Not many know the trance that the mountains bring. Sometimes, it’s not just about the view from the echoing peaks but the paths that lead us to it. And a trek to the Kafni Glaciers is nothing but an extraordinary adventure waiting to be explored! 

In the desire to travel far away from our hometown to a place that buzzes with touristic vibes, we forget to look around the beauty that lies around us. With this thought, Nirmal took on the pursuit to escapade the trekking terrains in Uttarakhand. 

En route

Nirmal is a Japanese translator, who lives in Bageshwar, Uttarakhand. And when he began exploring the trek sites in his district, he started off with the Pindari trek and soon fell in love with the peace of hiking. And to witness his first glacier experience, he then decided to quest onto the Kafni Glaciers. 

Along with a few of his friends, they took their bikes and headed to Kharkiya [the last motorable road] at around 2:30. For non-locals, Nirmal suggests taking a direct bus from Delhi to Bageshwar or a train from Delhi to Halgoin and then hail a cab to Kharkiya. 

While riding through the lanes, it felt as if the roads were made for the journey and not the destination. Yet, soon enough at 7:30 pm, they settled down at a Home Stay for the night. Here they had dinner and a decent stay at the cost of INR 500. 

Let’s wander

The next day, they were all set to wander off. Carrying bags that weighed up to 20kms, they climbed their way onto a somewhat disastrous journey. On their way, they came across the Khati village. Unaware of the route, they talked to some locals who helped them out. But none of them were willing to be a guide. Usually, while hiking to such places, one can hire a local that charges INR 800- 1000 to be a guide. The guides are a huge help to trek and even prepare food. 

After a 20km trek to Dwali, they reached a government rest house at 5 pm. Nearby they found a perfect spot to camp for the night. They put out their own tents carried some wood from the village and prepared their own food. 

To the Glaciers

From the base camp at Dwali, lead to routes, one of which was to Pindari and another to Kafni. As it was off-season, no other traveller was to be seen. So the next morning, they left at 7 am and tried their best to find the route to the glaciers. And the easiest way to do that was to follow alongside the river. 

Reaching a height, they looked down and found a bridge taken by the villagers. When they crossed the bridge, they found the old route that was originally taken by the locals. With a successful expedition for the day, they made it at 4 pm and decided to camp at this base. In freezing temperatures of -10 degrees celsius, they crawled into their tents until sunrise. 

Early in the morning, without packing their tents or having breakfast, they left. Almost a three-hour incline to the Kafni Glaciers. It was the first time Nirmal saw the fresh river flow down the glaciers. Together, they went off the trails to find the serenity of mountains. 

They returned to the base camp to have breakfast, loaded their stuff, and began to descend. On their way, one of Nirmal’s friends got injured and so they took quite a while to reach downhill. When they came back to Dwali at 7 pm, they spent the night there. And with an adventurous three-day trek, Nirmal headed back home. 

Trek Wisdom:

In remote treks as such, Nirmal tried to stay vigilant. He hopes that everyone doesn’t lose hope and push their limits because there is a lot that we can learn from the mountains. Whenever in doubt, he just goes with the flow. He recommends traveling from April to May, July to August, and anytime before the winters. There were no water issues during this trek with many natural sources to the rescue. With no electricity or internet, it’s advisable to carry a power bank. Insight of camping, he thinks a tent along with a sleeping bag, a mat to lay and a blanket is the perfect trekking solution. 

Budget for the Trek: INR 3000 (per person)

This was Nirmal’s amazing trek to the glaciers of Kafni. For more photos and videos check out his page: @nirmal_shahi152

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