It was a long longing trip for me. Somehow it was not materializing for a very long time. Then suddenly, around last December-January, things started falling into place. I got a probable contact from a friend. That contact materialized and most importantly, the team could be built up finally.
Here goes the team: I, Chhetri, Pampa, Tulu, Rana, Sumeli, Sandeep and Sushanta da.
From left Susanta da, Swati, Sumeli, Rana, Pampa, Tulu and Chetri
On 14th April, 2022, I and Tepu took an Air Asia flight and went from Chennai to Kolkata (via Hyderabad, to our utter dismay) so that I could keep her with my parents for my trip duration, as this trip is not suitable for a 4.5 years old kid.
On 15th April, 2022, Sandeep took an IndiGo flight from Chennai to Delhi and remaining of us took an Air India from Kolkata to Delhi. We landed at T1 of Delhi airport and took airport bus to go to T3 from where our SpiceJet flight will depart for Dehradun next morning. Sandeep had landed at T2 and joined with us at T3.
The flight to Dehradun was of only 55 minutes and we got a smaller plane with 2/2 seats and a lot of engine sound pouring in.
So, on 16th April, 2022, we are picked up by our driver of a Tempo Traveler to start our journey to Sari village. This vehicle also has been arranged by the agent who organized our trip including stay, food, transport and guides.
We took breakfast at Rishikesh. It was a very hot and dusty day. A big part of Uttarakhand state is undergoing through major construction works. The greenery is painfully missing in many places. Sometimes around early evening, we got a dust storm on our way. It was disturbing enough for us to face in the mountains on the very first day.
Around evening we reached Sari village and checked in the three rooms booked for us. We were really hungry and gulped down some bread omelets.
On 17th April, 2022, we were out on our first trek to Deorial tal.
The Pathway
The path was paved with stones, but it was steep enough to climb. There were places where I felt giddy and splashed water on face and neck. Being a trained mountaineer, Rana was the most comfortable among us for the trek. Sumeli, didn’t join in the trek.
The trekking distance is around 2.5 km. The trail ends at Deoria tal with Mount Chaukhamba, Trishul, Kedarnath, Madhyamaheshwar opening up in front of you in a series of snow caps.
The Chaukhamba Massif
As we could reach around 10 am, we got the spectacular view intact, because around 11 am onwards, clouds started covering the peaks making the mountains appearing halfway to the actual heights.
Deoriatal
From Deoria tal, we took the forest trail towards Jhandi top. After a walk of around 1.5 km, we reached at a clearing at the foot the Jhandi top. Here we decided not to climb further as the view from the top was expected the valley view that we were getting from the clearing itself. Jhandi top is a very steep climb, which made us deciding not to exploit our energy levels at the beginning itself.
A view from foot of Jhandi
No other trekker came to this spot and we spent a lot of time loitering over there. We took our packed lunch here and started climbing down. Being a steep up climb, the coming down was taxing for the knees.
We had noticed some beautiful rose plants in the mountains. It turned out that our guide, Harish, has it in his home. He brought us cuttings of 3 rose plants of different colored flowers. Chhetri made them ready in soil in Chopta and I planted them here in home. Let’s keep fingers crossed for them to grow up here. As if in an exchange, I gave Harish some white Aparajita flower seeds. I’ll feel lucky if they grow over there.
The night also we spent in the same hotel in Sari with a big moon looming over the mountains.
We started our journey from Sari to Chopta on 18th April, 2022. It was a beautiful journey. After a few turns, Chaukhamba ranges were visible. Our path was laden with blooming rhododendrons. Here it was more in pinks and whites, as contrast to the bright reds we saw during the Deoria tal trek. Locals said the famous burash juice comes from the red variant, and hence more available in Deorial tal area, than in Chopta.
Unfortunately, our first night in Chopta was not comfortable, as we got damp rooms on the lower floor of the property. There was again storm in evening and night was too cold to cope up. I hung my sleeping bag as curtain on the glass window. Last winter’s snow broke the solar geyser of the hotel and asking hot water from kitchen was discouraged by charging INR 50 for per bucket of hot water.
I took a body bath in cold water and it WAS an experience.
That day we spent in total leisure. We stayed in Chopta Blue View hotel, which is at the starting of a meadow.
A View from Bhulkan
There are some more hotels around on the same meadow also. Once we cross these hotels and start going down through the meadow, we actually reach in the land of fairy tales.
The meadow starts with its typical wavy slopes leading you into a forest of rhododendrons and very tall and wide trees. The area is kind of dream-come-true zone for anyone familiar with fairy tales. The slope ends at a small stream, only to start again from the other side of the same stream.
View of Meadows from where we stayed!
It’s marvelously tranquil in this forest. The serenity makes you keeping mum and sit quietly just to admire and appreciate your luck to be able to be there.
This evening we experienced stormy weather again. There was no rain, but a very high wind was blowing our minds away. There was a spectacular sunset along with the wind gashes. We didn’t mind then, as we had our trek on next night, more than 24 hours away.
Next day was perfectly sunny. We went to the Monal point around half a km away and could catch glimpse of a monal sitting on a hilltop beside the road and making us being happy only with its silhouette. In this area, we could see some other birds. Scarlet flinch, whistling thrush, oriental white eye are the few that we could identify, obviously other than the omnipresent great Himalayan crows.
On the way to Monal Point
We have seen eagles frequently throughout this trip, soaring high and scaling the valleys with emperorly elegance.
It’s difficult to explain the landscape over here. You have to just walk along to absorb the beauty of needle like gigantic trees, the steep fall of the hill towards the unseen valley from where faint smoke rises indicating existence of unknown villages. You have to walk a bit to see that the hotel boy is walking back to his village after a few days of continuous duty and the village may be some 10 km away. Coolly he takes his hike home with a backpack. You have to stand somewhere to suddenly get sprinkled with dewdrops showering from a bunch of ferns hanging from a boulder above you. You have to walk till the next turn to catch the warmth of sun on you.
We scheduled to start our trek at 2 am that night. We wanted to be at Chandrashila by sunrise.
Our hotel was just at the foot of Tungnath and Chandrashila hill. So when around 3 pm that evening, we saw black clouds looming over Tungnath, our stomach dropped. We all crossed our fingers instinctively. Then started the rain and storm. Tungnath might have been uncoiling his dreadlocks towards every direction. We started making plan B, C, D and all. We had no hope that we could go on as per our schedule.
Around 9 pm, one by one, stars started coming above Tungnath. Somehow the hairdo is done again. Our driver told to start at 3 am. And we were all happily ready for that.
We started from hotel at around 2.45 am and started the trek at sharp 3 am. Santosh was our guide this time.
Yes, it was a moonlit trek. Dreamlike nature was enveloping from every directions. The trail is not too demanding. There are few stretches where the slope is quite steep.
The Trek
At the beginning we had problem to cope up with the climb. But somewhere at midway to Tungnath, we could adjust our pace and move on. We got sunrise at Tungnath. It was spectacular to see the peaks are getting light one after the other. It’s like a lamp lighter is lighting the street lamps in a medieval city in evening. Only, the light here kept on growing with each passing moment.
The trail to Chandrashila is marked here going behind the Tungnath temple. It’s written the distance to the top is 1 km. Please don’t believe it. This distance stands true only when you think you can climb through the meadow, the broken stone trail that coils the mountain makes you walking nothing less than 2 to 2.5 km.
This trail is a narrow one. It’s a stoned path, but in most of the places it is broken.
Towards Chandrashila
The real beauty and the true danger of this trail is, one side of the path is always open and with rolling meadow. Hence, if you have problem of giddiness, do take care.
One of our team member got migraine attack during this climb. High altitude (12000 ft) makes things worse. He still completed the climb. The serenity and beauty of the place make you pushing your limits. But still, go through the trek articles before going and, do know your limits. I had dry cough. This is also a mild symptom of altitude sickness. I slowed down and kept on sipping water.
All of us got a feeling of abandoning the climb somewhere midway. This is a mild frustration that comes to anyone. But no need to succumb to this feeling as long as you are capable to walk on physically.
We saw few monals before Tungnath and from Chandrashila trail. They were not very near. But they were clear enough to get the idea of their famous plumage. They took flights showing the hidden white on their backs.
Being the topmost point of the surrounding mountains, Chandrashila provides the famous 360° view of the ranges around.
The view from Chandrashila
There is a small shrine. There are a lot of stone stupas built by believers to fulfill some or the other wish. And there are you. Sitting and wondering. There is nothing to think over there. Just sit and experience the serenity.
The Shrine at Chandrashila
Even the omnipresent over enthusiastic selfie folks present there can’t trespass your personal tranquility. It’s sublime. It’s magnificent.
While climbing down from Chandrashila, some of our team members spotted Himalayan Tahr, I missed.
The down climb was not easy, though faster. Your knees keep on letting you know their existence during climbing down. For me it was almost comfortable from Chandrashila to Tungnath. We stopped at Tungnath for breakfast. After this, the trail became extremely demanding for my knees. I just somehow managed to come down. Others also had issues, but not as severe as mine. My obesity must have played the major role.
We reached hotel before lunch. Next day we would come down to Rishikesh. This morning (on return day to Rishikesh), there was another downpour. Then sun came out from behind the white clouds atop Tungnath. He bid us a smiling good bye.
On this morning, Sushanta da went to monal point and spotted a lot of Himalayan Tahr.
We took the Mandal, Gopeshwar road to Rishikesh. Just after starting the journey from hotel, Chhetri spotted a monal. It was on a boulder on the roadside. Gorgeous.
We were at the end of a turn there. So we took the turn and stopped. Had we stopped near the bird, it would have flew away. Now, from our position, we are directly seeing the bird from around 10 meter distance, perched on the boulder, pacing leisurely and finally taking the flight to the valley, showing its treasure of white back plumage off. I never could imagine its true size from the pictures that I had seen. It’s huge, it’s glittering to the end of explanations.
On our way back, Rana spotted Bhurj tree in the forest. On its bark, ancient humans wrote their scriptures. It’s still sacred in Hinduism.
We saw the trail ends of Rudranath – perhaps, at some future day, we may stride upon them.
This was a cloudy day that made our journey comfortable. We saw Nandprayag, Karnprayag, Rudraprayag and Devprayag on this way. While going, we had seen only Devprayag and Rudraprayag.
The gorges and turns and coils of river Alaknanda can keep anyone engaged. Even the mountains seem flowing with your journey. At every turn, or peak, or hut, or corner, or field, you will feel there is a known face standing there just to have a glimpse of you. The entire environment is so inviting that you start feeling you belong there.
It was 7 pm by when we reached Rishikesh. We were all tired and starving for bath. By the time we finished bath, it was time for Rishikesh to wind up its market. I, Sandeep and Sushanta da went out to Chotiwala for dinner, crossed Ram jhula and had a little shopping. Other team mates finished dinner from a café in front of the hotel and retired for night.
We stayed on the Pauri side of Rishikesh. To get and come out from there, we had to take the road through Rajaji national park. It was actually cherry on the cake.
By next morning, my ankle swelled nicely and after breakfast, I headed for an ayurvedic massage in a clinic. It helped a lot. Then I and Sandeep purchased a few rudraksh mala and some crystals pedants. Chhetri and Tulu went to Ganga and played over there. Rana and Sumeli went out for simple strolling. Our great Sushnata da went up to Neelkanth Mahadev temple by auto and came down all 12 km by walk. No wonder, he was competing with me in limping throughout the rest of the journey.
He met on of his old acquaintance in Rishikesh who left home and became a sadhu. Globe is round.
This was our day to fly back to Delhi. We took an evening flight. Again terminal hopping in Delhi airport and next morning flight to Kolkata. Sandeep’s Chennai flight got delayed for 14 hours, so he could happily spend his day with one of the old friends in Saket.
It was in Delhi, and it was Chhetri’s enthusiasm, that we enjoyed a typical Delhi dhaba dinner on this night. Two big pots of chicken curry, satisfying our forced vegetarianism (eggs are exceptions) during the treks. Then 400 ml per head chhach packets quenching us. He shown he didn’t waste his two years in IIT Delhi doing M-Tech.