Flying high in the sky and nestled among the clouds are the Himalayas. So calm, muted, and soft in the lapse of which anybody is forced to wonder in solitude about everything that goes on in the plains that so vehemently rolls below. There, in the abode of peacefulness where mere thoughts echo, where sun so gracefully cuts the clouds, where ravens dare to fly, where wind soughs past, where cold freezes the bones, I found myself.
The trek to Tungnath and Chandrashila is one of the easiest and beautiful treks in Uttarakhand. Tungnath is the highest temple of Lord Shiva in the world (3,860 m) attracts both trekkers and pilgrims alike, with the former being more common. Facilities like accommodations, food, etc are mere and usually, in tourist season one is forced to camp on the ground, and the fact that electricity is completely absent here makes Tungnath a more apt place for someone looking to quit the hustle and bustle of city life for a day or two.
The Itinerary
Depending on the traffic and weather, it could take nearly 10 hours to reach Chopta, the place from where the main trek starts. The perfect way to cut traveling time is to reach Haridwar before 3:30 in the morning and hail the 4’o clock bus to Rudraprayag. You could expect to reach Rudraprayag by 12 in the noon, and if your driver happens to be nuts or high, then 11.
So, before the trip has even started, you would have checked the weather at Tungnath. Google would say 1°C at night and 13°C at noon. You’ll pack a handful of warm clothes — fleeces, jackets, skullcaps, gloves, and by the time you’ll reach Rudraprayag, which by the way is deep in the hills, you’ll face scorching hard heat! You’ll curse Google and yourself for packing such a heavy luggage and expect the weather at Tungnath to be more or less the same, but the truth is you are wrong. The thing is, the weather drastically changes on gaining even a little altitude at Chopta.
Keeping the geography lesson aside, you can find some nice food in Rudraprayag and if you are hoping to get drunk and high after trekking Tungnath in the evening, the place caters to it.
From Rudraprayag, you will have to catch a bus or taxi to Ukhimath. If you are traveling in tourist season, you can hope to find shared taxi up to Chopta, otherwise booking a whole cab is the only option. If the latter situation arises, try to find some other trekkers and cut the cost by accompanying them.
Chopta is a small village and a popular camping site. It is one of the trekkers’ favorite place as both Tungnath and Deodria Tal trek begins from here. If you are following my itinerary, you will reach Chopta by either 3’o clock or 4 o’clock and that’s the perfect time to begin your trek.
The trek is steep and 4.8 km in length. If you have not been skipping leg days and running, this trek is a walk in a park for you, otherwise you can manage, or, you’ll have to manage as you can’t expect to return back to Haridwar after making a 10 hour journey and without a selfie at the top of the peak. Keep walking and breathing in and out and after 2 hours you can find yourself at Tungnath.
The evening at Tungnath is spectacular — there are clouds everywhere, covering the temple, the snowy Himalayas and the whole of landscape and for any photography lover like me, this is THE PERFECT SCENE! And among the clouds you can enjoy some great tea (the thing about tea is that its taste dramatically increases manifold with the altitude).
If you are carrying a tent on you, set up the camp, otherwise look for available rooms or camps for rent. The night kicks in early and the water there is cool, and the temperature is really 1°C or even below, so if you are packing any booze, cover it in warm clothes otherwise it will freeze, says experience.
Have a classical pahadi style dinner, light a campfire, enjoy with fellow trekkers, get high and rest as the next morning you will have to wake up at 4 in order to reach Chandrashila before sunrise.
The Chandrashila trek is just 1.8 km but it is quite tiresome as there is no specific trek route — you will have to walk on slippery rocks and there is a lot of climbing (every day is leg day) but like I said, you’ll have to manage.
But there at the top, after travelling for 10 hours in a bus, after trekking hard, perspiring and running completely out of breath, after getting very tired, the panorama of the Himalayas you get, the deep valleys you witness, the clouds among whom you are a part now, you’ll ask yourself “Was this worth it?”
Yes. IT WAS WORTH IT!
PS- foreigners usually have weed on them, so if you can help them roll a joint at Chandrashila peak (your hands will literally freeze), and want to listen to Pink Floyd and enjoy the elegance of the Himalayas, sunrise, and cool breeze, you can while being happily high.