Rudranath Trek

Trek to Kalpeshwar and back

Height: 7,217 feet

Duration: 2 to 3 hours

• Begin your tour to Kalpeshwar from Devgram, close to Prathik Lodge. The walk begins by ascending a concreted path that passes through towns and farmland.

• In around 15 minutes, you'll traverse through lush green valleys. As you go, stay towards the left of a river and you may find a waterfall in the distance up ahead in 5–10 minutes.

• At this point, the roadway becomes level. Trek over lush meadows in the Kalpganga valley that are clearly visible to the right.

• You will approach a suspension bridge in the next 5 minutes. Once you have crossed the bridge, you will see the stairs leading up to the Kalpeshwar temple.

• Follow the same route back to reach Devgram.

Trek to Bansi Narayan from Devgram

Altitude: 6,667 feet to 11,482 feet

Duration: 8 to 10 hours, 12 kilometers

• Start your day 3 with a hearty breakfast and keep lunch as you won't be able to locate anywhere to buy food along the journey.

• Take the route leading left from Prathik Lodge and trek through terraced fields where locals cultivate potatoes and rajma (kidney beans).

• Reach the water wheel after a further 10-15 minutes of trekking and follow the trail of this water for 40 to 45 minutes. Following the trail will drop you to the Bansa village where you can see the beautiful Urvashi temple.

• As you take the hike after leaving the temple, a bridge will soon be seen. Take the ascending trail that you get after crossing the bridge.

• Stay to the left of the stream and keep walking.

• On the right hand side of the ridge, after about 40 minutes of trekking, comes a modest stone temple. Continue your trail ahead into the dense woodland.

• A few boulders will appear on the left end of the route after 45 to 50 minutes. You can have your lunch here.

• As you ascend, you arrive at the Bansi Narayan temple in a short while. It requires around 7 to 8 hours to get here from the initial point of the trek of day 3.

• Beyond the temple, you have to head to the natural caves where you can stay for the night as it has the capacity to accommodate 30 - 40 people.

• The path to the cave passes over several enormous stones which takes around 25 to 30 minutes to gradually ascend.

• Rest at the caves from where you can see the snow-covered Himalayan peaks Nanda Devi, Trishul, Dronagiri, and Nandaghunti.

Trek from Bansi Narayan to Dumak

Altitude: 11,482 feet to 7,874 feet

Duration: 5 to 6 hours covering 10 kilometers

• Wake up to the views of a cave with amazing vistas of vibrant wild flowers scattered across lush green fields with beautiful Himalayan peaks directly in front.

• Retrace your steps to the Bansi Narayan temple. The route turns to the hill to the right after you pass the temple. In five to ten minutes, you'll reach the deep woodland.

• Stick to the right side of the valley as you continue down the muddy route. This stroll amid overgrowth and thickets filled with vibrant wildflowers is moderate downhill.

• After 10 minutes, you will find one water stream where you can refill your water bottles. Further in your trail, you will encounter a few fallen trees and some boulders after which the descent becomes steeper.

• The Alaknanda valley spreads out ahead after 45 to 50 minutes where you will locate Kalgoat settlement, a place that you can use to rest.

• Dumak and Kalgoat are located around 7 kilometers apart. From the hamlet of Kalgoat to Dumak town, a two to three-hour journey along a clearly designated path is required. The path should be followed as it passes through plants and big stones.

• A 20–30 minute stroll through the hamlet will bring you to an ancient stone Mahadev temple. The Dumak side of the hamlet is where this temple is located.

• Continue trekking down the path that winds among the trees and bushes. After about an hour, the settlement of Dumak can be seen in the distance.

• In around 40 minutes, you will arrive at a pre-primary school with a blue sign.

• Either camp along the creek a bit ahead or stay at the guest house, which is approximately five minutes up the route.

Trek from Dumak to Panar via Toli

Altitude: 7,874 feet to 11,155 feet, via 9,186 feet

Time: 6 to 8 hours to cover 12 kilometers

• Start your trek early on day 5 and take the paved path that leaves Dumak village just on the opposite side. You will arrive at the ridge's end in about 25 minutes.

• Take the trail that goes to the right where you will find severe descent along a muddy and narrow path. Stay on the valley's right side and keep walking for another 40 minutes and witness the Rudra Ganga river.

• Cross the river and move towards right into the woods. In about 45 minutes, you will reach the end of the ridge, and enter the huge meadows of Toli.

• Find yourself surrounded by gorgeous alpine lakes and vast green pastures at Toli, which is encircled by a dense forest.

• The route gets a little more difficult after Toli as there are not many notable sites. Follow the route as it curves to the right and gradually ascends up the ridge. In 30 to 40 minutes, you practically reach the summit of the ridge.

• Continue to ascend to the left until the rise gets steeper. You observe the greenery thinning after 45 to 50 minutes. When you reach the summit of the ridge, keep travelling along this route. From here, the trail contours the mountain to the right and leads to the Panar's slope meadows (11,155).

• Stay in the tourist hut or a shepherd settlement nearby.

Trek to Rudranath from Panar

Altitude: 11,155 to 11,811 feet above sea level

Time: 6 to 8 hours to cover 12 kilometers

• Begin the following morning after breakfast. Take the left-pointing route that leads to the ridge. To your left, there are several sizable stones and snow-covered summits.

• The trail ascends the hill gently and after 25 to 30 minutes of climbing, you can glimpse the Panar fields below. After another 30 to 40 minutes of trekking, you come to a large overhanging rock on the left . Take in the breathtaking view from here, with the broad, lush Panar meadows below and the snow-capped summits in front, shrouded in clouds.

• Continue on the ridge-climbing track and soon you will come to a section with large stones on each side of the route. After which the trails are well defined so your journey further will be smooth.

• Marvel at the vistas of the Himalayas from this hilltop between Panar & Rudranath as you find yourself surrounded by snow-capped mountains and emerald valleys on all sides.

• Rudranath is connected to Mandal Forest & Anusuya Temple by a short ridge on the left. The Mandal forest is traversed by this lovely route.

• Keep the river to your left as you continue up the ascending dirt route. Flags and prayer bells will soon be visible in the distance. It takes around 15 to 20 minutes to get there.

• On this path, this represents the highest mountain. From Panar, it requires 3-3.5 hours to get here.

• After an hour-long climb, the Rudranath shrine can be seen from a distance. Prior to ascending, the route falls.

Trek from Panar to Sagar

Altitude: 11,155 to 6,561 ft

Time taken: 4-5 hours to cover 12 km

• Begin your last day of trek with a hearty breakfast. From Panar, follow the rocky, muddy route that descends to the left. In about 30 minutes, you will reach Lunti Bugyal's grasslands.

• Continue your trek on the route that heads in the direction of your left from Lunti Bugyal. In 15 to 20 minutes, the route reaches a deep woodland. Continuing on the muddy trail for 45 minutes will drop you at a water stream. Take the cement bridge across it and trek through the woods.

• After 25 to 30 minutes, a lovely meadow is visible in the distance and to reach there, you are required to hike another fifteen minutes.

• The area is surrounded by forests on all sides where you can find a few tea and food stalls.

• The route from the meadow continues into another woodland. Terraced fields may be seen to your left once the woodland has cleared for 30 to 45 minutes.

• Follow the clearly marked track and trek through the fields. A brook will slowly appear as you move forward. From the point you reach near brook, the route narrows and goes through rocky stairs as it leads to Sagar village.

• At the bottom of the stairs leading to the trail is the bus stop. Sagar village is on the Mandal-Gopeshwar route, and from here you may take a shared jeep or bus to Gopeshwar.

• One can travel towards Chamoli village from Gopeshwar and catch a bus that goes to Haridwar & Rishikesh. After reaching Haridwar or Rishikesh, you are free to go to any location of your choice.

By Air: Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun is the closest airport, while Rishikesh is the closest railhead. The starting point for a trip to Rudranath may be Sagar. You must hike 22 kilometres to reach Rudranath.

By Bus: Regular buses run along this route, and the travel time between Rudraprayag to Helang is around 5 hours. One may also hire a cab, which would take around three and a half hours.

By Car: There are direct roads from Delhi to Rishikesh. Trekkers must reserve a bus or a private taxi. There are several websites where you can quickly make reservations for cabs and buses.

By Train: Rishikesh's railway station is the closest one to the city. Trekkers can choose a direct path or one that goes through Delhi because Rishikesh is linked to all significant train lines. They can also choose to take immediate trains towards Dehradun or Haridwar, where they can then take a bus or taxi to go to Rishikesh.

Covering Rudranath trek distance is among the difficult adventures that worshippers and explorers might do to get to the shrine. Depending on your tastes and how you want to explore the area, you may pick the trek path. The pastoral and clean environs of the area are evident throughout the path to the temple. The three ways to hike to the temple are as follows:

Route 1: Sagar village, which is 5 kilometres from Gopeshwar, may be reached by cab or bus. Beyond there, a 20-kilometer hike must be taken to go to Rudranath. You need to exercise caution because the route is slick.

Route 2: Another choice is to hike 17 kilometres uphill from Gangolgaon, which is located little over 3 kms away from Gopeshwar. You will pass through shepherd settlements for Panar and Naila on this trip through the forests.

Route 3: The route travels 21 kilometres from Gopeshwar towards Rudranath through Mandal, where it passes the Anusuya Devi shrine.

The best time to take the Rudranath Trek would be between the months of May through October.

The Rudranath Temple's seasonal information is as follows:

Summers (April to August): Due to the region's temperate climate, the weather remains pleasant. It is good to schedule excursions such as tourism, temple visits, as well as other outings because the average temperature is approximately 15°C.

Monsoon season (September to November): The area receives insufficient rainfall, yet the journey might be treacherous. Plan a trip around this period if you want to take in some local activities and enjoy the beautiful green surroundings while living in a homestay.

Winters (December to March): You should prepare for severe weather since days are frigid and the average low drops to 4°C. Sub-zero temperatures are possible at the minimum.