Started with flight to Delhi and boarded the bus from there at night meeting all new people. The route covered Rishikesh, Devprayag and finally reached Guptakashi at around 1pm in the afternoon. Had a stay booked there. The place where we stayed was called White Heavens. A decent place surrounded by mountains all around. the room seemed like a Swiss tent. Freshned up and had lunch there. Took some rest and went for a short stroll later. It was day prior to full moon and the clouds shimmered in the moonlight. We had an early dinner and retired to bed, knowing that we had to embark on our journey to Kedarnath at dawn.

The following morning, we woke up promptly at 2:30 am, got ready, and set out for Kedarnath by 3am. We reached Sonprayag, which stands at an altitude of 1,829 meters above sea level, after a couple of hours on the road. At Sonprayag, we had our passes scanned for our Kedarnath pilgrimage. From there, we had to arrange for a taxi to take us the 5 kms journey to Gaurikund, situated at an elevation of 1,982 meters above sea level. Gaurikund marked the starting point of our trek to Kedarnath. However, there were no taxis at that moment as they were stuck in a jam close to Gauikund. We set out around 6:30 am, feeling refreshed and energized, and managed to complete this section of the climb in less than an hour. After a short break, we continued our journey from Gaurikund towards Kedarnath, which sits at an altitude of 3,583 meters above sea level.

The total distance we needed to cover was approximately 16 kms. Initially, we maintained a good pace, covering around 3 kms an hour. However, as we ascended and fatigue set in, our pace gradually slowed. The weather remained clear, but the presence of numerous mules and horses on the path added an extra challenge to our trek. Reached a point where we could catch a glimpse of snow-capped mountains shining above the temple and that motivated us to pick up some pace. But it lasted just a while as our body was tiring. We took frequent breaks, stayed well-hydrated, and eventually, around 3 pm, we reached the summit. We completed the ascent in less than 8.5 hours, covering a distance of 21 kms and elevating from 1,829 meters to 3,583 meters above sea level, an altitude gain of over 1.7 kms. Upon reaching our destination, we hurried to the temple, where we joined the queue during the Aarti ceremony. It was raining heavily during the Aarti, yet everyone stood there with high energy, calling out to their dear ones and sharing their excitement. The atmosphere was charged with positivity. Saw some people crying, some meditating. Happy Birthday to me.

Afterward, we spent some time in the evening around the temple, capturing memories with photographs. Then, we returned to our room, conveniently located near the temple. For dinner, we were served hot rotis, dal, and sabzi, which turned out to be delicious. It marked the end of an eventful day.