State PCS - Uttarakhand (UKPSC)

• 15 Nov 2025

Kafni Glacier

The once-popular trekking route to Kafni Glacier in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand remains abandoned and unsafe since the devastating 2013 flash-floods. 

Key Points 

• Kafni Glacier is located in the Kumaon Himalayas, Uttarakhand, and is a tributary source for the Kafni River, which joins the Pindar River. 
• It is often described as a “hidden gem” of the Himalayas, lesser-crowded compared to Pindari Glacier, offering solitude, alpine meadows, and high-altitude views. 
• The trekking route to Kafni starts from the village of Khati (the last inhabited village) via Dwali, and historically extended to the glacier’s Zero-Point.  
• The trail was heavily damaged by the 2013 floods, and key infrastructure (bridges, trails) remain broken, making access nearly impossible for more than a decade.