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Panwali Kantha is a trek that offers unique visual treats in
every season. From lush green meadows after the monsoons to
snow covered bugyals with attractive kind of slopes in
winters. The moderate altitude and easy access make it an
ideal winter trek. Panwali Kantha is situated at 3963 mts
altitude, it is one on the well-known bugyal and one can enjoy
the beautiful view of Himalayan Peaks and it is also best for
sun set view. In ancient time this trek is used by pilgrim
while coming from Gangotri to Kedarnath. After road
development this route is used by trekkers or by local
villagers. This trek can be approached from two side either
from Triyugi Narayan or from Ghuttu.
Panwali-Kantha a high altitude meadows which is situated on
the south-western ridge of Kedarnath region in Uttaranchal
state. There are two ways to approach this Bugyals (Meadows),
one is to begin at Triyuginarayan, the temple town marking a
spot where Lord Shiva is said to have celebrated his wedding
with Parvati. The other route begins from Ghuttu in Tehri or
Mala in Uttarkashi district.
In winters however it often becomes too tricky to cross
Panwali Kantha and venture over to Trijuginarayan because of
excessive snowfall. A short trek to Panwali Kantha however
makes for just the right amount of snow filled adventure and
can be safely completed without requiring expedition grade
preparations. Contingency planning is necessary though because
of the likelihood of heavy snowfall resulting in trekking
paths getting blocked.
This trek provides you with one of the rarest view of the
whole range of Yamnotri- Gangotri- Kedarnath- Badrinath
mountain peaks. In the process you pass through the seven
Bugyals of Panwali Kantha, Where if you are lucky, you might
catch a glimpse of blue mountain goat. This trek is part of
the ancient pilgrim trail from Gangotri to Kedarnath, in the
tradition of Vamavrta Yatra that began from Yamnotri and ended
at Badrinath after paying respect at the Kedarnath and
Gangotri shrines.
The glory of the Garhwal Himalayas is enhanced by several
alpine meadows called bugyals which lie in its vicinity. In
summer time the wandering people who live between the Shivalik
Ranges and the Greater Himalayas mostly shepherds use these
meadows for grazing their cattle.
Panwali Kantha is one among the famous bugyals in the Garhwal
region. This trek was the ancient pilgrimage route from
Gangotri to Kedarnath but is now a popular trekking route and
it is mostly used by locals, as alternative roads have been
built between the two holy towns. The trek begins from Lata
which is about 22 km from Uttarkashi. The well defined path is
initially through the pine forests and then breaks out to the
grassy plains at Belak. The trail is fairly level upto Jhala
after which there is a steep descent to Budhakedar.
The trail to Guttu from here is again a series of ascent and
descent via Bhaironchetti. Guttu is the last road head for
other treks in the region like Khatling Glacier, Masartal,
Sahastrtal etc. From Guttu there is a long, steep ascent to
Panwali Kantha. The wonderful peaks of the Garhwal Himalayas,
and the other Bughyals are clearly visible from atop here. The
vegetation is a mix of grassland scattered with Birch trees.
On the other side of the Panwali Kantha, the camp can be
established at one of the shepherd huts. The path on the other
side continues on the ridge, and begins downhill at
Kankhalikhal. The camp can be set up at Magguchetti or the
trail continued further to Triyuginarayan. Triyuginarayan is a
famous religious town and the trek can either be completed
here or continued to Kedarnath. The trek path is well defined
and travelled on frequently. While the trail is not crowded by
pilgrims it is fairly populated with tea stalls, shepherd huts
on the way. The scenic landscapes relatively lower altitudes
makes for a pleasant trek amidst the Garhwal Himalayas. |
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