By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 4 Nov: The latest tragedy on the Kedartal trekking route in Uttarkashi, where four bodies of missing trekkers have been retrieved while search operations continue for the remaining missing members of the expedition, has once again raised serious questions about safety arrangements governing high-altitude trekking and mountaineering in Uttarakhand. The incident is far from isolated. Over the past decade, several major tragedies in Uttarkashi, including those at Lamkhaga Pass, Draupadi Ka Danda and Sahastratal, have claimed numerous lives, exposing the vulnerability of even experienced mountaineers to the unpredictable Himalayan environment.
The recurring incidents raise an uncomfortable question: are sudden changes in weather alone responsible, or are there serious shortcomings in trekking permissions, weather monitoring, communication facilities and preventive safety measures?
In the latest incident, a 13-member expedition comprising seven trekkers and six supporting personnel had departed from Gangotri for Kedartal on 27 October 2026. One cook returned to Gangotri the following day, while the remaining members were expected back by 29 October. However, heavy snowfall, deteriorating weather and glaciers obstructing the route left the group stranded. Three porters and another cook were subsequently rescued, but seven trekkers and a local guide went missing. Four bodies have since been recovered, while the search for the remaining missing persons continues. SDRF, NDRF, the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), the Forest Department and local teams are participating in the operation.
Significantly, a weather alert for 29 October had reportedly been received by the administration after the expedition had already departed. According to Gangotri National Park Deputy Director Mayank Garg, there was no communication facility through which the trekking party could be alerted. The group had been granted permission on 26 October for a three-day expedition. SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi has also stated that avalanches at 10 to 12 locations along the route considerably hampered rescue efforts.
This explanation raises a very pertinent question. If communication facilities are virtually non-existent along such routes, why are trekking groups permitted to venture into these areas without the mandatory satellite communication or emergency tracking equipment?
The history of Uttarkashi makes this concern particularly compelling. Uttarkashi has several high-altitude trekking and mountaineering destinations, including Gangotri, Gaumukh, Kedartal, Sahastratal, Draupadi Ka Danda, Shivling Parvat and Lamkhaga Pass. Many of these locations are situated at altitudes ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 metres or even higher. Temperatures can drop suddenly, strong winds can develop and heavy snowfall can begin without much warning. Avalanche risks are particularly high in glacier-fed areas. In 2013, a trekker from West Bengal, Biswajit Bose, died in an avalanche near Kedarkharak. In October 2021, seven members of an 11-member West Bengal trekking expedition lost their lives after being trapped in adverse weather near Lamkhaga Pass. The following year, the devastating avalanche at Draupadi Ka Danda-II on 4 October claimed 27 lives, including those of trained mountaineering trainees and instructors of NIM.
The June 2024 Sahastratal tragedy was another major disaster. Nine members of a 22-member trekking expedition lost their lives after sudden storms and heavy rain left the group stranded at an altitude of approximately 4,232 metres. A massive rescue operation involving the Army, Air Force, ITBP, SDRF and NDRF managed to save the remaining 13 members.
Another unresolved case is that of Babita Pandey, who went missing from Dayara Bugyal on 29 May this year. Despite extensive searches, she remains untraced.
According to the trekking experts, the geography of Uttarkashi, its glaciers, extreme altitudes and rapidly changing weather make its trekking routes particularly hazardous. Conditions in the lower valleys may appear normal even when heavy snowfall, strong winds or avalanche risks develop at higher elevations. The absence of reliable mobile connectivity further complicates emergency response and delays the identification of stranded groups.
Clearly, weather conditions cannot be controlled, but the risks can be reduced through better preparedness. Mandatory satellite communication devices, real-time tracking of trekking groups, route-specific weather assessments, trained guides and strict restrictions during adverse weather forecasts must become integral to the permission system.
Uttarakhand has enormous potential for adventure tourism, but its promotion cannot come at the cost of human lives. The repeated loss of lives in Uttarkashi should serve as a wake-up call for the state administration. Unless the lessons from the Kedarkharak, Lamkhaga Pass, Draupadi Ka Danda and Sahastratal tragedies are translated into concrete improvements in safety protocols, weather monitoring and communication systems, similar incidents are likely to recur. The government needs to undertake a comprehensive review of trekking safety regulations rather than relying primarily on rescue operations after disasters have occurred.
