Satopanth Tal Trek
Satopanth Tal Trek
The Satopanth tal is located about 25 kms from Badrinath and is a three cornered lake. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the Hindu triad is believed to occupy one corner each, named after them. The trek is hazardous and full of dramatic scenes. The lake is located at a height of 4270 meters. The Pandava’s took this path to try and reach Heaven. From the tal we can see the Swargarohini, the stair case to Heaven. The peaks of Neelkanth, Balakun, Parvati and Chaukhamba are visible on the trek. The trail passes through the moraine, boulders and knife edge ridge. This is a pilgrim trail and one encounters the places along the trail where the Pandava’s are supposed to have fallen on the way to Heaven. A large number of sadhus, pilgrims and trekkers visit this lake every year.
Overview
Region: Badrinath, Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India
Duration: 08 days
Grade: Moderate to Strenuous
Maximum Altitude: Altitude of Badrinath the road head is 3096 meters, so we have a climb of 1174 meters with many ups and downs and a descent of 1174 meters, during the complete trek.
Best Season for the trip: The best season to do this trek is May end to Jun and mid Sep to Oct.
Itinerary
Day 01: Drive from Dehradun/ Haridwar/ Rishikesh to Joshimath 09 Hrs/ 275 Kms in a small vehicle.
We pass the towns of Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar, Karanprayag, Nandprayag, Chamoli, Pipalkoti and Helang. Stay in Hotel.
Day 02: Joshimath to Badrinath 03 Hrs/ 50 Kms.
By vehicle we reach Badrinath. Since it is located at a high altitude it is better to stay here for a day to acclimatize and do local site seeing. Visit the temple and thereafter climb up to Charan Paduka, which is behind the temple and is at a higher elevation. If some strength is left then after lunch visit Mana village, the last village before the Tibet border. Visiting the Bhim Pul over the Saraswati River is worthwhile. Stay in Hotel/ tents.
Day 03: Badrinath to Laxmivan 06 Hrs.
Today we start on the trek which passes the temple and continues towards Mana village but on the right bank of the Alaknanda River. The trail gently climbs up and we leave Mana village behind us on the other side of the river. View of Keshav Prayag is beautiful from here. A walk of 03 hours brings up to the Chamtoli Bugyal. On the other side of the river we can see the famous Vasudhara falls. In another hours time we reach Laxmivan at 3650 meters, our camping ground for the day. It is patch of green grass. Nakul of Mahabharata is supposed to have breathed his last here. The view from here is stunning. The two glaciers can be seen meeting from here. The right one is the Bhagirathi Kharak and the left one is the Satopanth glacier, which we will be following. The valley on the right is the Alkapuri valley, source of the river Alaknanda. This is also said to be the abode of Kuber, Yakshas and Gandharvas. Right in front is the Shri Parvat, which is beautiful during the sunrise. Looking behind one sees the Mana peak towering above Mana village. Stay in tents.
Day 04: Laxmivan to Chakratirth 06 Hrs.
The start of the walk is on easy ground and the place has few Rhododendron bushes. Here after the terrain is next to the glacier and is moraine with boulders and rocks. We pass a single standalone rock pillar on our left called Bhim Gada. We continue walking on the moraine ridge. After few hours of walk we reach numerous waterfalls cascading down the mountain on our left. This is Sahastradhara. As per the Mahabharata legend the Pandava brother Sahadeva died around this place. Crossing this place we walk another two hours over the moraine ridge to reach the camping ground called Chakratirth at a height of 3950 meters. It’s a beautiful camping ground and we get good view of the Neelkanth peak from here. Arjun is supposed to have died here. Stay in tents.
Day 05: Chakratirth to Satopanth tal 04 Hrs.
After breakfast we leave for the Satopanth tal. We first climb the ridge seen in front of the camp and from there we follow the path over the boulders to reach the ridge on the other side. It is tough terrain and takes time to cover. As we climb up the view at the head of the valley open up and the massive Chaukhamba peak is seen marking the end of the valley. From top of the ridge the three cornered lake comes into view. This is Satopanth tal at 4400 meters. We may find few sadhus living here during summer months next to the small temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati. The great Bhim is supposed to have died here. Stay in tents.
Day 06: Satopanth tal to Laxmivan 07 Hrs.
We have to get up early to catch the sunrise over Chaukhamba peak and its reflection in the tal. The Swargarohini, the steps to Heaven can be seen clearly from here if the weather is clear. From here on only the eldest of the Pandava’s the great Yudhisthira continued alone on his way to Swargarohini followed by the black dog. From there he was taken to Heaven by Lord Indra who had been following the Pandava’s as a black dog. After breakfast we pack up and start our return journey the same way we had come up. Since we are going to lower elevation, we go straight to Laxmivan. On the way down we have our packed lunch at Sahastradhara. Stay in tents.
Day 07: Laxmivan to Joshimath via Badrinath 08 Hrs.
After breakfast we leave for Badrinath passing the Chamtoli bugyal. It will take 06 Hrs to reach Badrinath. Take a hot water bath in the hot sulfur water Kund at Badrinath. After lunch take vehicle to reach Joshimath. Stay in Hotel.
Day 08: Joshimath to Rishikesh/ Haridwar/ Dehradun 250 Km/ 09 Hrs.
Drive from Joshimath to Dehradun by small vehicle, passing Helang, Pipalkoti, Chamoli, Nandprayag, Karanprayag, Gauchar, Rudraprayag, Srinagar, Devprayag.
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What is included in the package.
1. Tents, Sleeping Bags and Sleeping Mats during camping on twin sharing basis.
2. Hotel arrangement as per itinerary on twin sharing basis.
3. Transport as per itinerary.
4. All vegetarian food during the camping days, which will usually consist of morning tea, breakfast, lunch (packed/ hot as per days schedule and conditions), evening tea and dinner.
5. Local guides and other personnel with in depth knowledge of the area.
6. Carrying of one bag containing personal items (max 10 kgs) per person during the trek.
7. Permits/ camping permissions required during the trek from the Forest/ Park/ other authorities.
8. First Aid medical kit.
What is excluded in the package.
1. Any kind of personal expenses.
2. Any kind of insurance.
3. Any thing not mentioned in the included section.
4. Camera/ other equipment fee.
5. Any transportation charges on transfers not mentioned in the itinerary.
6. Any cost arising out of unforeseen circumstances or situations beyond our control.
7. Expenses on extension of no. of days of activities arising due to natural calamities/ bad weather.
8. Expenses on evacuation from the mountain/ trail/ area of activity due to any reason/ accident/ injury.
9. Meals during the road journeys.
10. Any additional activities which are not mentioned in the itinerary.
What you should bring
An individual going into the mountains need to carry all the clothing and items required for a comfortable walk and living. There are hardly any shops along the trails and the shops at the road heads may not have the items required. A list of essentials is given to help an individual pack for their trek. LIST
What this trek will cost
The Cost estimation is based on the number of factors like the group size, pick-up place (Dehradun/ Haridwar/ Rishikesh) and add-ons needed (like backpack offloading, accommodation before and after the trek & drop off point (Dehradun/ Haridwar/ Rishikesh).
Payments, Cancellations and Refunds
The adventure activities in Himalaya take place in remote areas with limited or no resources. Be it Trekking, Camping, Jeep Safaris, Motorcycling, Cycling etc, all of these activities require detailed planning both by the individual doing these activities or by the people who are offering/ facilitating the conduct of these activities. The plans and all arrangements for a safe and pleasant trip are made months in advance.
However, there are many issues which are beyond the control of the individual participating in an event or the firm organizing the event. Some of the factors beyond our control like inclement weather, bad terrain, strikes, washed away roads/ trails etc. Also events like civil disturbance, strike etc.
In view of the above, the individual participant or the firm may have to cancel/ postpone the event or may have to change the itinerary of the event. In such a situation we need to be clear about the payments, cancellations and refunds. For details visit Payments, Cancellations and Refunds.
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