Location:
Uttarakhand
Duration:
2
Days
Difficulty:
Easy
Highest Altitude:
8000
ft.
Distance:
22
kms.
When it comes to Weekends, a few treks offer the perfect blend of adrenaline rushes for adventurer in you and a relaxed itinerary to let you go back to work on a Monday. Binsar Sanctuary to Jageshwar Trek in the Kumaon region of Himalayas ensures that you make the most of your weekend. Starting at the picturesque Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, the trek includes walks through pine forests accompanied by the music of tiny rivulets of clear water, spotting a few rare flora and fauna and camping amidst thick deodars to reminisce about the (literally and factually) breathtaking Himalayas. Besides the natural beauty, Kumaon invites you to enjoy the local culture and traditions.
Their ancient temples and splendid architecture leaves you in a state of amazement. The itinerary begins at Delhi, where Ranikhet Express leads you to Kathgodam at the dawn and then a drive through the twirling roads drops you at Almora. Frankly, if you are not too tired of the rail and road journey, you can begin the trek right here. At approximately 2500 meters, the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary is home to barking deer, himalayan black bear, leopard, serow, sambhar and a few rare species.
For the tree lovers, the sanctuary is lined with oaks, rhododendrons and cedars among others. The best time to visit Binsar is from October to March as the clear weather lets you soak in the beauty of snow clad peaks like Nandadevi, Trishul, Nandaghunti, Panchachuli massif and the entire Kumaon Himalayas range. On a human front, the locals are warm and welcoming. An elaborately detailed chat gives you a window into their lives, cultures and customs. And if they really like you, they open a treasure of ancient stories cherished over generations.
These stories and the steadily rising moon are the perfect companions as you retire for the day. The dawn of the next day brings in even more splendid destinations like the Jageshwar temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. This temple, rather the temple city, dating 9th to 13th century AD is a cluster of 124 exquisitely crafted stone temples, believed to be renovated by Adi Shankaracharya. The peaceful walks through the mighty Himalayas, a glimpse into the locals’ lives, architectural marvels like the Vridh (Old) Jageshwar leave you wanting for more. And after such enchanting experiences we’re are sure you will have a tough time fighting the Monday blues at work.
Day 1 : Kathgodam to Dhaulchina via Binsar sanctuary trek
Arrive at Kathgodam and drive to Binsar National Park (4 hrs Drive) and trek to Dhulchina. Overnight stay in eco camp/guest house. At 960 metres, Kathgodam gives you an opportunity to stock up your basic provisions. Post that, a drive of around 4 hours leads you to Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary. Take the path on your right, heading to the old Sapteshwar Mahadev Temple. There is a teashop by the stream where you can stop for a break after visiting the temple. The walk from Deora should have taken no longer than 1- 1.5 hours. From the teashop backtrack to the point where you turned off on the path to the right. Now head north for a few minutes and then take a left into the valley heading to the north-west. It is more convenient to walk on the cemented walls of the irrigation channel, but do this only if you have a head for heights. Otherwise, descend to the valley floor and walk up north-west, crossing the stream over a pucca bridge. The path ascends gently for about an hour to the small hamlet of village, and then goes level, still heading north-west for a short while through pine forests, before dropping down to a small shallow stream. The path skirts along the hill and to your right and below is bowl hamlets. After about an hour, you will come to a lone mud-hut, a tea shop that is a good place for a break. From here the road turns gently to the north-east, ascending slowly through thick oak and rhododendron forests. It offers great Himalayan views to your right. After about 2-3hrs, when you find the road turning east again, look up to about one o’clock (North-west). On the top of the hill you will be able to see the glinting white house’s of Jwalabanj. A gradual descent on a well defines track takes you to Dhaulachina.
Day 2 : Dhaulchina to Jageshwar and drive to Kathgodam
Jwalabanj to main Jageshwar temple and drive to Kathgodam via Nainital. (4 hrs trek) Overnight train to Delhi. Wake early at dawn the next morning, head to the rock garden and look to the north-east. You will get a spectacular view of the Central Himalayas, right from Neelkanth in Garhwal to the Nampa in Nepal. If you have the energy you can climb the hill behind the guest house for the 360-degree views. The climb up will take about 30 min to 1hr, so factor that in when planning the day. The track has a couple of points where enormous boulders provide perfect picnic spots, so if you don’t like early breakfasts you could pack rotis and have a picnic on the rocks. The track soon curves back to meet the road, onto which you descend gently to Vridh Jageshwar. As you step on the tarred hill road which culminates into a pony trail, you pass by several Kumaoni habitations. The dense temperate jungles are the first signs of being in the vicinity of Vridh Jageshwar. After spending enough time observing the craftsmanship of the temples, you drive to Kathgodam via Nainital. And return to Delhi by road or rail.
How to reach?
The Kathgodam station is one of the main stations in the district and it is an old station. It has good connectivity to many places and these include Lucknow, Delhi, and Howrah. Tickets from Delhi to Kathgodam by train cost around Rs. 180 for a second class sleeper ticket and Rs. 450 for a third A/C sleeper ticket. It is essential to book the tickets at least one month in advance as this route is always in demand.
By Train:-
From Delhi take the Ranikhet Express (5014) Dep. Delhi at 10:40pm arrival Kathgodam at 5:30am (Overnight Journey) or the Uttar sampark kranti (5035) Dep. Delhi at 4:00pm arrival Kathgodam at 10:40pm (6 hrs.40min.Journey).
From Dehardun take the Doon Express (4120) Dep. Dehardun at 10:30 pm arrival Kathgodam at 7:10 pm (8hrs.journey).
By Bus:-
Regular buses ply from ISBT Delhi Anand Vihar station to Kathgodam. Buses that go to Nainital stops at Haldwani which is a twin town of Kathgodham (8 hrs. Journey).
Usually buses drop you at Haldwani bus staiton. From there you have to come to Kathgodham Railway Station which is 4km away.
TTH’s Tata Sumo or similar vehicles will pick-up you from Kathgodham Railway Station
We would suggest you to take only government buses from ISBT Anand Vihar. Private buses ply from outside ISBT and they are not trust worthiness.
What is included?
1. Accommodation (Guest House)
2. Meals while on trek (Veg.)
3. Transport from Kathgodam to Binsar and return.
4. Trekking and forest permits
5. First aid medical kits
6. Mountaineering qualified trek leader and support staff.
What is excluded?
1. Meals during the transit.
2. Any personal expenses.
3. Anything not specifically mention under the head.
4. Insurance
Booking and cancellation policy
Paying the Trek /Tour fee:
The fee can be paid by online transfer/Check deposit/Cash deposit/Demand draft. Instruction for
payment will be forwarded along with your confirmation email. When your transfer is done, please
e-mail us a confirmation mail with your transfer details, so that we can follow up your reservation efficiently.
Cancellation terms:
For the cancellation of services due to any avoidable/unavoidable reasons, Trek The Himalayas must
be notified of the same in writing at info@trekthehimalayas.com. At the time we receive your
written cancellation, refunds based on the total fare are as follows.
Cancellations prior to 25 days from the start of the Trip:
Refund options
•Get 95% cash refund
•100% cash voucher for any trip till one year
Cancellation between 24 days and 15 days to the start of the Trip:
Refund options
•Get 70% cash refund
•100% cash voucher for same trip till one year
•85% cash voucher for any trip till one year
Cancellation between 14 days and 10 days to the start of the Trip:
Refund options
•Book the same trek, in the same season, with any other batch
•Get 50% cash refund
•80% cash voucher for same trip till one year
•70% cash voucher for any trip till one year
Cancellation less than 9 days to the start of the trek:
Refund options
•Transfer your trek (same trek, same batch) to your friend
•No cash refund
•20% cash voucher for same trip till one year
•10% cash voucher for any trip till one year
Note: 1. Change of trek batch is dependent on the availability of seats in the batch
2. In case of transferring a trek to a friend, he/she should satisfy all the mandatory requirements put forward by TTH
3. TTH holds the right to change/cancel the policies, without prior notice
4. Cash refund is applicable only in case of bookings made without using any promotional offer code or vouchers
Cash Voucher Terms:
• This is a non transferable voucher
• The voucher cannot be merged with any other offer of Trek The Himalayas
• The voucher is valid for Trek booked directly with Trek The Himalayas in India
• To avail the voucher please use your register phone number or e-mail id
• All the other Terms of booking a trek with Trek The Himalayas are applicable to the voucher
• Trek The Himalayas holds rights to add/remove any of the Terms and Conditions without prior notice
Itineraries are based on information available at the time of planning and are subject to change. "Trek The Himalayas" reserves the right to change expedition dates, people or itineraries as conditions warrant. If a trip must be delayed or the itinerary changed due to bad weather, road conditions, transportation delays, government intervention, airline schedules, sickness, or other contingency for which TTH or its agents cannot make provision, the cost of delays and/or other changes are the responsibility of the participant. TTH reserves the right to decline, or accept, any individual as a trip member for any reason whatsoever.
Essentials for the trek
Fitness requirements
Fitness regime recommendation
Maps
FAQs
