[steadfast]

Hi All,

I visited Kedarnath on 5th and 6th May, 2022 for the opening ceremony. Any queries and doubts if you plan to visit I will be happy to answer them.

Thanks. Har har Mahadev.

[SS-Traveller]

Some queries:

• Condition of the walking trail to Kedarnath, and the number of km to be trekked?
• Which is the last motorable point now?
• How about accommodation at Kedarnath?
• Is there stable electric supply at Kedarnath?
• What are the current charges for horses and daandis to Kedarnath?

[steadfast]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Some queries:

• Condition of the walking trail to Kedarnath, and the number of km to be trekked?
• Which is the last motorable point now?
• How about accommodation at Kedarnath?
• Is there stable electric supply at Kedarnath?
• What are the current charges for horses and daandis to Kedarnath?

Ans to 1 and 2) Condition of walking trail is not very good due to multiple rains though I was lucky as the trail was dry on 5th May when I started. However it's slushy and slippery when I returned on 6th May. But with patience and regular halts you can reach the top. Last motorable point is Sonprayag where you can park your vehicle in a designated multi level parking.
Trek is of 19km = [1km + 2km + 16km]. At Sonprayag you walk for 1 km to reach the bridge where taxis ferry you till 2 kms before Gaurikund. From Gaurikund the trail is for 16 kms till Shri Kedarnath temple.

Ans to 3) Accomodation is a challenge. Please book your options at gmvn online at Nandi base camp or Swarg Rohini. Prefer Dormitories than camps/tents as camps and tents do not have washrooms. On gmvn website drop down list there is an option of Nandi base camp huts/dormitory - don't chose this option but choose the option which says Nandi base camp dormitories and price is inr 800 per bed. This will ensure you get dedicated washroom options.
If you have some references please book room near temple at other sites such as Punjab Sindh awaas, Himachal house etc. But DO NOT go without any booking. I have seen people under pathetic conditions there who did not book and found no options.

Ans to 4) Electricity was away for almost 2 hours when I reached there on 5th May at 7 pm however post that till 6th May 2 pm electricity was present. As per local people, no electricity for 2 hours was a surprise. They had good supply even during snowfall few days back.

Ans to 5.) I suppose current horse charges are around inr 2000 - 2200. Can't confirm the same as I walked both sides but this is what I heard from horse pilots.

Overall a wonderful experience and what an atmosphere there. Can't explain in words. The energy and the vibes there are just beyond anything.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by steadfast

Ans to 1 and 2) Condition of walking trail is not very good due to multiple rains though I was lucky as the trail was dry on 5th May when I started. However it's slushy and slippery when I returned on 6th May.

So walking / trekking is not an option for all but the fittest of people. Any information regarding the helicopter service?

[ravib]

Originally Posted by steadfast

Hi All,

I visited Kedarnath on 5th and 6th May, 2022 for the opening ceremony. Any queries and doubts if you plan to visit I will be happy to answer them.

Thanks. Har har Mahadev.

Thank you Steadfast. This is very timely update and much appreciated.

I am visiting Kedarnath and Badrinath next week 19th and 20th May , via Panicker travels organized tour with family (wife and daughter).

Few additional questions on top of what you already answered.

1) How is the weather conditions and temperature now? Do we need very heavy winter clothes or normal ones are sufficient?
2) How did you manage any altitude sickness, if any? Sorry if it was offending.
3) Are they operating helicopter service? I am daily checking GMVN site, but it shows 0 availability for all dates from all places.
4) If helicopter service is not available, how many hours are needed to go via pony or by walk?
5) Can you please suggest or recommend additional items to carry? (Umbrella, moisturizer, medicines etc..?)
6) I can't stay in Kedarnath as accommodation is arranged by Panicker travels. But to budget the time End to End, from Sonprayag-Kedarnath-Sonprayag, how many hours are needed by Walk or Pony?
7) My daughter is 10 year old, so if we have to walk with kids, what additional things to take care or plan?
8) Are there sufficient rest room and water facilities in the trekking way?
9) How is the rush in temple? Not sure how many hours are needed on an average to get darshan in this season or is there any special entry tickets available. I assume it will be crowded. Do we need to do any booking or ticket purchase in advance?

Thanks in advance!
-Ravi

[steadfast]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

So walking / trekking is not an option for all but the fittest of people. Any information regarding the helicopter service?

Well anyone can walk. I saw not so fit people also walking with good number of halts. At any point if someone feels exhausted can get a horse. Plenty of horse options throughout the route. I took 7.25 hours to cover 16km stretch from Gaurikund to Shri Kedarnath. Some took 8.5 hrs whereas some others were quicker as well.

On helicopters, I heard that daily slots are decided and website is open for booking for a very short duration and tickets are sold out for 2-3 days in advance. So options are 1) to stay at place where helicopter booking is done [Phatta/Guptkashi] and be at counter to book tickets or
2) get a local agent there who would stand in queue to get your tickets from counter.
3) identify an agent if any who can book online for you.

Originally Posted by ravib

Thank you Steadfast. This is very timely update and much appreciated.

I am visiting Kedarnath and Badrinath next week 19th and 20th May , via Panicker travels organized tour with family (wife and daughter).
Ravi

Thank you and Please find my responses online.

Few additional questions on top of what you already answered.

1) How is the weather conditions and temperature now? Do we need very heavy winter clothes or normal ones are sufficient?
Ans: Weather is cold in day and chilled in night. Kedarnath temperature was around 11 in day and around 2 in night. Plz carry Heavy jackets for night. In day a sweatshirt would do. But the atmosphere there is so electrifying that you might not feel the chill also

2) How did you manage any altitude sickness, if any? Sorry if it was offending.
Ans: Not offending at all. There was no altitude sickness for me. But there are good number of medical camps on way to take care of any such challenges. Near to Kedarnath, number of medical camps rise. Also there is a number, I suppose 108 that you can dial if any challenge. It could be another number too. I faintly remember now but there is indeed such a number.

3) Are they operating helicopter service? I am daily checking GMVN site, but it shows 0 availability for all dates from all places.
Ans: Answered about helicopters in detail in my previous response. Please go through and happy to answer if still any queries.

4) If helicopter service is not available, how many hours are needed to go via pony or by walk?
Ans: I took 7.5 hours uptrack and 5 hours down track by walk. Some people were quicker some others took 8 hours too. Pony take a shorter time could be around 5- 6 hrs uptrek and 3 hrs downtrek.

5) Can you please suggest or recommend additional items to carry? (Umbrella, moisturizer, medicines etc..?)
Ans: Umbrella, moisturizer, sun screen, light bags, no leather items, lip guard, walking stick of inr 30 buy there on route, power bank, bath towels (dont depend on accomodation owners to provide you ), sanitizer, paper soap, extra socks, raincoat.

6) I can't stay in Kedarnath as accommodation is arranged by Panicker travels. But to budget the time End to End, from Sonprayag-Kedarnath-Sonprayag, how many hours are needed by Walk or Pony?
Ans : 24 - 28 hours :
Sonprayag to Gaurikund : 2 hours [ 1 hr line + 1 hr travel by taxi]
Gaurikund to Shri Kedarnath: 7.5 hours by walk
At Kedarnath : 8 - 10 hrs including 5 hrs stand in line.
Kedarnath to Gaurikund : 5 hrs by walk.
Gaurikund to Sonprayag : 2 hrs.

7) My daughter is 10 year old, so if we have to walk with kids, what additional things to take care or plan?
Ans: kids will enjoy. Just take care of weather, rains and ensure they are walking on inner side of track and not towards valley facing side. Keep them front so that you can watch them. I am still a bachelor so not much of kids experience.

8) Are there sufficient rest room and water facilities in the trekking way?
Ans : Yes enough rest rooms and food and water facilities.

9) How is the rush in temple? Not sure how many hours are needed on an average to get darshan in this season or is there any special entry tickets available. I assume it will be crowded. Do we need to do any booking or ticket purchase in advance?
Ans: No special tickets sold there. If you have any reference then vip entry is probably possible [Not sure though]. Rush is huge. My line on opening day was of 5 hours when I entered the line at 7 am.

[mankuthimma]

Thank you for sharing such helpful details.

Our trip is scheduled for second week of June.

I had few questions since I keep hearing various versions.

1) We have the yatra registration letter. How and where the checking is done for this letter ? Was there a huge rush to get the verification done at the booths? Do they collect biometric fingerprints ?

2) As you mentioned, there is no separate ticket/token to enter the temple for darshan right? Also, we need to factor in the 5 hrs waiting time! Thanks for this info

3) Is there a need for RTPCR reports ?

4) Is there a token issued for cars to park at Sonprayag, since I heard there is a daily limit on the no. of cars that are allowed?

[haisaikat]

Excellent thread idea and at the right time. I am planning around Dussera time. My question is whether there is a provision to do one way trek on Pony and descend via Helicopter.

Also I see via GuptKashi another fulcrum point to do both Kedarnath and Badrinath where cars need to be parked at GuptKashi instead of Sonprayag, any thoughts on this route? I think helicopter service is also there at GuptKashi.

[ValarMorghulis]

When I went to Kedarnath last in early Nov-2021, the only cellphone service available was Jio. No Airtel and no Vodafone. So keep that in mind for the folks travelling.
If you aren't very fit, walking at an incline can become very tiring. Keep that in mind and go-slow. Do keep raincoats or waterproof jackets.

My question is whether there is a provision to do one way trek on Pony and descend via Helicopter.

Yes, one way tickets are always available, but do check on the helicopter timings.

Also I see via GuptKashi another fulcrum point to do both Kedarnath and Badrinath where cars need to be parked at GuptKashi instead of Sonprayag, any thoughts on this route? I think helicopter service is also there at GuptKashi.

There are 3 places for helicopter rides. Sersi, Guptakashi and Phata. These are regulated by govt. of UK through GMVN. They handle the refunds in case of issues.
The helicopter ride to Badrinath isn't available through govt. of UK. There are private operators for that.

PS: For the helicopter rides, an additional of Rs.150/kg is charged over 80Kgs.

[steadfast]

Originally Posted by mankuthimma

Thank you for sharing such helpful details.

Our trip is scheduled for second week of June.

I had few questions since I keep hearing various versions.

Please find responses below:

1) We have the yatra registration letter. How and where the checking is done for this letter ? Was there a huge rush to get the verification done at the booths? Do they collect biometric fingerprints ?
Ans: On Day 1 when I went, registration letters were not checked. I think the overall process post the registration letters is to use the QR code for generating registration certificate from the letter. However this is in theory and nothing was visible to me on ground on day 1. May be the process would have started now.

2) As you mentioned, there is no separate ticket/token to enter the temple for darshan right? Also, we need to factor in the 5 hrs waiting time! Thanks for this info
Ans: Yes it was 5 hrs waiting for me on Day 1. The timings might vary now depending on rush and administrative preparedness now. However be ready to be in line for hours. There is no token/ticket to enter the temple however there is still a VIP entry based on any strong references you have.

3) Is there a need for RTPCR reports ?
Ans: No reports needed as on day 1. Also looking at current Covid trends in Uttarakhand I don't expect covid reports to be mandatory anytime.

4) Is there a token issued for cars to park at Sonprayag, since I heard there is a daily limit on the no. of cars that are allowed?
Ans: Yes we have a parking slip and fee of inr 100 per 12 hours. I paid inr 400 in total. Daily limit would be the capacity of the parking which I believe is around 3000 cars. Though I could be wrong in the number. Your plan should be to reach Sonprayag and the first thing to do is to park your car in parking.

Originally Posted by haisaikat

Excellent thread idea and at the right time. I am planning around Dussera time. My question is whether there is a provision to do one way trek on Pony and descend via Helicopter.

Also I see via GuptKashi another fulcrum point to do both Kedarnath and Badrinath where cars need to be parked at GuptKashi instead of Sonprayag, any thoughts on this route? I think helicopter service is also there at GuptKashi.

I think one way helicopter could be possible. You need to negotiate on ground. Further I think this would be feasible in early morning when inbound devotees would be higher than outbound.

Yes at Guptkashi we have route to Shri Badrinath via Ukhimat and Chopta. No idea of current route conditions but this way has mesmerizing views as Chopta is also known as mini Switzerland. Further on this route you can cover Shri Tungnath which is the highest Lord Shiva temple on earth.

Yes helicopter service is there at Guptkashi for Shri Kedarnath.

[Nempuguru]

Online booking of pooja / seva is possible using below official site (both Sri Kedarnath and Sri Badrinath). With some booking they allow VIP entry too.

https://badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in/

9) How is the rush in temple? Not sure how many hours are needed on an average to get darshan in this season or is there any special entry tickets available. I assume it will be crowded. Do we need to do any booking or ticket purchase in advance?
Ans: No special tickets sold there. If you have any reference then vip entry is probably possible [Not sure though]. Rush is huge. My line on opening day was of 5 hours when I entered the line at 7 am.

[Almetal]

How is the road condition from Haridwar/Rishikesh to Sonprayag?
How much time did it take to cover the distance?

[Bsimhan]

Understand that the walking trail is chock-a-block. Please use caution while walking to Kedarnath temple. Also heard that helicopter services are already sold out several days. Accommodation was also going at a premium I understand. The rush is unprecedented as the temple has opened after 2 years.
I wanted to attach a video of the trail that a friend of mine shared, but I couldn't do it. Even people going by helicopter have to wait for hours to get from that point to the temple. Good luck with the trip.

[josha10]

Nice, reminds me of the char dhaam (gangotri-yamnotri-badrinath-kedarnath) tour I took with GMVN (Uttarakhand govt tourism dept) prior to 2013 .

I would suggest all to explore this - https://registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in/ OR
https://gmvnonline.com/

They also do customized tours i.e. just you and your family via vehicle of your choice as per their list. We started in Delhi and covered the char dhaam over a period of 15 days.

I have only positive things to say about my experience and the service and tourism dept cottage locations / views etc.

Having used MP tourism / Rajasthan tourism / GMVN - I can vouch for the hotel / guest house locations and arrangements via govt tourism are simply unbeatable sometimes.

[ValarMorghulis]

Originally Posted by ravib

9) How is the rush in temple? Not sure how many hours are needed on an average to get darshan in this season or is there any special entry tickets available. I assume it will be crowded. Do we need to do any booking or ticket purchase in advance?

The rush totally depends on the time and occasion. 6th May was the first day of darshan hence the massive crowds. At the height of the crowds last year (when the limit of devotees was raised for the first time) the waiting time was only a couple of hours. When I visited on 01-Nov, it took me 30mins early morning. No tickets are required for darshan in the temple.

Originally Posted by Almetal

How is the road condition from Haridwar/Rishikesh to Sonprayag?
How much time did it take to cover the distance?

The roads are all fine now. It takes around 6-6.5 hours. Use G-Maps which is pretty accurate.

Originally Posted by Bsimhan

Understand that the walking trail is chock-a-block. Please use caution while walking to Kedarnath temple.

Not exactly. It is crowded just like any other place. The only thing to keep an eye out is for the horses (just like at Vaishno Devi)

Originally Posted by Bsimhan

Also heard that helicopter services are already sold out several days. Accommodation was also going at a premium I understand.

Helicopter rides are generally sold out the moment the website opens up for booking. One has to check continuously and regularly.
For accommodation check gmvnonline.com and book govt. Tourist Rest Houses (TRH) which are reliable, adeqaute and inexpensive.

Originally Posted by Bsimhan

The rush is unprecedented as the temple has opened after 2 years.

Incorrect. The temple was open last year, initially with a quota of 1000 devotees per day and later without any quota. It was then the crowds were the maximum ever during the first few days. After that it was a regular affair.

Originally Posted by Bsimhan

Even people going by helicopter have to wait for hours to get from that point to the temple.

The helicopter landing zone and the temple are about 400m apart only. My cousins went before me at noon and it took them around a couple of hours to complete the darshan, which is par for the course.