Vijay Top Trek
Overview
- Journey Starts From: Dehradun
- Total Duration: 7 Days 6 Nights
- Trek Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
- Maximum Altitude: 12,500 ft.
- Total Trekking Distance: 34 Km
- Region: Uttarakhand
- Trek Starting Point: Himrika
- Trek Finishing Point: Motwar
- Minimum People in a Batch: 6
- Nearest Railway Station: Dehradun Railway Station
- Nearest Airport: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
- Last ATM Point: Purola which is near to Sankri
- Best Time to Visit: All year round except monsoon season
Description
Vijay Top Trek is located in the remotest corners of the Garhwal Himalayas and is underrated. One thing that surely is fascinating about Vijay Top is that it resembles the Kedarkantha trek and depicts all the qualities similar to that trek. The trek is located in the Govind Wildlife Sanctuary of Uttarkashi at an altitude of 3787 metres. The most unique and fascinating thing about this trek is that it is enveloped with a white snowy sheet during the winter months where trekkers find it an utmost joy to play with the snow. The scenery changes to picturesque views with lush green meadows all around and greenery decorates the trek during the months of summer. Vijay Top is one of the best treks for beginners and for all those who are seeking peace and want to get away from the hustle-bustle of city life. Vijay Top is situated at an altitude of 12,650 ft. in the Govind Wildlife Sanctuary of Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Vijay Top trek is said to possess all the quality of Kedarkantha Trek with the only difference that the trails of this trek are unknown, untouched and many have not transversed this trek. Choose the most stunning and admiring Vijay Top trek this season to be away from the monotonous life and cacophony of the city life and find peace.
The top of this trek is engulfed with heavy snowfall during winters which make the mountains of the region more magnificent than ever. A thick sheet of snow covers the mighty peaks throughout the season. This trek is called a true gem among the nature lovers and is said to be a hidden beauty among the great Himalayas by the trekkers.
The trek initiates from Bhitri village which is said to be the last village on the trail. Here you get to explore the remotest and small Himalayan villages located up in the hills and the local people welcome and greet you with smiling faces. The crude nature in this village will ignite curiosity in you to know more about the wooden houses, the well-designed temples, the local delicacies etc.
The changing trails of the trek and walking through the dense Woods will certainly leave you amazed and spellbound. You get to witness the magnificent views of mountains, extensive meadows and explore the untouched Remotest Region of the Himalayas.
Highlights of the trek
Mesmerising views from Vijay Top
Marvellous and stunning views can be seen from the summit of Vijay Top. Kedarkantha is at an altitude of 3800 m and Vijay Top at an elevation of 3,878 metres. These two treks i.e. the Vijay Top trek and the Kedarkantha trek are almost at the same height. You will be stunned and awestruck by the views of the lofty mountains of Kedarkantha and peaks like Bandarpoonch, Black Peak and Swargarohini that are soaring high above the clouds.
Sights of Phulara Ridge, Baraadsar Range, Rupin and Supin valley, Saru Lake and Kanasar Lake from the top are a treat to the eyes of trekkers.
Mountain View from the Top
We all in this trek will go through Himalayan Villages in the Vijay Top Trek that are very quaint. We will be passing through Himalayan Villages located at those high altitudes and witness Bhitri village that is the last village on this trail.
The beautifully carved wooden houses, ancient temples and other little things in the village are example of perfect architecture from ancient times.
The villagers mostly rare cows and goats and cultivate their food on their own which depicts the simplicity and the bond of villagers with Mother Nature.
This wonderful trek on snowy mountains is of moderate difficulty level and is perfect for beginners.
People who are physically fit can do this trek with ease and to be fit is the only requirement of this trek. All the trekkers will be needing proper woollen and warm clothing’s to adjust to the temperature of the region accordingly, which almost goes down below 0°C.
Trekkers will be needing proper mobile battery life and gadgets to capture the picturesque view of Beautiful landscapes and green lush meadows.
Altitude covered in different regions by this trek
Dehradun is located at an altitude of 478 metres and Khanyasni camp is located at 878 Meters. Sarutal is located at a distance of 2000 metres from this trek.
Badang camp is elevated towards 2600 Meters. This trek is a kind of blessing in disguise and the trekkers will find this as perfect for those who are madly in love with nature.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 - From Dehradun to Himrika
- The first day of the trek will be marked by our journey from Dehradun towards Himrika. It is approximately about 210 km of the drive. Your entire first day will be passed in this journey from Dehradun to Himrika. You will be passing through the lush green landscapes of the great Himalayan range. This utmost beauty of Mother Nature will leave you stunned. You will be seeing the waters of river Yamuna from the sides all through the journey.
- The roads and paths will become pretty scenic after crossing netwar. Travelling just by the riverside will make you mesmerized as the surrounding beauty will be so enchanting that you will forget about the tiring drive and those little bumps on the road.
- You will be getting a short n crisp briefing about the whole trek and safety measures needed to be followed, after reaching Himrika. You will be checking into your tents and we will be spending the night camping at the riverside.
Day 2 - From Himrika to Sartal to Kulla Thach
- Day two will be initiated with an early morning start and hopping into a small car ride, we will be reaching Sartal.
- Sartal is a beautiful campsite which is just adjacent to the water body. Today the trek will be initiated from the campsite at Sartal and we will be passing through amazing landscapes and this will be our little site seeing for the day.
- You will be gliding up the trail as well as you will be exploring the routes of the ancient path made by the local shepherds of the area, who are using this path till date.
- The best thing about today will be that we might get a chance to meet some of the local shepherds and they might allow taking their herd for grazing.
- We will be reaching our destination Kulla Thach by the afternoon which is located at an altitude of 3250 metres. We will be camping here for the day.
Day 3 - From Kulla Thach to Bijay Dhar/Vijay Top
- Day three will be initiated by our trail passing through an ancient forest of Deodar trees as we move towards Bijay Dhar, located at an altitude of 3600 metres.
- Bijay Dhar is said to be a place of majestic and stunning beauty. The scenic views at Bijay Dhar will leave you awestruck for sure.
- We will also be able to witness the amazing amount and variety of Flora & Fauna on our way to Bijay Dhar as we pass through the dense forest.
- If you are a nature lover this is the place just for you, providing you with the utmost delight.
- You will get glimpses of the marvellous Chaukhamba on the way to Bijay Dhar, on a clear day. We will be camping below Bijay Dhar for the night.
Day 4 - Exploring Bijay Dhar/Vijay Top
- Day four marks our journey of exploring the beautiful locations of Bijay Dhar aka Vijay Top. You will be able to meet many local shepherds, listen to their mythological and ancient stories, play along with their herds, you will be drinking tea made out from goat milk, enjoy your lunch with a very tasty topping of goat cheese etc.
- We will also be exploring Bhangla top, and our dinner will depend on the wild mushrooms we picked up for dinner. You will all be sitting down and resting by an ancient Deodar tree and you will enjoy the tranquillity of nature by just doing nothing.
- You can also explore the region of Vijay Top and find your missing serenity and calmness here, also there are plenty of options to do fun activities in this little heaven.
- All the magical mythological tales by the locals have their routes in these woods of deodar and cedar trees. The place will provide you an escape from your daily monotonous schedule of yours.
- This place will leave an unexplained pleasant memory on our minds. This place has mythical and ancient significance and so there are stories associated with it.
- Guides and other locals will share those amazing stories with you and what's the most amazing part is, it's the ghost stories at night by the bonfire.
- Witness the mighty glimpses of Swargarohini Peak from Bhangla top. With the forest trail so charismatic and the surrounding view so compelling, it's so joyous to be on this trail. The woods are actually very dark and dense in such a way that you will feel that one day isn't enough for exploring the whole Bijay Dhar/Vijay Top.
Day 5 - From Bijay Dhar/Vijay Top to Karba
- On day 5, we will be bidding farewell to Bijay Dhar/Vijay Top and will start descending towards Karba. Karba is at an altitude of 2,500 metres.
- Today we will be travelling through dense oak and pine forests which are special in their own way as the trees of this area are older than 400 years.
- A small village with stunning charismatic views, this would be the perfect way to define Karba. Karba is particularly a very small village owned by a group of just 10-12 families.
- You will be unable to see one house from the other as the houses here are located very apart from each other. The local homemade food and cuisine will be an added flavour to your memories along with the memorable views.
- You will be getting to enjoy all the local delicacies i.e. ghee, organic pulses/rice, vegetables, buttermilk locally known as mattha etc. Which are made at home. This all will give a heavenly pleasure to your heart soul that is what you crave in your city life.
- After having the delicious meal, you have to wait for the night for a splendid surprise. You will be able to witness the beautiful moonlight reflecting from the peaks of Kedarkantha and Swargarohini, only if you are lucky enough to visit on a full moon night. It's a blissful magical tremendous, 360-degree picturesque view.
Day 6 - From Karba to Kalap
- Our journey for the day six will be initiated by leaving for Kalap which is at 2400 metres of height. It is a small trek descending downwards and can be easily covered within a half-hour.
- Enjoy the blissful site offered by the mother nature by walking slow and feel the breeze, we will also be stopping by the waterfall, you can also collect pine cones for fun and we will soon be reaching Kalap in 2 hours.
- “Kalap” is a very small village in Uttarakhand located in the remotest area. It is said that this is the place where the “Kalki avatar” will first appear according to mythological stories.
- This is a small village with around 500 people residing there. You will be staying for the day at traditional Garhwali homes, which are made out of Deodar wood.
- You can roam in the village and see the beauty of the houses and you will be amazed by the architectural brilliance of ancient times.
- You can also go to the ancient cave of Lord Shiva which is said to have magical powers (just ancient stories). You will then be visiting another waterfall and can have a nice heart-warming talk with the simple and loving people of Kalap.
- You can sit by the chulha made out of mud and Cow dung and enjoy the extremely mouth-watering, still simple food with the people of Kalap.
- You will be staying in the remotest house of the village, located at the extreme corner of the village and you will be able to see the whole valley by just sitting on the wooden balcony.
Day 7 - From Kalap to Motwar and back to Dehradun
- This day marks the end of our mesmerising trek. We will be leaving early in the morning that is by 6 am.
- You will have your breakfast packed on the way and will be reaching Motwar which is the nearest motorable road by 9 am.
- You will be leaving for Dehradun from Motwar on the same day by cab.
Accommodation in Homestay 
Meals (Veg/Egg) 
Permits & Fees 
Medical Kit & Oxygen Cylinder 
Porters Or Mules To Carry Camping Equipments 
Camping in High Quality Swiss Camps 
Hiking Gaiters, Micro Spikes, Trekking Pole 
Qualified And Professional Trek Leader & Staff Mules Or Porter To Carry Personal Luggage 
Insurance How To Reach
- By Road: As Dehradun is well connected with major cities of North India such as New Delhi, Lucknow, Haryana, etc. So you'll easily get transport for Dehradun from these cities. Also, some buses depart from ISBT Kashmiri Gate (Delhi) to Dehradun on a regular basis. The overnight journey might be good.
- By Train: Dehradun Railway Station is well-connected with major railway stations like New Delhi Railway Station, Lucknow Junction, Kolkata Railway Station, etc. Overnight journey via train would be a great choice.
- By Air: Jolly Grant Airport is the only Airport in Dehradun. And, it is well connected with daily flights from Delhi.
The mountain hopper is the seller of this event. View profile
- Cancellation by guests Cancelled before 45 days from the trek start date – 70% refund
- Cancelled before 20 days from the trek start date – 50% refund
- Cancelled before 10 days from the trek start date – 25% refund
- No refund for cancellation within 10 days from the trek start date.
- Cancellation before start date – Due to any foreseen circumstances (natural disasters, strikes, weather conditions, etc.) Seller may cancel the trip. In such cases, the mountain hoppers will refund 50% in cash and issue credit against the rest of 50% to the customer’s Eventskite Wallet which can be used in the future.
- Cancellation/change after the trip has started – For the safety of guests or reasons mentioned above, an ongoing trip may be cancelled or the itinerary might be changed midway. In such cases, we will try our best to co-operate with you however, no refunds will be made. If the changed itinerary (agreed upon by guests) is longer than the original, extra costs (reasonable) will be borne by guests.
- In case of cancellation, the mountain hoppers or Eventskite will not be responsible for any incidental expenses, collateral losses, or damages that guests may have incurred while booking the trip (for example Visas fees, flight expenses, etc.)
- The mountain hoppers or Eventskite will not be responsible for any change in itinerary because of nature-related causes and the decision of the trek leader for various aspects of the trek will be final (during the trek).
- If the trek route alters from the itinerary because of any damage to the route, the mountain hoppers or Eventskite will not be responsible for that.
- We always urge guests to keep a buffer day for mountain treks for such cases.
- If any guest has to return from mid-way during a trip/ trek because of medical/ physical or any other concerns not related to The Mountain Hopper or Eventskite, we will not bear the cost of transporting him/ her back to the nearest base camp.
- Decision a trek leader during the trek will be considered final.
- Change of trek batch is dependent on the availability of seats in the batch.
- In case of transferring a trek to a friend, he/she should satisfy all the mandatory requirements put forward by the mountain hoppers.
- The mountain hoppers holds the right to change/cancel the policies, without prior notice.
- Any kind of emergency evacuation charges will be paid by the customer.
- Normally the seller expects to carry your personal luggage on your own, if you wish to offload your backpack, you can give it to Mule. Charges of offloading backpack: -
- INR 1500/- if you make an online payment to the mountain hoppers, 10 days in advance.
- INR 1800/- if you inform the mountain hoppers after reaching Sankri.
- The backpack cannot weight more than 11 kg. The backpack should have a waterproof cover. Suitcases/trolleys/bags will not be allowed.
- Any refund applicable will be processed within 14 business days.
- Any refund claims need to be done within 15 days of the date of travel
Advisory
- Avoid smoking and consumption of alcohol while trekking.
- Do not disturb local people or animals during trekking.
- Do not try to harm nature in all terms.
- Pay attention carefully to the trek guides and instructors so that you can enjoy trekking safely.
- Do not trek during nights, this might lead to mishappenings.
- Do not throw plastic bags here and there and try to maintain the decorum of the Himalayas.
- Never take any medicines without consulting the trek guides.
- If you don't know much about the place then don't roam around without a guide because mountains are unpredictable.
- Avoid any kind of anti-religious comments and activity to respect the local religion, local people as well as your batch mates.
- Carry your identity proofs like Aadhaar card, PAN card, Voter ID etc.
- Follow the Guidelines issued by the State-Government during your whole journey.
- Maintain social distancing in all manners.
- Frequent hand sanitisation and use of mask recommended.
Things To Carry
Raincoats and Rain Covers 
UV Protected Sunglasses 
Basic Medicines 
Body Care Essentials 
Facemask 
Hand Sanitizer 
Trekking Shoe 
Rucksack 
Torchlight or Flashlight 
ID Card 
Personal Toiletries