Day 7 : Summit day- Kalkhathidhar to Har Ki Doon and back to Kalkathidhar

This was our longest trek—14 kilometers, reaching 3,550 meters. The night before was tough with freezing temperatures and pre-summit jitters, making it hard to sleep. By 4:30 AM, we were up, and Sachin’s hot ginger tea worked wonders. By 5:45 AM, we were on the trail in 0°C weather, leaving our tents behind as we’d return to the same campsite.

The day started with a steep climb that tested us. Bundled in layers, we pushed through until the sunrise warmed us up. Around 8:00 AM, we hit our first patch of snow. We paused for pictures and continued through snowy trails, tiny glaciers, and trees that looked like cherry blossoms.

The final stretch to the summit was tough, with slippery ice and pine forests. When Har Ki Doon came into view, it felt magical. The snow-covered valley and peaks like Swargarohini and Black Peak were stunning. Though the glacier trail was closed, the view made it all worth it.

We reached the summit by 10:15 AM and celebrated in our own ways—snowball fights, sliding, and snapping pictures. We had packed Lunch at the top . On the way back, we had a playful snowball fight. Nitin’s shot to my face it froze my ear for few seconds, though I missed seeing Rekha get hit—maybe next time! 

The return trek was tiring, but spotting the campsite kept us going. It had strated drizzing, it started raining as we got to the campsite. Back at camp, everyone played Mafia, laughed a lot, i went back to our tent and came out to have special dinner with gulab jamuns—my trek partner’s favorite. The night in the tent was freezing despite wearing five layers was an experience to remember.

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