Khatling Glacier Trek via Ghuttu Village

The distance between Delhi and Ghuttu Village is about 158 km and you can undertake the journey by halting at Rishikesh or Tehri. The nearest town from Ghuttu Village is Ghansali and offers interesting places to visit tourists.

After a healthy breakfast, you’ll start your trek to the scenic hamlet of Reeh, locally known as Reeh Chhani. The 10 km trek towards Reeh is a steep one with River Devling flowing calmly alongside you. As you move forward, you will cross dense forests of chir, pine, and rhododendrons and groves of local bamboo known locally as “Ringaal”.

The campsite at Reeh is located across a beautiful landscape surrounded by woods.

As you familiarize yourself with the steeps, you’ll start enjoying the nature of the trek. The trek to Gangi Village takes you through refreshing meadows and ridges offering mesmerizing views of Panwali Kantha grasslands.

As you reach Gangi Village, you will witness the local lifestyle of this beautiful Himalayan tribe. The villagers of Gangi donned in their traditional woolen long coats are warm and friendly. They shift to Reeh during the winter months. Gangi is also the last village that you’ll come across during the trek. So make sure that your accommodation and lunch is arranged well in the upcoming days.

Today, you’ll start with a light descent to Deokhri Channi, which serves as the winter settlement for the residents of Gangi Village. Then on, you will continue your trek through dense forests. After crossing the refreshing Kalyani stream, you will come across two trails. The trail to the left goes to Sahasratal. 

You’ll continue through the trail on the right. The vast open area, known as Birodh, mesmerizing meadows, and lofty conifers, finally give way to the captivating camping site of Kharsali.

The trail to Bhedikharag goes through the bridge over theKharsali stream and dense forests to reach Bhelbagi. Moving forward from Bhelbagi, you will chance upon Bhumkodaar Cave and Tamakund Cave. The campsite of Bhedikharag lies along a picturesque landscape.

The journey today will be tiresome as you will cover to and fro from Bhedikharag to Khatling Glacier. After walking across rocky paths through glacier moraines and screes, you will reach the mesmerizing location of Khatling Glacier. Surrounded by snow-clad mountains, Khatling Glacier stands tall at an elevation of 3,900 m at an extremely picturesque location.

After spending some time at Khatling Glacier, you will continue with your return to Bhedikharag.

If you are proficient in mountaineering,  you can choose to explore the glacier. However, do keep aside at least 2 extra days in your itinerary if you wish to do so.

You will start your return to Gangi Village and cover a distance of 11 km. You can spend the evening exploring the village,  its temples, and talking to the local people. Enjoy the leisure-filled evening,  after all, you deserve it!

One of the most famous grasslands in the Garhwal Himalayas, Panwali Kantha is a high altitude grassland covered with patches of lush green grasses where you can catch glimpses of animals like mules, cows,  and herds of sheep basking and feeding in the land. The sunrise and sunset views with different hues of colors sprawling across the surrounding peaks provide one of the most refreshing scenes that is worth capturing and drooling over. You’ll also spot temporary Shephard cottages here.

The route towards Panwali Kantha goes through a bridge over a tributary of River Bhilangana and beautiful forests. You’ll also see a clear picture of the Khatling Glacier trek route through this trail.

After enjoying a beautiful morning at  Panwali Kantha, you will start your trek towards Maggu Chatti. The route towards  Maggu Chatti is an easy one which can be completed at ease. The scenic hamlet of Maggu Chatti offers you beautiful views of terraced fields and delicious tea from the local tea shops.

The descent to the small town of Triyuginarayan in the Rudraprayag district takes you through oak and rhododendron forests. You can visit the holy Triyuginarayan Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is believed that Lord Vishnu witnessed the sacred marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess  Parvati at this particular place. An eternal fire which is said to have been burning since the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati lies in front of the temple.

From Triyuginarayan, you will continue your journey to Gaurikund which will take about 3-4 hrs. Gaurikund serves as the base camp for Kedarnath Temple Trek.

This is the last day of your memorable trip. Departure from Gaurikund.