TREK- CHOPTA CHANDRASHILA SUMMIT

Chandrashila Summit Trek

LOCATION:  GARHWAL, UTTARAKHAND

Chandrashila Trek is one of the popular trek that can be undertaken round the year, in Garhwal Himalayas except during heavy snowing months of December & January.Chandrashila summit is a rock face above the temple of Tungnath, the highest of all the temples in the Himalayas. It is a short but rigorous hike beyond the temple. The Chandrashila summit affords the most beautiful view of the Nanda Devi, Trishul, Kedar Peak and Chaukhamba peaks.Chopta is one of the most beautiful and picturesque spots in the whole Garhwal. The breathtaking view of the Himalayas is treat for the eyes as well as soul. Chopta is situated on the Gopeshwar – Ukhimath road at a distance of about 40 Kms. from Gopeshwar Chopta is 2900 mts high.Deoriatal Lake has captivating surroundings with forest all around. The mighty Chaukhamba Peak & Neelkanth peaks are reflected in the pristine waters of this lake.

Chandrashilla Trek takes you to the world’s highest Shiva temple situated in Tungnath, at a height of 12074 ft. It is one of the five Panch Kedar temples. The summit of Tungnath is Chandrashila Peak at an altitude of 12877 ft. above the sea level. Trekking from Chopta to Chandrashilla via Tungnath Temple and returning to Chopta is around 10 km. This is an all season trek known for its breathtaking landscapes and dense forests surrounded with excellent views of the peaks.

Chopta- The Switzerland of India:

Chopta is called ‘Mini Switzerland of Uttarakhand’. After reaching there we were fascinated by the beauty around us. It is a small village of very few hotels on the lap of the hill overflowed with pink and red rhododendron, deodar and oak. Roads are open but most of the hotels were deep in snow. Chill air welcomed us. Little unknown violet flowers greeted us. All tiredness vanished. A magical power seemed to fill us with life. The near zero temperature was actually enjoyable. In the afternoon around 2 pm snowfall started and temperatures went down a few more degrees.

The only hotel to offer boarding accommodation was Neelkanth. Though the phone was not working after reaching there one room was arranged for us. Only two dhabas (roadside food stops) were running. The caretaker of one of these two was taking care of Neelkanth as it was not peak season. He was addicted to local herbs. He was so intoxicated that we did not know whether dinner would be prepared. That day we stayed there. People from another dhaba came and prepared food for us.

Trek Facts Altitude: 3925 meters (13100 ft approx.) Trail Type: Easy gradient. Trek can get difficult in winters in soft snow. Chopta to Tungnath is a gradual inclined trek going through a beautiful forest of rhododendron. From Tungnath to Chandrashila is a steep inclined trek. The complete area remain covered by snow till mid April. Rail head: Haridwar is the nearest rail head. Chopta is 226km. Road head: Delhi to Kund (around 40 km before Gourikund) is 405 km and Kund to Chopta is 31 km by road. Buses are also available from Haridwar and Rishikesh Base Camp: Chopta Trek Itinerary:  It is one day trek. Starts in early morning and come back by afternoon. The total distance is about 5 km from Chopta to Chandrashila Top. Tungnath is at 3km trek away from Chopta. 3 – 4 hours to reach the summit. Best Season:  All season trek. September to November is the best time for great views and no snow. In January-March expect lot of snow fall on the trail. From mid April onwards motarable road to Chopta is cleared from snow. The Tungnath temple remains open from June to late October.

The Chandrashila Trek

It is always good to start trekking early in the morning. We got a bit late and started our journey at around 6.30 am. The trek starts on the west slope of the hill through dense old forest of oak, deodar and rhododendron. The trees were covered with moss and the air has a damp smell.

The initial few meters are a bit steep. The chill air and no direct sun made it more difficult but the beauty of the nature around us made the walk enjoyable. After around 20 minutes we got a view of the famous Himalayan peaks, stunningly highlighted by the rising sun. We stopped here for almost 5 minutes to enjoy the scenic splendor. After another 15 minutes we came upon a small fountain of drinking water. During our descent we saw a high altitude rat drinking water here.

After walking for almost 1 km, we took a small turn and suddenly the forest vanished. Open blue skies overhead, green meadows decorated with pink and red rhododendrons could be seen on the downward slope. From here, the trail becomes more or less bare and being the last week of March continuous slopes of snow made up the trail. Few inches of loose snow is not dangerous but in some places the cemented path was covered by a thin layer of frozen ice. You will lose your control and slip for sure if you try to walk on this. I observed water  bubbles under those thin layers of ice like some moving creatures.

From this point, stepping became a matter of concern. After another 1 kilometer there is a resting place made of stone benches and a closed small hut. This may remain open during summer. Almost all took a break here after 2 km of amazing trekking. I was surprised to see that my mobile had full signal and I called up my parents to share the joy. The famous peaks like Chaukhamba, Kedar, Gangotri, Satopanth, Neelkanth and many other peaks were standing side by side in front of us making this a memorable moment.

Throughout the Chandrashila trek trail there are many iron fences providing support to trekkers. At higher altitudes these are like life lines. There was no gap between the snow and the fences and we walked on the snow holding the fence with one hand and balancing using a stick in the other hand. We did not bring  professional hiking poles and  made use of natural sticks fashioned as a trekking poles.

On the way we saw a drinking water tap.  A black dog  accompanied us all the way. The last 500 meters before the Tungnath temple was almost a flat walk and then suddenly as we reached the temple area the depth of snow increased and the path became scary. There are many loose patches to trap you in snow 3-4 feet deep. Tracing the footsteps of previous day trekkers is very helpful to find a reliable path to walk on.

There are several hotels surrounding the temple but all are closed as the ice level is as high as the roof . For almost all hotels, one third is exposed on one side which  faces the slope and the other side, mainly the back portion, is under snow. Even the door of the temple was under snow which is why the temple remains closed in winter.

Tungnath is one among the Panch Kedar and the highest among the five. Not only that, it is the highest Hindu pilgrimage place in world. The history says that the arm of Lord Shiva was found and worshiped by Arjuna here at Tungnath. Actually this is a story of all the 5 temples of Panch Kedar. After the Mahabharat war, to seek pardon from Lord Shiva for killing their own relatives the Pandavas went to Shiva. Lord Shiva, incensed by their deeds, hid himself by taking the form of a bull and hiding in Guptkashi. He later reappeared at five different places as five different parts of the bull’s body. The Pandavas built temples at those places. These five spots are today’s Panch Kedar.

We took around 3 hours and 30 minutes to reach Tungnath with plenty of breaks and fun on the way. A professional trekker can do it in less than 3 hours. We were not able to find the trail coming from Gopeshwar  because of heavy snow.

After taking a break and breakfast we started for Chandrashila. It was very confusing. We tried to find the road but no approachable way was found. A distant slope with footprints indicated the direction. After moving in different directions for a while we noticed a stone paved road few feet beneath us. We walked on the asbestos roof on a hotel and crossed the terrace of another to get to that path.

After a few feet, the path went under heavy snow and the slope was steep and continuous from top to bottom. The distance was not very short. After crossing the stretch there was an U turn and again the slope has to be crossed at a higher altitude. It was scary. Another option was to climb a sharper edge covered with dry grass on wet soil. We opted for the second one.

Without looking back  we just kept on climbing and finally reached a flat area. It was hardly 100 meters climbing which shortened the walk by 300-400 meters. We reached the end of the slope of Chandrashila peak and behind us was the

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small valley of Tungnath. We reached here at around 10.40 am.

This is a steep trek of almost 1 kilometer. Maybe in summer some other path will help the trekkers, but now it is completely under thick snow. Loose snow made walking tedious. To reach the top from here we took around 40 minutes. After coming one third of the distance there was a small semi flat region. From there till the top, it was almost a vertical walk. The snow became more loose and slippery as we moved forward. Walking without support is not possible for normal trekkers.

Finally after a zig-zag path we reached our goal – the Chandrashila summit – a semi flat small space. The peak did not have much snow. A complete 360 view amazed us. On one side the Kedar, Chaukhamba and many other famous peaks seem like a stone’s throw distance. Another side offered a layered view of the blue  Himalayan mountains. It felt like being in heaven. Dry grass covered few smaller and closer peaks with scattered snow here and there.

A small Ganga temple at Chandrashila summit surprised me. Before going on this trek I went through 2 or 3 trek stories but none mentioned the existence of a temple there in Chandrashila. Though the temple is completely snow free, it is still closed because of accessibility problem. Local people informed us that this Ganga temple opens when the  Tungnath temple opens.

After taking a few more photos and making another call home we started trekking back as there was a clear sign of snowfall. The steep slope is easy to cross by sliding on the snow. Walking downwards on snow is tougher than climbing. After sliding down the main part, we had two options: Either to take the long snow path or the steeper one covered with grass. We opted for the snow trail. The experience is difficult to express. We all almost took an oath never to do any snow trek again. However we have long since withdrawn that promise and are planning for another one. Around 12.30 we came back to Tungnath temple.

From Tungnath we took a slope to cut the road. After walking a couple of hours, snowfall started and we were lost in wonderment and almost forgot about our destination. We were lucky to have soft sunshine in the morning and cottony snow in the afternoon. The reverse can be adverse.

The same day we came down to Rudraprayag to have a better and more comfortable stay and to cut down on the next day’s tedious drive. Next day nature gifted us another gorgeous experience of driving through snowfall

Important Information

There is no electricity in Chopta. It is advisable to have your battery charged before hand and carry a spare battery. Good quality shoes and walking sticks are a must for winter treks. If you are not experienced go in a group of at least 4 or hire a guide. Professional guides are available at Chopta & Duggal Bitta. Snow boots can be hired from a shop at Baniya Kund.