I used to write long travelogues that captured even the smallest details.
Lately I’ve realised many readers - especially younger ones - prefer a shorter version without all the minutiae.
So here is the abridged summary of our Panch Kedar trek.
I hope you enjoy the new short format.
The full, unabridged travelogue is available via this link.
Abridged Travelogue - Panch Kedar (14 - 27 October 2024)
Prologue & Group
For the last few years I’ve been writing travelogues for
week-long trips; lately I prefer recording personal impressions rather than
factual listings. This trek was no different - I focused on feelings, small
incidents and human moments. The Trekkiyers this time were Dr. Narayanaswamy
(who quietly scouts offbeat routes), my brother Vaidy, my brother-in-law
Ramesh, cousin Vishagan (who joined us from Pune), Sumathi, Sridhar, and me.
Ashis Pal - whom we quickly nicknamed Dada - joined from Kolkata. Our
trek leader was Anup and Uday Singh drove us. Our plan: the Panch Kedar
circuit, starting after Dussehra so none of us missed family festivities.
13 October - Arrive Rishikesh
We flew into Dehradun and reached Rishikesh that evening. Small travel
amusements: my cousin Karthik (fresh from Iceland) insisted we wrap luggage in
cling film; Vishagan produced a coconut barfi lovingly prepared from the
Navratri golu kalasam; Parmarth Niketan introduced us to a satvik dinner
and a riverside aarti to set the tone. Everyone went to bed with a 6:00 AM
reporting time on their minds.
14 October - Pipalkoti base, orientation
Morning tea outside Hotel Shiva Vilas and a cheerful “Ganpati Bappa Morya!”
from the group launched us. We drove ~220 km to Pipalkoti, stopping at
Raghunath Mandir and Dhari Devi for brief darshans. On the way we first tasted buransh
(rhododendron) juice - later it became a small ritual. At Hotel Indralok Anup
briefed us: health checks, packing two bags (one for the trek, one to leave on
the bus), and a plan to start early the next day.
15 October - Sagar to Lyuti Bugyal (start of
Rudranath leg)
We reached Sagar village, fixed a local guide (Anuj) and mules, and began the
climb chanting “Har Har Mahadev.” The heat after the ascent surprised us;
layers came off, water stashes were refilled. Lunch at Pung Bugyal was simple
but welcome. The day tested everyone’s pace management - the buddy system
(always ensuring someone walks with you) helped. By sunset we reached Lyuti
Bugyal, tents, a wobbly sleep and the quiet comfort that only a cold mountain
night can bring.
16 October - Lyuti Bugyal → Rudranath → back
This was the day. Anup (already christened Kanni Swami) warned us: 10 km
one way; reach Rudranath before the noon closing. We rose at 4:15 AM and
started at 5:15. Early torch-lit miles, Pannar Bugyal’s wind like an icy blade,
and then Pitra Dhar - the highest point for us at about 11,800 ft - where the
valley fell away like a bowl. Two members succumbed to AMS and took mules; my
partner and I waited for mules too, then, impatient, ran the final 45 minutes
and reached the temple at 11:45 AM - five peaceful minutes before the doors
closed. It was worth every breath. The return after sunset, with each of us
taking turns to lead with a torch, is a scene I’ll never forget.
17 October - Return to Pipalkoti
We descended to Sagar village and, by serendipity, encountered the palki
procession carrying Rudranath’s utsav murti to Gopeshwar for winter - a
moving spectacle of music, costumes, and village devotion. The road back to
Indralok felt like Diwali in a tiny mountain Ayodhya: crowds, aarti plates, and
people dressed as mythic characters welcoming the Lord’s passage. That evening
we celebrated quietly - hot showers, paan, and diary notes.
18 October - Kalpeshwar then Chopta
A gentle day: short climb to Kalpeshwar Mahadev (a cave shrine), recitation of
Rudram with Vishagan and Ramesh, then a long drive to Chopta. We stayed in
better “Swiss” tents (wooden cots and attached bathroom - bliss). Minor
domestic comedy: Dada’s drying clothes went for a ride in someone’s bag; the
mystery resolved the next day. We began to appreciate the driver Uday’s quiet
skill on narrow, cliff-hugging roads.
19 October - Chopta → Tungnath → (skip
Chandrashila)
A foggy ascent to Tungnath - Mahadev’s arms form - with more fellow trekkers
and horses around than on earlier legs. We found shelter in a small security
cabin to recite Rudram. Lunch was hot chai and pakoras; Dada produced sealed
gulab jamuns as a morale booster. Many in the group skipped Chandrashila peak;
the day was about a brisk, satisfying darshan and warmth after cold stones.
20–21 October - Ransi → Gaundhar → Upper Vantoli →
Madhmaheshwar
From Ransi we trekked down then up, crossing waterfalls, homestays, and a
landscape that seemed to grow kinder the further down we went. Upper Vantoli’s
homestay became a cosy base; hosts and simple food warmed us. One horse that
behaved like a “badmash” and ran off with luggage became the evening’s story.
At Madhmaheshwar the temple briefly closed and opened; we rushed for a blessed
darshan and recited Rudram again in the temple. The host’s wood-fire canteen
and the chance to use his BSNL landline to call home were small comforts that
felt large.
22 October - Return to Guptkashi
A mixed day of monotony and variety - long descents, quick climbs, a lunch at
Upper Vantoli, and a couple of temple visits on the drive: Omkareshwar at Ukhi
Math and Kali Math on the Saraswati. Traffic and narrow roads added the usual
Himalayan spice. We reached Paradise Hotel in Guptkashi and repacked for the
Kedarnath leg, setting alarms for a very early departure.
23 October - Gauri Kund → trek to Kedarnath
The Sitapur–Sonprayag shuffle and the mad dash for shared cabs gave a sense of
what Kedarnath’s approach would be: crowded, intense, devotional. The trail
alongside Mandakini - mules, horse dung, restaurants and endless tea stalls - was
characterful. Some of us chose to avoid photos, preferring the inward
experience; others captured moments. We reached Kedarnath, rested briefly, and
then at midnight joined a queue for the shodashopachar puja. At 1:45 AM, in
sub-zero wind, we had a quiet, profound darshan. The cold and the long wait
amplified the blessing.
24 October - Kedarnath → Gauri Kund → Guptkashi
Post-darshan, a climb to Bhairavnath temple and a visit to the Adi
Shankaracharya samadhi offered different perspectives - mythic, philosophical
and tactile (Bhim Shila). Group photos, an Indian flag, and a porter for
luggage led back down through shared-cab chaos to Sonprayag, then a serene stop
at Tri Yugi Narayan (legendary site of Shiva-Parvati’s marriage). That evening,
Paradise Hotel again felt like home.
25 October - Drive to Rishikesh; Parmarth Niketan
A leisurely start, packing, a small ceremony to thank Anup and Uday
(certificates and tokens), and a final long drive to Rishikesh. At Parmarth
Niketan we attended the aarti, ate chaat at Hotel Prasadam, and drifted into
long riverside walks and a spontaneous meditation session by the Ganga. At
night the group dispersed: some to hotels, Dada to a train for Kolkata, others
to onward flights.
26–27 October - Return to Dehradun & Mumbai
A last morning in Rishikesh - local shopping for Geeta Press books, desi ghee
sweets and magnets - then a cab to Dehradun and trains/planes home. On 27
October the Vande Bharat to Delhi (an amusing episode with a boy who missed
reboarding) and the flight to Mumbai closed the circle. I finished with Rudram
on the flight, a calmness that felt earned.
Reflections
This was not merely a sequence of temples and trails; it was a weave of quiet
rituals, small kindnesses and human comedy: Karthik’s cling film, a paan stall
that called us nightly, Dada’s missing clothes, the horseman’s tantrum,
Vishagan’s handful of rice for ancestors, the mule that never arrived and made
us run, offering my trek shoes to Uday, and the midnight cold of Kedarnath that
made a short darshan feel infinite.
