DEORIA TAL – CHANDRASHILA TREK

Sari, the base camp of the Deoriatal-Chandrashila trek, is an 8-hour drive from Rishikesh. The journey is picturesque, as you pass through Devprayag, the confluence of rivers Alaknanda and Bhagirathi to form river Ganga. You pass through Srinagar, Rudraprayag and Ukhimath. Once you reach Sari, get relaxed and explore the quaint village.

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 Tungnath temple is a speck of color. After this point, it’s a steep uphill bend on the ridge back of the mountain. 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.

Explore the deep nooks of the forests lying out around, a paradise for bird-watcher’s and nature lovers. Hot lunch on this day will be served on reaching our lakeside camp in Deoria Tal.

Rhododendron and maples eclipse the forest path, spreading a cool and rejuvenating vibe. In these thickets you will find two prominent varieties of rhododendrons—red and pink, the concentration of them thickens as you move past the first forest stretch. A resplendent view of the Chandrashila awaits on the other side of the forest margin. 

More 25 minutes of trekking in the Kedarnath Sanctuary trail and you will reach the Bhagdwal temple. This is a junction point for three trek routes. One connects to Sari village, another towards Ukhimath, and the central one descending to the meadows of Rohini Bugyal.

Further down as you progress, a silvery rivulet coming from Chandrashila meets your way. Here, you can fill your water supplies and move on taking a small wooden bridge on the stream.

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 this morning. Starting in the wee hours of dark will let us have a beautiful sunrise experience from Tungnath 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.

The 11th bend marks the entryway to Tunganath above which the splendid Chandrashila peak towers at 12, 083 ft. The route to the peak bends from behind the temple complex. Beware of thick snow on this summit stretch after December till the end of April.

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.

Departure early morning.