Chandrashila

Meet up in Rishikesh by 6.00 AM. Sari, the base camp of the Deoriatal-Chandrashila trek, is an 8 hour drive from Haridwar. The journey is picturesque, as you pass through Devaprayag, the confluence of rivers Alakananda and hagirathi to form river Ganga. The entire journey traverses the mountain side, with the river flowing below you. Sari is a small village with around 100 houses.

The trek on the first day is easy with mixed ascent and descent. A well-defined rocky trail will show you to the end, from where the Chandrashila summit is clearly visible and the Tunganath temple is a speck of color. After this point, it’s a steep uphill bend on the ridge back of the mountain. Get ready for an acutely laborious climb, giving you the first taste of challenge followed by an excellent view of the mountain fall.

Post-rest, the trail will bend through a forest of rhododendrons. Spring treks here in the crimson shadow rhododendron blossoms make it memorable more than ever. We go steadily up. At 7, 434 ft. village localities vanish from sight. Nearly 20 minutes from this point, we will be standing with the waters of Deoriatal glistening down a lurching gentle slope.

A grand vista of Chaukhamba massifs is unveiled in the background of the lake. It will be mid-noon by the time you reach the spot. Hot lunch on this day will be served on reaching our lakeside camp in Deorital.

The trail is sprinkled with little shrines that stand out in the greenness by the red and yellow flags tied on them. After crossing a clearing in the forest lined with scarlet blossoms, we are directly ushered up an ascending path towards Rohgini Bugyal and Chopta.The ascending trail gives way to a level land and some leeway in the rigorous uphill hike.

A little way up, the meadows start. Here, you will find a cluster of huts. Shepards from local villages come here to graze their livestock. Not far from here, you will find a road head at the margin of a jungle trail. In this area in the vicinity of Chopta village, we have our campsite at a clearing in the forests.

We commence the hike today early morning. Starting in the wee hours of dark will let us have a beautiful sunrise experience from Tunganath top. The trek runs on a well-defined concrete-bound trail from Chopta to the temple. Today,the hike will be fraught with steep climbing challenges with sharp turns to cross by. There will be other shrines on the way, of which a particular temple with a flagpole is notable.

This one comes after the 10th bend of the road and marks the opening of a splendid view of Chandrashila up ahead. From here, you will also get a clear vision of a connecting peak to Chandrashila. This one is named Ravanshila. In the winters, you will find snow from here. The 11th bend marks the entryway to Tunganath above which the splendid Chandrashila peak towers at 12, 083 ft.

At the end of a steep and arduous climb, the summit will be reached with a 360 degree view of the Garhwal and Kumaon mountains welcomingly lying ahead. Notable peaks in this panorama of grandeur are—Nanda Devi, Trishul, Nandaghunti, Dronagiri, Chaukhamba, and Kedar. Glimpses of the Thalaysagar and Gangotri ranges too could be made out at the edges. The downhill journey is relatively less time consuming and smoother. It will take you about 3 hours to climb down to the Chopta campsite.

Chopta also has a few private guest lodges. Board your jeeps from here for a drive back to Rishikesh. You will reach Rishikeh between 5.00pm and 6.00 pm.