Long Weekend Escape From Delhi. Chopta / Tungnath Trek. Snow Trekking

SUMMARY...

Spl comment -

1) destination is Couple’s weekend out.

2) kids, 13/14 and above will prove the best trekker. (Just check weather with local authorities)

3) Family trek destination (people with breathing issues and problem with extreme cold should avoid)

General Information about Chopta to Tungnath Mahadev temple trek.

Tungnath Mahadev is the highest Shiva temple in the world and one among panch Kedar temples.

Height - 12073 ft

District - Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand.

Distance from Delhi - 410 km approx

Travel time - 11 hours approx

Days required - 3 to 4 days

Temperature - last week of December was below 0 degree (rather -6 to -10)

Temple remains closed during winters (from Diwali to next 6 months) but trekking is not affected by this fact.

Day time was sunny.

The view from Tungnath was unbelievable and worth the time invested.

About Trek

Length - 5 km

Difficulty level - easy / moderate

Chopta to Tungnath trek - 2 hours to 3/5 hours

Return - 1 hour to 2/3 hours

depending on physical ability.

Chandrashila trek is another 1 hour from Tungnath temple.

Use of traction crampons on shoes will help a lot in slow.

No electricity / lamp posts on route.

No shops to offer even water (carry your own)

COST -

Travel to Chopta is not very expensive.

Local conveyance are available in abundance from Delhi to Hardwar/Rishikesh.

Thereafter, once can find ample source of transport till chopta.

Stay during winters is also not v. expensive.

STAY-

Budget - 300/600 per person per night

Avg - 600/1000 per person per night

Good - 1200/2000 per person per night

Stay is on twin sharing basis.

FOOD

Packaged food like chips, noodles, soft drinks and snacks are available throughout.

Dal / Roti / chawal / paneer is also available at avg and good dhaba and restaurants.

Route

Delhi - Meerut - Hardwar - Rishikesh - Devprayag - Srinagar - Rudraprayag - Agastyamuni - Ukhimath - Duggalbittah - Chopta

There can be an alternate route from Meerut - Kotdwar - (Lansdowne) Satpuli - Pauri - Srinagar and then same as above.

Requirements:

Good woollens, Gloves, warm monkey cap, waterproof shoes, traction cleats crampons, Sun Glasses, water bottles, something to eat.

Tips for December / January / February travel (when snow is there)

# Start as early as possible in morning, its better and suggested. (Check for local source of current information)

Come back by 4/5 pm

1) Avoid night driving. drive cautiously during day time, as some parts of road are slippery because of settled and hardened snow (cars skid)

If the road has a visible white patch, slow down, it could be ice.

A black and embossed patch in middle of road is hardened ice, its dangerous.

2) enough dhabas and eatables are available at Chopta

3) even if you forget equipments for trekking, there are few shops that offer shoes, sticks, crampons on rent.

4) during December / Jan / Feb enough accommodation is available. Still online options and prior bookings are better.

5) show civic sense, care for nature, do not litter, respect Sanatan dharm culture of cleanliness and piousness. (Because checking was going on for the stuff trekkers were carrying with them)

6) Deoria Tal has an alternate route to Tungnath Temple (approx 23 km)

7) while returning one can take Pauri - Lansdowne - Kotdwar - Meerut - Delhi route.

8) Kirti Nagar, Srinagar, Vijaynagar, Satpuli, Pauri are good towns. (One can buy stuff such as fruits, medicines, packaged food, battery for gadgets etc,.)

ABOUT TRIP and my EXPERIENCE.

We started from Delhi in morning on 25 Dec 2019 to Rishikesh, it was a lazy trip in a self driven car.

Reached Hardwar, enjoyed the famous and wonderful food in the market lane parallel to Har ki paudi (behind Har ki Paudi)

Lassi, Aaloo tikki, poori sabzi, gol gappa, kadhai ka Milk, gajar ka halwa and what not.

All was superb.

Stayed overnight at Haridwar to start again next day early.

We started early from Haridwar the next day (26.12.19) at 7:00 am and reached Chopta to our Camp via Ukhimath it took us 10-11 hours for a 7 hours journey.

The Chopta camp offered us -6 to -10 degree C temperature, Amazing sky for star gazing (tip, one can use google sky map, but only BSNL network worked at our camp), good food, cozy stay and mesmerising experience because Bear visited our camp at night and we could see its pug marks and could relate the same because dogs were barking restlessly at night. (Although for some it was bizarre cold to cope with)

It snowed there 6/7 days back.

Many options are available online for stay at Chopta.

Chips / water / biscuits and Eatables are available roadside en-route Chopta.

Additional Information.

1) Avoid night drive after Ukimath.

2) Kirti Nagar, Srinagar, Vijaynagar are good towns with almost everything one could need.

3) the route was very busy and chaotic. (Via Rishikesh, Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Ukhimath)

4) Reasons for road block and an alternate route mentioned below:

A) Poor sense of driving esp by locals and UK numbered local commuting commercial passenger vehicles.

B) construction of roads, its debris on road, narrowed the lanes and only one way movement was possible at a time.

However, from Srinagar people can take the Vijay Nagar route, keeping River Alaknanda on their left, one can escape the road blocks and enjoy a proper two away smooth moving traffic (although that part is also under construction, but its better and less time consuming)

Return route

Chopta, Ukhimath, vijaynagar, Dhikauliya, Srinagar (NH7) (this was better route till srinagar keeping Alaknanda river on your right)

There after Rishikesh / Haridwar / Delhi.

On 27.12.19 We got up early and enjoyed our day running in snow, clicking pictures, soon it was sunny day and a little relief from chilling cold.

Water in Flush tank and every other source of water turned ice. (Temperature was below 0 degree)

After breakfast we moved to Deoria Tal (approx 3 km trek from Sari Village) there was beautiful small lake and Chaukhamba range to admire.

Gvt charges fee to visit this spot (at lake only)

it took us 1 hr to 2 hrs reach atop,

25 mins to 50 mins descend.

depending on individual ability.

Mules (khacchar / ponies) are also at service for Rs 1000 to 1400 for up and down trips.

Eatables available on the way.

(Trek is easy, 4 -5 hours sufficient for a person with average physical ability)

We returned to Ukhimath to stay at night.

Visited temple where lord Kedarnath arrives after Diwali for winters.

Oyo rooms are available near Temple (300-500 mtrs) Simple and good food is available.

On 28.12.19 We left early morning for Chopta. On the way, for the first time we experienced that our car was skidding because of hardened ice on road esp on turns.

That was dangerous and required extremely cautious driving. Somehow we managed everything nicely.

Reached Chopta, and with our gears we started for trek. It was the most slippery in the beginning, but as we moved up, it was doable.

Its a 5 km trek to Tungnath and difficulty level is easy.

We covered the distance to Tungnath in 2.5 hrs and 1.5 hr to come down. The descend demanded some caution, because the melting snow made the path little slippery.

Same day we returned for Delhi.

Picture Credits - Manish, Tushar, Abhay, Anuj.