Dhumdhar Kandi Trek

Post breakfast we are transported from Sankri to Taluka. The drive is a bit bumpy. The trek commences from Taluka on a stony path. With the river Supin gushing through rapids beside us, under the shade of walnut, pine and other trees, the walk is quite pleasant. Often the passing villagers greet us on the way.

The path crosses over a few streams which merge with Supin. After a few hours of walk the village of Gangad can be seen towards the left, across the river. We continue our hike and after about an hour’s walk, the quaint village of Osla unfolds itself. Seema is a tiny settlement opposite to the river from Osla. We set camp here or stay in a hut with a local family in the village.

On this day, we continue along the true right of the valley along the Tons river. The trail ascends through the fields and climbs high above the confluence of the Tons and Ruinsara gad. The walk through the forest is beautiful, with Kalanag (6387) visible straight ahead in the valley. We camp beside the stream and close to the waterfall.

We ascend into the Ruinsara valley. There is a stark difference in the vegetation with pine and fir giving way to birch and rhododendron. Ruinsara lake is a lovely lake surrounded by meadows and rhododendron bushes. It is considered sacred by the locals. Overnight in camps near the lake.

Today we rest near the lake and spent the day exploring the nearby glaciers and valleys. This will help us to acclimatize before the next day’s climb to the pass. We can explore the river bed as well. By evening we are back at the camp.

On this day we trek further upstream. The campsite holds significant importance as it is the basecamp of two of the most famous peaks in the area: Swargarohini (Swargarohini I – 6,252 m) and Black Peak (6,387 m). The former, though lower of the two, is the most challenging peak to climb in this area. While not particularly high by Himalayan standards, and not the highest in the Bandarpunch range, Swargarohini I is notable for its dramatic local relief. For example, its north face drops 2,000 metres in less than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of horizontal distance, and its south face achieves the same drop in less than 3 kilometres. This camp is close to the south face of the peak.

We proceed to camp 1 of Black Peak on this day. The peak was first summited in 1955 by Jack Gibson, an English master at the Doon School in Dehradun. The highest peak in the Banderpunch group, Black peak is climbed almost every year by multiple teams.

On this day we start before sunrise. The pass is crossed and we descend to a stream at Gantrara.

The trail on this day enters meadows and forests again. We camp at Dorangatt.

We trek through forest trails and reach the village of Jhala. From here we board our vehicle and head to Gangnani. Gangnani used to be the village from where the hike to Gangotri started when motorable road was yet to reach thisholy pilgrimage. It is a small settlement with natural hot water spring baths. We rest in a guest house for the night.

We drive back to Dehradun from Gangnani. We reach by late afternoon or early evening.