Uttrakhand, India
Chopta, known as the "Mini Switzerland" of India, is a scenic hill station in Uttarakhand, offering breathtaking views of the Himalayas. It serves as the base for the trek to Tungnath, the world's highest Shiva temple, located at an elevation of 3,680 meters. The trek is short but steep, passing through dense forests and meadows. Further up from Tungnath is Chandrashila, a summit at 4,000 meters, providing panoramic views of major Himalayan peaks like Nanda Devi, Trishul, and Chaukhamba. Chopta, Tungnath, and Chandrashila together offer a serene experience for nature lovers, trekkers, and pilgrims alike.
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.
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.
