
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Villages/Hamlets enroute
Night halt
A short ride on shared taxi from Barkot dropped me off at Gangani on the Yamunotri highway. Palachu pass is a lesser known pass used mostly by villagers to commute between Yamunotri and Baghirathi river valleys. I hiked up on the road beside the lush green terrace farms of the Nandgaon village.
The previous 2 days of heavy rain had converted the hiking trail into small streams. After a while of trying to avoid getting wet I caved in and began walking through the stream. Initial trail near the village is covered with fruit trees ranging from Apples, Pomegranate, Cherries and my favorite Himalayan Golden berries which I generously plucked every chance I got. It is an ancient cobbled stone trail probably made centuries back and still being used and maintained by the villagers.
After crossing the village the trail leads into a thick evergreen forest with many old growth trees untouched by humans. Hiking under the canopy of the forest alone I could feel a sense of peace within me, filled with amazement at the natural beauty around me. Every tree had its own unique personality, twisting and turning as if unfolding its story of survival through the seasons.
Upon reaching the pass I took a short break to eat samosas and inspect my foot. I could feel a tingling sensation and to my suspicion it was indeed a blood sacrifice to the leech gods. As I dried my foot a local from Sigot invited for a cup of chai made from Buffalo milk at his summer dwelling next to Palachu pass. The whole family with their kids had just arrived from their village to spend the next 6 months herding a pack of Buffaloes.
I marched on downhill into the scenic Baghirathi valley, there was a clear wide path all the way to Sigot- a farming settlement with many paddy fields. The villagers were busy sowing rice saplings, what caught my attention was how the entire community comes together to help each other on their farms with the workload. A great sight to witness these women cheerfully working as group.
Sigot is connected by road going towards Uttarkashi, I followed the road for an hour and to my luck I was able to hitch a ride from Nakuti Gad. I got off at Bandarkot and caught a shared taxi going to Uttarkashi. After 3 weeks of only eating rice, dal and aloo parantha I indulged myself in the variety of food available at the big town of Uttarkashi. There was a red warning of heavy storms in the evening, I headed to the taxi stand and caught the only vehicle going to the remote village of Agora to begin the next days hike.
Agora to Raithal (via Dayara Pass), June 2nd 2023
Trail head
Villages/Hamlets enroute
Night halt
Todays hike was to Dayara pass from the Binsi Gad river valley. Although there was no trail on the survey map I had heard from locals that shepherds use this route to take their live stock to graze on the meadows atop Dayara. After enquiring with a few locals at Agora they instilled a sense of fear in me by saying that I will get lost in the forest and that the climb to Dayara pass will take 2 days, suggesting I should hire a local guide. I had made up my mind that I will start my day early and look for a route myself, if the shepherds are going up there must be a trail!
Determined and excited for the challenge ahead I left for the hike with rotis and vegetables packed for the day. A trail from Agora goes down to the river on a cobbled stone path. Luckily, on my way down I spotted a family of shepherds crossing the Binsi Gad river on a log bridge. I asked them for guidance regarding the route and one of the younger locals Rajesh said that I could accompany him till his Channi (summer dwelling) at Murapara.
Rajesh had a friendly, innocent attitude about him always turning around to see if I was doing alright. The route goes through the beautiful Dodital reserve forest and there are many places where the trails split into different directions. On the way we spoke about his life in the mountains and his brief experience of working in the city of Mumbai a few years back. He said that even though they might not make much money in the village he is content living with his family breathing fresh air, drinking pristine water and taking care of his animals. After a few hours of hiking we reached his house at Murapara, he insisted that I stay for chai but I had to refuse as I had another 1000 meters of climbing and the clouds were closing in. Thanking him for his company and guidance I marched on ahead.
200 meters from Murapara I came across a family of Gujjars milking Buffaloes. The mountain was full of life as we approached the end of May, snow melt on higher altitude gives way to alpine meadows rich in nutrients. They warned me that the route ahead is not clear and that I should turn back. As a solo hiker locals always warn you about the dangers lurking in the wilderness, I appreciated their concern but carried on with my hike- staying alert, always looking out for trails ahead and even playing music on a tiny portable speaker to keep predators at bay which also helped lift my morale. The problem in himalayas is not that there no trails but there are too many of them splitting into every direction thanks to the animals grazing. Using the contour map I picked the most gradual trail going uphill and made my way up along the ridge for another 400 meters until the forest cleared up and voila I caught the first glimpe of Dayara, Bakria and Mukti Top peaks infront of me. The mountain range had patches of snow possibly from recent hail storms. Overjoyed by this sight I hiked ahead with a renewed sense of confidence.
At 11am as I approached Dayara I spotted a settlement just 200 meters below the pass. Initially I thought it might be abandoned but as I got closer I could see smoke coming out of the hay stacked roof. It was a Gujjar family who had recently setup their camp, they invited me into their home to warm myself up beside the fire. Gujjars lead a nomadic life with no land to their name. They live in temporary settlements relying mostly on the produce of their livestock. They were extremely hospitable serving me sweetened buffalo milk and wishing me luck for the journey ahead.
The way up to Dayara pass was a tricky climb on a west facing slope, covered with ice, lose rocks and grass. I took my time with each section using all 4 limbs to find a good holding before ascending. It was slow progress and I eventually made it to the top by 12pm. Catching my breath I looked down at the steep path I had climbed up and as I looked to other side of the mountain I was treated to a completely lush landscape on the east facing side of the mountain, These were the Bugyals (local word for meadow) of Dayara.
The descent from the pass towards Raithal was an easy walk as this is a popular hiking route in the region which offers scenic views of meadows with the high ranges at the back. There is a clear wide path through out the way with many commercial trekking camp sites are setup on the way down. They begin their hike from Raithal and go up to the peak in 3 days setting up camps in between. I found a nice patch of grass overlooking the high ranges to enjoy a well deserved meal of roti and vegetables. By 5pm I reached Raithal and halted the night there.
Maneri to Bellakh (via Dayara Pass), June 2nd 2023
Trail head
Villages/Hamlets enroute
Night halt
After a solid rest of 10 hours I rose to a clear sunny day. I walked from Raithal to Bathwari where a shared taxi dropped me off at Maneri. After a breakfast of aloo paranthas, omelette and chai I was ready for my hike to Bellakhal pass. I had packed roti and vegetables for the day and made way to a hanging bridge over the Baghirathi river leading to the village of Dedasri.
The ancient foot trail has been erased and in its place a 4 wheeler road is being contructed. The forest around this area seemed untouched. A spotted a herd of Musk Deer run down near vertical cliffs at an incredible pace. The mud road stops after 8 kms and a trail leads up a hill to the remote village of Syaba. The villagers were occupied in their daily chores drying fodder, working on the farm and kids had come back for their summer holiday. It was a lively atmosphere. As I was walking up an old woman called out to me and invited me for lunch, I obliged. Kids in the village gathered around curious about this outside hiking alone they were a curious bunch. I ate rice with soya curry and drank a glass of butter milk. Thanking them for their warm hospitality I continued with my hike. The entire stretch from Syaba is full of life in summer where villagers move up to their summer dwelling herding live stock, as many as 20 wooden houses were present in these dwellings 500 meters above Syaba. The kind villagers invited me over for chai but I was stuffed from just having lunch so I refused. I passed through meadows and old growth forest with moss all over trees. It was a pleasant walk through forests and every 100 meters I would meet villagers either with their herd or gathering wood from the forest. Most of the residents at the summer dwelling comprised of the older generation, the young one probably working in towns.
As the sun began to set I reached Bellakh. A summer settlement of villagers from Thandi who come up here to herd. Rows of wodden houses all of them occupied. The pass was full of life. An old gentleman invited me over for chai. We chatted about my journey and my route ahead. He was well informed about hiking routes in this region having explored the mountains extensively himself in his youth. He told me stories of a time when pilgrims visiting major holy sites like Kedarnath and Badrinath used travel by foot over mountains in this particular route. 3 decades back Bellakh used to be a refuge to piligrims on their yatra to these holy places. I spent the night with his family enjoying their company and warm hospitality.
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