Ek Dham by Helicopter – Same Day Tour

Reporting time at Sahastradhara Helidrome is 0500 hrs.

Reporting time at Sahastradhara Helidrome is 0500 hrs.

Reporting time at Sahastradhara Helidrome is 0500 hrs.

• Departure: 06:00 hrs
• Location: Sahastradhara Helidrome, Dehradun
• Altitude: 2,800 ft

• Arrival: 07:00 hrs
• Location: Badrinath Helipad
• Altitude: 10,300 ft

We fly from Sahastradhara to Badrinath ji by 0600 Hrs. After landing at Badrinath helipad, guests will be taken for darshan in cars by our crew. The temple is approx. 05 mins away from Helipad. Total time that will be taken for darshan at Badrinath ji is 01-1.5 hours at the most.

• Departure: 08:30 hrs
• Location: Badrinath Helipad
• Altitude: 10,300 ft

• Arrival: 09:30 hrs
• Location: Sahastradhara Helidrome, Dehradun
• Altitude: 2,800 ft
• After darshan, we return to Badrinath Helipad to fly back to Sahastradhara. On arrival, our team will be ready to receive & welcome you back to Dehradun. This concludes your Ekdham journey of the Badrinath ji shrine.

• Passengers have to mandatorily follow the government prescribed measures in regards to COVID-19.
• Passengers will be provided PPE gowns/kits, masks & sanitizers by our crew before boarding their respective flights.
• Passengers should ensure social distancing with other pilgrims at the time of darshan.
• Wearing a mask is compulsory to board the helicopter and must be worn at all times.
• Post-flight our helicopters are sanitized and fumigated for the safe flying of our passengers.

• Flying in hills is subject to weather conditions. And in regard to our Chardham operations, we would like to bring to your kind attention that flight cancellations & other inconveniences due to weather are very much likely since weather is extremely unpredictable in the hills.
• Passengers should come prepared to face the eventualities which can arise by bad weather/force majeure problems.
• Force Majeure situations include cases of bad weather, low visibility for flying, delayed Air Traffic Clearances/Permissions, VVIP movements, valley flying by Indian Air Force (NOTAM), sudden occurrence of technical snag in aircraft, illness of flying crew or late reporting of the guests at the helipads, among others.
• Further please note, in case of bad weather/force majeure situation, we will operate as per our policies mentioned in the ‘Terms & Conditions’ & ‘Important Guidelines & Policies’ sections.

We operate Airbus AS350 B3 single engine helicopters. This helicopter is known for its high-altitude performance. The helicopter can seat a total of 6 passengers, maximum total weight permissible is 450 kgs

Only one handbag weighing a maximum of 5 kgs is allowed per passenger.

Q.1: How is the weather going to be?
Ans: Please refer to Weather & What to Wear section.

Q.2: What kind of clothing should I bring?
Ans: Please refer to Weather & What to Wear section.

Q.3: How will the food be arranged?
Ans: All meals are included at each Dham, however, meals are not included during your stay at Dehradun. FYI, food is prepared separately for non-garlic & non-onion food eaters.

Q. 4: What sort of meal is served in our Chardham yatra.
Ans: Pure Vegetarian food is served to all our pilgrims without onion and garlic.

Q.5: Which telephone networks work?
Ans: Kharsali: All networks
Harsil: BSNL, JIO
Sersi: All networks
Kedarnath: All networks
Badrinath: BSNL, JIO

In case your networks do not work, you can always reach out to our crew for any help or assistance regarding the same.

Q.6: Will there be a guide with us throughout the Yatra?
Ans: HHSPL crew will be present at each Dham to assist you for all your needs. Our crew will also guide you during your sight-seeings.

Q.7: What kind of accommodation will be provided at places?
Ans: Luxury hotels are not available at these remote locations,therefore you are advised not to keep very high expectation of hotels. However, we provide the best available hotels at all location.

Q.8: When should we reach Dehradun to start our Chardham Yatra?
Ans: Guests need to reach Dehradun, one day prior to their scheduled Chardham departure date booked with us. Six Sigma Heli provides complimentary stay on the first night, when guests arrive at Dehradun.

Q.9: How far are the Temples from the Helipads at each Dham?
Ans: Apart from Yamunotri Dham, there is barely any walking distance at each Dham. At Yamunotri, there is a 6km trek to the shrine, which is done through porters/Palki/Pony. Arrangement for the same is done by Six Sigma Heli.

Q.10: Will children be charged the same for the Chardham Yatra, or do they have any concessions?
Ans:Children below the age of 2 years travel free of charge. For children 2 or above, full charges are applicable.

Q.11: Are we supposed to pay for the darshans at the temple?
Ans: VIP darshans at all the four shrines are arranged by Six Sigma Heli. However, special pujas are not included in our tour. The same can be arranged on request.

Q.12: When is the Chardham tour available?
Ans: The opening date of Kedarnath ji is announced every year on the day of Maha Shivratri, and opening date of Badrinath ji is announced on the day of Basant Panchami. Whereas, both Yamunotri and Gangotri Dham open every year on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.

Based on the opening dates, our Chardham tours generally commence sometime in the month of May, and are operational from May-June (pre-monsoon season) & September-October (post-monsoon season).

All of the four dhams are situated at a high altitude, ranging between 8500 ft – 11500 ft. Kedarnath Dham being the highest at 11500 ft. Being at such a high altitude involves exposure to extreme cold, low humidity, increased ultra violet radiations and reduced air pressure and oxygen

Since your Chardham yatra is only for 4 days, the body may not get enough time to acclimatize and adjust to the low oxygen levels, therefore you must not exert yourself, go slow and always catch your breath. If anyone exerts themselves too much too quickly, depending on individual fitness levels, some of the common high altitude sicknesses and their symptoms are listed below:

( 1 ) Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS): AMS is the most common form of mountain sickness and may occur after you ascend to altitudes above 2500 m.
Symptoms: Breathing problems, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, dizziness and difficulty in sleeping.

( 2 ) High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE): HACE is a severe form of AMS and occurs due to swelling of the brain tissue which may eventually impair the brain. The illness often manifests itself at night and may result in coma/ death within hours.
Symptoms: Breathing problems, headache, fatigue, visual impairment, bladder dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, disorientation and partial paralysis.

( 3 ) High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE): HAPE results in respiratory failure due to accumulation of fluid in the lungs. HAPE manifests itself at night (typically the second night of climbing in high altitude areas), progresses rapidly and may lead to fatality within hours.
Symptoms: Shortness of breath even when resting, persistent dry cough, bright red stained sputum, weakness, fatigue, drowsiness, chest tightness, congestion and increased heart rate. Younger people are held to be more susceptible to this ailment as, in exuberance, they are inclined to over exert while trekking.

Do’s

• Take Palkis/Horses instead of trekking to avoid high altitude sickness.
• Take short breaks to catch your breath when tired.
• Notice any symptoms such as extreme tiredness, headache, nausea, loss of appetite or vomiting.
• Saree is NOT a suitable dress for the Yatra. Salwar Kameez, pant-shirt or a track suit will be better. Ladies who are more than 6 week pregnant shall not be allowed to undertake the pilgrimage.
• Keep spare clothes and eatables in a suitable water proof bag.
• Carry some cold cream/Vaseline/sunscreen to protect your hands /face against sunburn etc.
• Keep in your pocket your identity card with emergency contact number, incase of an emergency.

Don’ts

• Don’t exert yourself too much and go out of breath.
• Don’t ignore any symptoms such as extreme tiredness, headache, nausea, loss of appetite or vomiting.
• Don’t stop at places which are marked by warning notices.
• Don’t use slippers. Only wear trekking / sports shoes with laces.
• Don’t attempt any short cuts on the route as doing so would be dangerous.
• Don’t trek alone. Always stay together as a group. Your mobile network may not work.

PRE-MONSOON SEASON

• In the summer months of May –June, weather remains sunny during the day & approx. 20-30 degrees at night – which is very pleasant.
• Comfortable summer leisure wear should be carried during the May-June season.

POST-MONSOON SEASON

• During Sep-Oct, temperatures remain pleasant during the day. However, they drop to around 10-20 degrees at night.
• We provide disposable raincoats to our passengers in case of rain.
• At Kedarnath & Badrinath, temperatures may suddenly fall below 10 degrees at night. Therefore, it is advisable to carry clothes for cold weather during these months.

COVID TRAVEL GUIDELINES
COVID protocols must be adhered by the passengers as per the effective mandate of the government. Without adhering to the government guidelines, boarding shall be denied to the passengers without refund.

SEATING CAPACITY
The seating capacity of our helicopter is 06 passengers.

HELICOPTER WEIGHT LIMITATION
Maximum weight capacity of the helicopter is 450 kg (excluding baggage weight). Passengers are taken on board depending up on the load and temperature conditions, and the Pilots call will be final. Hence, passengers are required to provide us their exact weights at the time of booking.
Exceedance of helicopter weight carrying capacity, will result in passengers getting deboarded & cancelled for the Heli-tour without any refund.

OVERWEIGHT CHARGES
Overweight charges are applicable @ INR 2,000/kg. This will be chargeable to passengers weighing above 75 kg. But excess weight will only be calculated on the total excess weight above the total permissible weight of all the group members combined, i.e., permissible weight = 75 Kg x (No. of pax).
Any discrepancy found in the weights of the passengers, which will be chargeable as per the overweight criteria, the same would be collected prior to boarding of flights.

ARRIVAL DATE
Our Chardham 4N/5D Heli-tours are booked flying-date wise. And passengers must report to Dehradun one day prior to the flying date.

BAD WEATHER & FORCE MAJEURE DISCLAIMER
Flying in hills is subject to bad weather, and many Force Majeure factors like delayed Air Traffic Clearances/Permissions, VVIP movements, valley flying by Indian Air Force (NOTAM), sudden occurrence of technical snag in aircraft, illness of flying crew or late reporting of the passengers at the helipads, among others. Therefore, passengers must be prepared to face any eventuality and inconvenience in case of such scenarios.

AADHAR Card copies are to be shared by all Indian passengers, & passport in case of foreign nationals.

HOTELS:

– Hotels are subject to sudden change.
– Rooms are booked on double or triple sharing basis only.
– For a separate single occupancy room, it will be extra chargeable @ INR 40,000/person (tax inclusive).
– Hotels at all the Dhams are non-star category. However, we have carefully selected the most comfortable properties for our Heli-tours.

• We advise our passengers to keep one additional day at hand at the end of the tour, over & above the 5N/6D period, to avoid missing their return flights in case they get stuck at any of the destinations due to bad weather or force majeure reasons.

ADD-ON SERVICES
Additional services which are not mendtioned in our inclusions will be extra chargeable, and the same must be confirmed to us at the time of booking.

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES
Six Sigma Heli will not be liable for any medical emergency on the ground to the passengers. Therefore, in your own interest, passengers are hereby advised to kindly consult a doctor and get medical check-up done before commencing the yatra. Medical check-up is mainly required if a passenger has any medical ailment or condition. If Medical evacuation by Helicopter is needed, it will be chargeable @ INR 1,10,000/ Hr plus GST.

CARRIAGE BY AIR ACT, 1972
The carriage is subject to Six Sigma Heli Services regulations relating to the conditions of Non-International Carriage (Passenger and Baggage) framed in accordance with The Carriage by Air Act, 1972 and Notification regarding application of the carriage which is non-international. The liability of the company for damage sustained in the event of the death or wounding of a passenger or any other bodily injury suffered by passenger or by his registered baggage during the course of carriage by air will be governed by the provisions of sections 4,5,6 and the rules contained in the second Schedule of Carriage by Air Act 1972 with certain exceptions, adaptations, modifications, etc as notified in the Govt. of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation Notification and as amended from time to time.

• Six Sigma Heli reserves the right to cancel passengers, who are unruly, abusive, intoxicated, sick, mentally unfit or anyone else whom we deem to be unsafe to fly. No refund shall be done to such passenger(s).

Our Heli-Tours are not available for the following VIP’s:
– Speaker Lok Sabha
– Dy. Chairperson Rajya Sabha
– Central Ministers of Cabinet Rank
– C J I Supreme Court
– Governors of State
– Chief Ministers of State
– State Ministers of Cabinet Rank
– SPG Protectees – Z category only.

RESCHEDULING OF BOOKING
Rescheduling your booking to any future or prior travel date, will be done subject to availability, and on payment of 10% of the total tour cost. This will be permitted only if informed at least 07 days before arrival date. In case rescheduling is requested less than 07 days prior to the travel date, then the booking would be treated as cancelled, & a fresh booking will be given subject to availability, after the levy of applicable cancellation charges.

PAYMENT TERMS

• We accept payments via bank transfers, cheques, cash, UPI and card machine.
• The booking is to be done in advance with a deposit of 50% of the total amount. Balance payment will be taken 14 days prior to the date of arrival at Dehradun.
• Passengers will not be permitted to board or commence the tour, unless full & final payment of the tour has been done.
• Payments via credit/debit card machine will incur 2% extra charges.

CANCELLATIONS POLICY:
If passengers cancel their booking prior or after commencement of tour, following cancellation charges will be applicable –

FORCE MAJEURE & BAD WEATHER REFUNDS:
Basis of Refund:
Tour Cost: The refundable amount of each uncovered Dham will be as mentioned below:

• Kharsali/Yamunotri: 20% tour cost minus INR 30,000 towards Flight preparation charges.
• Jhalla/Gangotri: 25% tour cost minus INR 30,000 towards flight preparation charges.
• Sersi/Kedarnath: 25% tour cost minus INR 30,000 towards Flight preparation charges.
• Badrinath: 30% tour cost minus INR 30,000 towards Flight preparation charges.
• Full tour cancellation: Full refund minus INR 30,000 towards flight preparation and retention charges.

Additional Services: The cost of additional services provided at any Dham during the tour will be deducted over & above the refundable Tour Cost.

• Refund against an unutilized service will not be done.

COVID-19 Lockdowns, or any National/State Emergency:
In case passengers test COVID positive before the travel, or the Yatra gets called-off by the government, or any National or State emergency is imposed, there will be no refunds applicable. However, passengers will be provided a Credit Voucher by Six Sigma Heli against the advance paid, which will be valid for one year. It can be utilised against any of our helicopter tours or charter services by the passengers or any of their friends/relatives.

BAD WEATHER & FORCE MAJEURE POLICIES:

• Where bad weather, technical snags, or any force majeure reason beyond Six Sigma Heli Services’ control results in the cancellation of the flight or delay, Six Sigma Heli Services will not be liable in any way for the cancelled or delayed flight. However, refund will be given to clients as per our refunds policy. Any kind of inconvenience caused because of cancellation of flights is beyond the control of the operator. No compensation or reimbursement for accommodation, transportation, meals, or any other extra travel expenses done by the passengers shall be offered in the event of cancellation of a flight.
• In case tour departure does not take place from Dehradun on Day One due to above reasons, tour will be considered as cancelled and full refund as per our policies will be made. However, in case the passengers would like to consider taking the tour on the next available date, a fresh booking can be made for the same. Our team will propose the available options to the passengers. The balance/unutilized amount against previous booking can be adjusted against the fresh booking. And any extra costs that would be accruing, will have to be borne by the passengers.
• In case the tour departs from Dehradun as per schedule but gets disrupted, while the tour is ongoing, our team will propose the possible revised itinerary within the scheduled package days, but without any extension of days.
• Any extension, proposed by the passengers, in the package will only be considered at an extra cost and subject to operational viability.
• In case for 05 straight days flying does not take place, full refund as per our policies will be made to the passengers.
• New Chardham passenger(s) scheduled for departure from Dehradun on any respective travel date shall be our top priority, over the back-log passenger(s) of previous days(s).
• In case of passenger get stuck at Kedarnath top due to bad weather or Force Majeure, the accommodation charges at Kedarnath will borne by the client directly.
• Additional night halt charges will be payable by the passengers to hotels on direct payment basis if they get stuck for additional nights due to bad weather/force majeure reasons over and above the 5N/6D period.
• If passengers require extra helicopter flying at the end of their tour, the same will be chargeable at INR 1,10,000/Hr + UCADA royalty & landing charges + GST.
• Six Sigma Heli may not fly to Harsil/Jhalla, in case of turbulent wind conditions – which is common in the Harsil valley after 1200 Hrs.
• While the tour is ongoing, if any group demands to cancel their tour mid-way, the arrangement of transportation will be done by Six Sigma Heli, however, cost for the same will be borne by the passengers on direct payment basis.
• Any increase in government levies or taxes, after the confirmation of booking, will be extra chargeable to the passengers. Payment against the same will have to be done before the commencement of tour.

DISPUTES
Disputes as to legality, interpretation, application or performance of service or any of its terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of Delhi Jurisdiction.

• Bookings will be taken, considering there is acceptance of the above-mentioned terms & conditions by the party.