Village walk to Pindar -saryu valley

Do you want to go beyond the popular hill stations , beyond the usual experiences and sightseeing being offered by numerous travel agencies across the country ? To explore some of the remotest places and villages of uttarakhand and mingle with the villagefolk and experience their lives for a few days ? To witness spellbinding views and be in the midst of nature, where you forget your city personalities for a while and become one with the wilderness ? To learn the local customs , eat local food and indulge in simplistic and minimalist lifestyle that such remote villages and its warm people offer ?

To bring forth such an experience , Travelderness is organizing a 6 night 7 day walking/trekking tour to the remote middle himalayan villages of both Saryu and Pindar valleys of Uttarakhand! This tour starts from kathgodam taking one to the serene and picturesque village of Supi nestled in the lap of the Nanda devi massif! Moving on to the secluded village of Juni and a day out to Sahastradhara and finally crossing the high mountain pass at bajling dhar ( 3200m approx.) to cross over to the Pindar valley to the village of Khati (last village enroute pindari glacier ). This tour has a little bit for everybody -High altitude trekking, bird -watching, understanding the lives and culture of the people inhabiting such remote areas of Kumaon, astounding views of the greater himalayas including Nanda devi, Nanda kot, Nanda khat etc. and camping at high altitude meadows !Travelderness is always working on creating unique experiences for its patrons, and this one is sure to be once in a lifetime experience for the passionate mountain lovers who want to be one with nature at its most pristine!!

Activity

Day 1

Pick up from Kathgodam station around 12 pm and drive to Bageshwar for night stay with lunch enroute at Kasar Devi. Bagehwar is a picturesque town at the confluence of Gomti and Saryu rivers! Dinner and night stay at Bageshwar!

Day 2

Early morning start (with packed lunch) from Bageshwar for a 3-4 hour drive till the roadhead at Supi (As we enter the middle himalayas ) Followed by a 7km trek to the village of khaljhuni, Check into camps at a beautiful spread out open space half a km from the village . Evening at rest, as laze around a bonfire over snacks , tea and soup ! Dinner and overnight at camps in KhalJhuni

Day 3

Early morning birding near the campsite , followed by breakfast . we make our way to Jhuni village a 2km trek at around 10, with a stopover at the local temple , the only place for festivities for the locals . Moving further, we reach the village of Jhuni , the last village before the greater Himalayas, tucked away in a remote corner of the Kumaon Himalayas. We walk from house to house interacting with the locals about their tough an simple lifestyle. If Time permits, we trek another 2 kms to the view point of Sahatradhara , a middle of the forest waterfall and the source of the Sarju river . This place has a folklore with associated with it according to which no man has seen the source of the waterfall and whoever has tried to reach the source has never come back . It is also the locals belief that gods walk along the bridge near the waterfall at night, The guide will explain us more about the mysticism of the place . All along our trek we shall be looking to spot Himalayan birds which should be our constant companions . Back to the campsite for late lunch , and evening is spent exploring the forest around ! Bonfire, followed by dinner and overnight at Camps

Day 4

Early morning post breakfast start for a 3km uphill trek to Bajling dhar meadow campsite. Reach Bajling dhar by noon, followed by lunch , Bajling dhar is a high altitude meadow from where we get fabulous of the high himalayan peaks of nanda kot, maiktoli, Changunch, Panwali Dhar etc. ,We hope to savour this fantastic view late evening , and also hope to find some high altitude birds like Monal and finches , Talks and jokes over bonfire in the chilly weather at that altitude ,followed by dinner and overnight in camps

Day 5

Get up early morning for astounding views of peaks over Pindari and Sunderdunga glaciers that seem like a stone throw away. followed by breakfast. Some birding and exploration around the meadow with the fantastic view of the Himalayas in the backdrop. Your eyes just cant stop admiring this fascinating spectacle , After an early lunch a 5 km downhill descent brings us to the village of khati by late afternoon. Some tea and snacks , followed by a walk through the picturesque village of Khati. A village straight out of the postcards with its colorfully built stone and mud houses , and high mountains in the background. Back to the homestay for evening tea as the lovely family of Harak singh entertains us with their jokes and stories. Dinner and overnight at homestay

Day 6

Get up early morning for a trek to the neighbouring villages of Dau/Jaikhuni for some bird watching . Dau and Jaikhuni villages are rich in birdlife and bird density. Back to khati for Breakfast as we bid goodbye to Harak singh and family and the wonderful Saryu and Pindar valleys. Easy 5 km trek takes us to the roadhead at Kharkiya, from where we move on to Kausani for overnight stay ( Approx. 5 hours) , lunch enroute at Bageshwar Dinner and overnight at Kausani

Day 7

Wake up early morning hoping for a fantastic view of the greater Himalayas ( subject to clear weather ) . An early morning walk around our hotel, exploring this popular village with the tourists in the summer months , also called the switzerland of India by Mahatama Gandhi . Early breakfast and we leave the hotel around 9 for a 5-6 drive back to Kathgodam for onwards journey( 3:35 shatabadi takes you back to Delhi) .

Accommodation/Transport

* Accommodation in homestays/tents

Includes

* All forest permits, guided trek, porter charges, bird watching * Transfer from kathgodam to kathgodam in a jeep * All meals * Bonfire

Excludes

* Conveyance charges from Delhi to Kathgodam and back * Personal expenses like snacks, energy bars, medicines, laundry, mineral water etc. * Any insurance or damages caused due to any natural calamity or accidents. **Note : These are remote Himalayan villages , and not connected by power grid and mobile networks !! BSNL works at a few places! * expect little to a lot of snow at high altitudes during winters!