Chopta, Tungnath, Chandrashila

The journey starts from Delhi. Time is of the essence in a trekking experience. Hence, we advise our travellers to assemble at the mayur vihar extension metro station (gate no.2). Chopta is 450 km away from Delhi and takes approximately 14 hours to reach. Route -we make our way through Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Roorkee, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, and Ukhimath before reaching Chopta the following day. The journey to Rishikesh is an overnight one, after that, we buckle up for another 8 hours of a little strenuous yet stunning mountain drive! Most of the journey traverses the mountainside, with the river flowing below you. (Don’t forget to take pictures at the confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Rivers at Devprayag)

About 35 km after Rudraprayag, we take the road to Kedarnath. You will continue traveling on this road to arrive at Chopta via Agastyamuni (named after the famous saint Augustya and also a small marketplace for the vicinity villages) and Ukhimath (a tiny hamlet also known for being the winter seat of Kedarnath). The estimated arrival time is around lunch. Long journeys can be exhausting for some hence this fairly early arrival gives you time to relax and rejuvenate and for those not too tired from the journey it is a picturesque campsite, an eye candy for the shutterbugs. You can go around the campsite and explore the trails around. The forests around here appear like those straight out of a movie. Early to bed and early to rise is definitely what we prefer. We advise our Travelers to get proper rest before we get up, close and personal with Chandrashila also known lovingly as the Moonpeak the following day.

• Up, uppity up! As we gear up for the most enthralling day of the Chopta Chandrashila trek we attempt to climb the summit which is one of the most captivating and unparalleled of any summits that you might have witnessed. (If the weather gods permit). This reminds us there are various legends associated with this place. According to popular folklore, this is the place where lord Rama meditated after defeating the demon king Ravana. Another legend says that moon-god Chandra spent time here in penance. The trek from Chopta to Tungnath is approximately 3.5 km in distance and a further ascend of 1.5 km steep ascend leads to the summit of Chandrashila. The trail till Tungnath from Chopta is a well paved cemented trail and further from Tungnath to Chandrashila, the trail becomes a little rickety
• For those who are ardent lovers of history - the Tungnath temple is one of the Panch Kedar temples and is considered the highest temple of lord Shiva in the world. The legend states that sage Vyas rishi advised the Pandavas that since they were responsible for killing their own kin the Kauravas during the Kurukshetra war in Mahabharat, their act could be pardoned only by lord Shiva. Lord Shiva being miffed with Pandavas disguised himself as a bull. Parts of this bull appeared in 5 different places, each of these identified as a Panch Kedar. The Pandavas built temples at each of these locations to seek penance, worship, blessings and pardon from lord Shiva. Tungnath is identified as the place where the hands were seen. The trek is pleasant but is a very steep climb. It ascends sharply towards the end.
• You can also notice a change in the landscape due to an increase in the altitude. The tree line ends before Tungnath temple and after that, you may find only shrubs. It normally takes around 3 hours to reach the Tunganth temple from Chopta and another 1 hour to reach the Chandrashila summit from the temple. Once at the top of the peak, you get a panoramic view of the mountains of Garhwal and Kumaon. The Chandrashila peak is at an altitude of 4000 meters above sea level. It offers perfect panoramic views of the remarkable peaks of Uttarakhand such as Kedarnath, Mandani, Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi, Nanda Ghunti, Hathi, Ghodi, etc.
• After capturing some beautiful shots at the summit, the trek back to Chopta is via the same route taken while ascending. It takes approx. 30 minutes to reach Tungnath and another 60 -90 minutes to reach Chopta from Tungnath.

The day embarks from sari which is a small and quaint village situated at a height of 6,601 feet. We depart from Chopta early morning at 8 am to reach the village post breakfast. The trek to detrital is about 2.3 km. The trail is mildly steep and completely paved with stones. As we walk on the trail, we come across a temple and a few houses on the way. The site of detrital, like that of Chandrashila, is steeped in local folklore as well. According to it, the Pandavas, once thirsty, had come to the waters of detrital and had to face a test of wisdom. 1 km into the trail and we turn around and witness the bird’s eye view of the beautiful sari village. There are few shelters available on the trek where one can take a breather. Though the detrital trek from sari is easy, it can be a bit tiring for first-timers. The trail passes through the scenic forest of rhododendron and oak. After reaching the lake, you see a forest check post. The lake is gripped with forests all around. On a clear sky day, the reflection of the surrounding mountain is caught in the crystal-like waters of the lake. As a result, the effect is strikingly stunning. Trek down to sari and start your return journey to Delhi with your heart and soul full. You would reach Delhi early morning the following day.