Har Ki Dun

The Drive:

Your journey begins with a drive from Kotgaon to Dharkot. It is a small village, roughly 23 km away from Kotgaon. The road to Dharkot passes through some beautiful mountain bends, with views of Mount Swargarohini and Mount Rangalana. You will also see sights of many hanging Himalayan villages on the mountain edges. 

Notice the houses you pass by. They are built using a technique called Koti-Banal architecture, which uses a combination of wood, stone, and slate. Such construction protects against seismic forces and the harsh climatic conditions prevalent in the region. 

Around 4 km from Kotgaon, you reach Sankri. Sankri is famously known as the base camp of the Kedarkantha trek. In winter, it is packed with trekkers. This is your last stop to buy any last-minute trekking gear. After this, you step into remote villages with no shops/markets. 

To travel to Dharkot on your own: Hire a jeep locally from Kotgaon or Sankri. Remember that this is a landslide-prone route and is often closed during the monsoons. So, plan accordingly.

What to expect on the trek: 

The trail immediately sets off from Dhatmeer (a small village en route) onwards till Dharkot on a muddy jeep track. Follow this route for around 4 km. Dense coniferous forests surround you, with several water channels crisscrossing your path. 

At Dharkot, spot a small Shiva temple. You’ll find open ground on the temple premises where you can break for lunch. Rhododendron, malta, and seabuckthorn are popular seasonal juices sold in the dhaba next door.

Post-lunch, the trek picks up pace with a descent down to the Thamsa River. Throughout this 1.5 - 2 km, you trek past millet and potato fields, two crops that form the staple diet of the region.  

After a quick descent, you reach Thamsa, a river that will be your companion through most of the Har Ki Dun trek. Thamsa is a tributary of the Yamuna, which takes its birth in the upper ranges of Mt. Bandarpoonch. During the day, the sands glimmer along the riverbank. Notice the numerous gleaming rocks of mica covering the terrain.

With the river on your left, spot a shepherd’s trail descending beside it. Around 10 minutes into the descent, spot a cemented bridge over a small stream.

Within 15 minutes of a gradual descent, you reach a wooden bridge. Fill your bottles here. Then walk uphill for 15 minutes till you see a small clearing next to the river. You can set up an emergency camp here if need be.

Another 10-15 minutes later, you’ll come across a spot where you can descend to a tributary of the Thamsa River. Here, facing the inner part of the valley, locate two trails, one moving upwards and another going straight ahead. Take the second route straight ahead.

The trail from here may be in bad condition, as it is prone to landslides. After 10-15 minutes of a level walk, you’ll come across land cleared by shepherds. This is to set up temporary night shelters.

Ten minutes into the climb, look out for another landslide-prone section. You may have to come down the river and cross the section that has caved in due to landslides. 20 minutes on this trail, will lead you to a wooden bridge to cross the Thamsa River. From here, a 7 to 10-minute climb will lead you to the homestay. You will now have arrived at the village of Gangaad. 

Life at Gangaad: 

The first thing you’ll notice about Gangaad is that the wooden houses are two or three-storied. Take a closer look at them when you get a chance, because these houses are architectural marvels. They are so in harmony with their mountainous surroundings that there is a remarkable amount of modernity and wisdom in their construction. 

For instance, all houses face the east, ensuring they maximise sunlight even in the cold winters. The roofs of these houses are made of heavy stone sheets called ‘Patali’. These are intricately put together to make angled roofs so that snow/rain slides off easily. The weight of the stones also protects the homes from the wind and other harsh weather conditions.  

But what they do further to regulate heat will baffle you. Cattle are reared at lower levels. Sheep and goats are in the middle level, and humans are at the top-most level. Heat trapped in the lower levels from the cattle helps regulate the temperature above, keeping the whole building warm in the winter. 

Looking beyond the homes, in the heart of this ancient hamlet are a primary school and a temple dedicated to Someshwar Mahadev. You may often find the temple closed. This is because the residents believe that the gods move from one temple to another during different seasons. But when open, the temple has strong traditional practices, including the sacrificial goat. Every time an individual leaves the village in pursuit of better prospects and opportunities or when a special occasion arises, a goat is sacrificed and cooked, which is then shared among all the villagers.

Beyond the village, you’ll notice that the mountain across the valley is rife with greenery, mostly spruce, whereas the side you’re standing on is mostly barren and ridged. You’ll notice this in many parts of the Himalayas. It is mostly caused by different factors like exposure to sunlight, moisture from rain/snow, and the type of soil. 

The path from Gangaad to Kalkatiyadhaar is relatively rockier than other sections of the trail.

There are stretches where the trail is overlaid with sizable rocks—it’s easy to sprain your ankle in these sections. In these sections, the trick is to move ahead by using the edge of rocks as a foothold—the edge is the line that juts out at the top. This provides a good grip for your shoe to move forward from without angling the ankle at all. During descents, make sure you land softly on each foot since the impact of walking on such a terrain for hours on end is bound to make your knees hurt—so try lowering the impact as much as possible. Further, walk in a meandering or zigzag fashion to alternate the pressure on each knee—this helps a lot! Moreover, wearing kneecaps may prove to be very useful since it partially absorbs the impact.

Descend from Gangaad and cross a bridge that leads you to the other side of the river. The river, which now falls on the left, is notably wider and more forceful than any other tract you may traverse along during the trek. After a half an hour walk, notice the campsite on the right. This is Chilurgarh. Walk ahead and spot a little sheltered gazebo-like structure by a wooden bridge. Such shelters usually serve as a place where people light up bonfires to warm themselves up. However, Indiahikes does not allow bonfires owing to its environmental repercussions, so refrain from starting one.

After a while, look for a diversion to your right. It takes you to a dhaba by a wooden bridge. Behind the dhaba is a small hut. Go and witness a fascinating process: the locals use the momentum of water (hydroelectricity) to run a mechanical turbine that grinds cereal into flour. Just 25 metres before the wooden bridge, on the right, is Pauni Garaat.

An alternative for the Puani Garaat campsite: Those who want to camp at Osla will have to cross the wooden bridge. Get onto the left side of River Thumsa and trek along the river to reach Osla.

An alternative route from Puani Garaat: To reach Seema, trek straight up on the true right of the river to Seema. There are a few steep ascents, but the trail often relaxes into a gradual walk. The landscape and the terrain will remain so for around 90 minutes.

From Seema, walk towards a bridge over Thumsa to the left side of the valley. Look for a small, cemented bridge, some 60 metres above you. A broken trail leads to this bridge. Walk across and get on the trail leading to Osla on the left.

Along the way, observe a rich foliage of purple poppies and other alpines with motley butterflies fluttering around in clusters of indigo, orange, white, brown, and black. A series of rhododendron trees tinted red, pink, and white, either in bloom or wound up, is a sight of unparalleled beauty. The local tea, called Chora, gets its special aftertaste from red rhododendrons (the white ones are poisonous). At several places, innocent-looking plants like Nettle and Poison Ivy splotch the ground underneath. Nettle leaves, clever in its design, sting the fingertips when touched, and you are left scratching your head looking for the pointy thorn that pricked you. Numerous white wild roses with sappy little leaves on both sides of the trail will be discernable through and through. Admire the tiny offshoots of yellow and purple flowers springing from rocky crevices and clumps of grass on the trail.

Perceive the mountains in view with frozen glaciers cleaving through the upper slopes; notice the stark contrast of glazing whiteness with the dark green overlay surrounding it. Leap from boulder to boulder to cross the pouring waterfalls, which will mellow down at places and make for shallow rivulets submerging only the soles of your boots.

After a considerable ascent, enter the village of Osla. It is a tiny village with vast open spaces. The children here play cricket using a washing bat and a rolled-up ball made by stringing together disparate pieces of cloth. A huge, sheltered place stands beside an open ground by the temple of Someshwar Devata. The ground is where the children play! It is notable that trash lying around near the villages is much more than along the trails, so make sure to collect maximum waste from here.

From Osla, trek for an hour or more. A large meadow thriving with crops of millet will come into view. With a backdrop of green hills, people rearing cattle, and travellers lazing around on rocks and the two wooden beams making an “L” beside a quirky dhaba makes for an appropriate resting place and a darling treat to the eye. Lie back and observe the endless peaks, valleys, and rivers harmonise in a beautiful, dreamy view. Explore the crops, the rocks, and bask in the afternoon sunshine or the shadow of the passing clouds, depending on the weather.

Moving on from here, after a few twists and turns and a bridge and another dhaba (drink Chora tea from here), begin your ascent to your first campsite, Kalkatiyadhar. The splendid views from the campsite involve sights of our two surreal valleys—Har ki Dun. The entirety of Hatta peaks dominates the skies, along with the Black peak (Kalanaag), Bandarpunch 1, and Bandarpunch 2. Devsu Thach, our last campsite, is also visible from here.

Sprawled all over the campsite will be tents and mats and farms and flocks of sheep chasing one another. Cows and dogs will moo and bark at one another while you are highly encouraged to stupidly bleat at the sheep who will respond with judgemental stares and look around confusedly. As much as you might love animals, do not separate any lamb from its peers (even for a selfie)—the poor thing gets very anxious.

It’s the most exciting day of the trek!

The itinerary for the day involves trekking from Kalkatiyadhar to Har ki Dun via Boslo. The road to Boslo begins with a gentle ascent of 40–45 minutes, after which follows a flat trail. Notice the Bhojpatra trees on either side of the trail, the trunks of which will seem misshapen compared to the tall, vertical pines. The peeling nature of the trunk adds to its gnarly composition. They only grow above a certain elevation, i.e., above 10,000 ft.

Look for a magnificent waterfall which you may either cross by stepping on big boulders or by walking on thin wooden beams in a wobbly balancing act. Right by it is a dhaba big enough to accommodate 20 people. Even though it’s tempting to stop and drink chai at every stop, it’s important keep in mind that the fuel source used is not too efficient. At places where gas cylinders are not readily available, wood is the main source of fuel which is highly toxic for the environment.

Behind the dhaba is a wooden bridge, after which follows a gradual ascent till a lightning-struck tree, followed by a soothing descent of an hour or more. The walk is pleasant and relieving after all the burn your quads have endured. After the descent, turn right. Our next campsite will emerge in view.

Even though every campsite has its unique features which makes it supreme in its own way, Boslo is undoubtedly the best if one was forced to pick a “favourite”. The campsite consists of a soft, damp ground underneath which the river tends to pass—making it a natural waterbed. The expanse of the campsite is a limitless stretch from one side where the four peaks of Hatta rise along with Har ki Dun, to another side that goes towards —Ruinsara. The campsite is long and wide on all sides and consists of huge boulders to sit and ponder, scattered across the landscape. The river rushes down at an energetic pace, circumventing the rocks and boulderstones in its way which are thrust into the ground with a determined firmness. The formidable mounts ahead are very still and intimidating, making it all one of the most humbling experiences, culminating in the realisation of human fragility.

The mornings at Boslo makes the place the very archetype of Paradise on Earth when the sun floods the village with bright golden light and the birds call and respond to one another with their constant twitters.

Since it’s the summit day, everyone will carry day packs. From Boslo, the summit is attempted through a considerable ascent of 1.5–2 hours, throughout which you will meet a lot of trekkers returning from the summit and wishing you luck on the way. The surroundings are thriving with birch trees. After a while, look for a thach ahead of you. You may rest and snack on nuts to keep up the energy. Once you reach a flat expanse at the end of your ascent, notice Thumsa on your right, as clear as day and shallow enough for you to cross to the other end.

A series of patchy lightning-struck trees on the right of the river loom ominously. On your left will rise sturdy mountains, unclimbable through normal means. Right ahead, marking the summit is a small temple of Lord Shiva, encasing a huge Shivling, and a GMVH rest house just beside it. Massive boulders are scattered across the landscapes underneath which notice the trekkers warming themselves up. After a certain distance, cross a wooden bridge and begin your final ascent to reach the summit. You can either go up to the temple and take a right or traverse the grassy area without any marked trails to directly reach at the top.

A beautiful world unravels itself. On the right, get a glimpse of Swargarohini 1, 2, & 3 (4 is on the other side of the valley, and hence, not visible). Behold the Hatta peaks along with a splendid view of the Jaundhar glacier and Maninda Tal, from where Thumsa originates. It’s a sheer impossibility to comprehend the sublimity of the prospects before you. A panoramic view of the most renowned peaks contouring the skyline puts you in a trance where all you are aware of is the senses perceiving the landscape and the awareness of the self becomes an intangibility—your consciousness is an aspect wholly devoted to discerning the vistas and everything else dissolves into oblivion.

Descending to Boslo is a reward on its own, since, after a long day, you need a place like this to hold you.