Exclusive Village walk to Khati
In the lap of the greater himalayas, located in the Bageshwar district of the Kumaon Himalayas of Uttarakhand at an altitude of 2250m is this lesser known and fascinating village of khati(Pindar valley), a medium sized , last inhabited village on the pindari glacier trek trail , which can be accessed via a trek of 5 kms from the roadhead at kharkiya . This quaint little village of colorfully built stone and mud houses is surrounded by high mountains on all sides. and is close to the confluence of the mighty Pindar and Sunderdunga rivers. It is also the starting point for treks to the glaciers of Pindari , Sunderdunga and Kafni .The village is located in the midst of dense forests of oak, deodhar and rhododendron and cascading streams, and is a paradise of untouched natural beauty. Our village walk is a combination of different activities and aims to showcase the customs, tradition and lifestyle of the people living in these remote parts of Uttarakhand coupled with the rich bio diversity of the region. Eating what they eat locally, living in simple homestays and joining them in their daily chores like farming, milking the cows, cooking etc, Our aim is to learn simple and minimalist living by leaving our baggage behind and becoming one with the villagers . Highlights- Interaction with the locals and learning how they sustain themselves under extreme conditions in the winter months, what they grow and what they consume . Also, learning about their local festivals, dances and cultural and religious events.
- Birding throughout the duration of the tour specially in and around dau and bajling dhar . places very rich in birdlife and some rare Himalayan birds .
- Camping at the high altitude of Bajling dhar ,a high altitude meadow which can be reached via a trek of 4 kms from Khati. The views of the greater himalayas and himalayan peaks like Trishul, nanda devi, Maiktoli etc. are fascinating from this place.
- Trek to the confluence of Pindar and Sunderdunga Rivers, an astounding spectacle of creation.
- Mingling with Harak singh and family , the ever-hospitable owners of our homestay through lengthy and fun filled talks over bonfire and meals .
- Walk to the nearby villages of Dau and Jaikhuni which provide with you with a great view of the Sunderdunga gkacier on one side and Pindar glacier on the other, these two villages are also very rich in bird density.
Activity
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Day 1
Pick up from kathgodam station at 12 pm ( shatabadi runs daily from delhi to kathgodam at 6:20 a.m and reaches kathgodam at 11:35 am ) , lunch enroute at kasardevi ( famous for its hippie culture in the 70’s ) and blessed with beautiful cafes . Reach bageshwar by late evening and check in to a hotel. Bageshwar is situated on the confluence of sarju and gomti rivers and is famous for its ancient shiva temples.
Dinner and overnight at bageshwar !
Day 2
Post breakfast, we embark on a 3 hour drive to the roadhead at kharkiya , followed by a 5km trek through rhododendron and oak forests to the village of Khati!
It’s a scenic drive once we cross kapkote , and enter the high and vertical middle Himalayas , climbing up to the top of a mountain pass at Vinayak , at a height of around 2700m asl, to descend on to the Pindar valley . From here on we start to get magnificent views of the maiktoli , panwali dwar and nanda devi mountains . After about a 3 hours drive, we reach kharkiya , a small village , with a couple of dhabas lined up at either side of the road end . We break for a cup of tea, and start our easy 5km(1.5 hr) trek through to khati village . Check in to a basic guest house , followed by lunch , and an optional walk to the nearby stream for some bird watching ! Evening tea/snacks and interesting talks over bonfire !
Dinner and overnight at guest house !
Day 3
Get up early morning to enjoy the sunrise over the peaks of maiktoli (subject to clear weather), Early breakfast, as we start our 4-5 km trek to the high altitude meadow of Bajling dhar, a steep ascent from the village of Khati to the top of the mountain peak to our right ! Carry enough water in your back packs , as this will be a 2-3 hour climb to the top of the mountain. , The trail passes through the local school , as we leave the village of khati and enter the forest of rhododendron, oak and deodhar , crossing a couple of streams on the way . Hoping to spot some high altitude birds enroute and once at the meadow, we hope to get a glimpse of the Monal , the colorful state bird of Uttarakhand ! Magnificent views of the greater himalayas late evenings as we camp at the meadow for the night in tents.
Stories and discussions over bonfire and dinner
Overnight in tents at Bajling dhar
Day 4
Post breakfast, we descend back to khati village by noon. Post Lunch we take a walk through the village, understanding the local customs, traditions an lifestyle of the people living in these remote parts, we delve deeper into the lives of the locals, of what they grow, how they build their homes to keep them warm during harsh winters, and talk to them about their journeys to the glaciers , where they stay in for months , collecting “keedajadi” a caterpillar used in Chinese medicine and fetches a very high price in the market.
Back to the guest house for evening tea and snacks,
Dinner and overnight at Khati.
Day 5
Today is the last day of our tour in Khati , so we get up early and trek a kilometer to the neighboring village of Dau and Jaikhuni , great places for some high altitude birds. Engage in some early morning bird watching, visit a couple of local houses and head back to khati village for breakfast !
Post a heavy breakfast, we pack our bags to start our 1.5 hour trek back to kharkiya followed by a 5 hour drive to Kausani and check in to a hotel . kausani is a perfect place for a 180 degree view of the greater Himalayas , enjoy the sunset over the towering peaks( subject to clear weather) ,
Dinner and overnight in Kausani !
Day 6
Witness the early morning sunrise and a majestic view of the Himalayan range and post breakfast, we make our way back to kathgodam( 5-6 hour drive ) for onwards journey ( 3:35 pm shatabadi takes you back to delhi )
Accommodation/Transport
Accommodation in home-stays/Tents.
Includes
This covers all arrangements from Kathgodam to Kathgodam, including:
• Accommodation in home-stays or guest houses.
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea.
• Taxi fare, wherever travel by road is required. Travel by Mahindra Maxx or equivalent.
• All meals included in the package are vegetarian. In some places it should be possible to get eggs and non-veg at an extra cost.
• Please ensure that you get only a backpack for your luggage.
• Do bring along a day-pack for carrying water, some snacks, medicines etc.
• Carry snacks such as energy bars, biscuits, hard-boiled sweets and Electral or Electrobion for oral re-hydration.
• Water is safe to drink in these places but you may want to carry some chlorine tablets for purification (available in medical stores) or personal purifier bottles.
• Only BSNL mobile signals are easily available in this area but not the others.
• Khati is not connected by the grid. We will have to manage with solar power There are only one or two mobile charging points.
• Temperatures are likely to drop down to 5 deg C at night. Please carry appropriate warm clothing.
• Note that facilities are quite basic but neat and clean.
Exclusions
1. Personal expenses like medicines, mineral water, laundry, tips etc
2. Any kind of insurance.
3. Conveyance charges to kathgodam and back.
