Why Deoriatal - Chandrashila Trek is terrific in Jan-Feb

Deoriatal-Chandrashila is one of the newest treks to do in peak winters. It was opened only in the winter of 2022. Yet, in this short time frame, it has captured the imagination of trekkers.

This photo story gives you a glimpse of how winters look on the Deoriatal-Chandrashila trek.

A Delightful Forest Section

The Deoriatal Chandrashila trek is in the heart of the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, which is heavily forested.

The Deoriatal Lake

This is another highlight of the Deoriatal-Chandrashila trek. At 7,800 feet in the Garhwal Himalayas, this lake has a unique story of its own.

As the legend goes, four brothers of the Pandava clan once visited the pristine lake during their exile. The lake was then a bathing spot for gods, guarded by a crane -- Yaksha. Despite Yaksha’s warnings, the brothers decided to sip the water of the lake. As a consequence, Yaksha punished them, leading to their immediate death.

The four brothers were then resurrected back to life, only when the fifth brother, Yudishtir, arrived and apologized to the crane.

For trekkers, the view of Mt Chaukhamba towering over the lake is what stuns them.

The view of Chaukhamba, just as you turn towards Deoriatal lake is a shocker. "It takes literally just 2 hours of climbing from the base camp to come up close with mountains like Kedarnath, Kedar Dome, the ever-looming Chaukhamba massif, Sumeru Parbat, Mandani Parbat and more. From Deoriatal, the view is absolutely breath-taking!" says Swathi Chatrapathy, Head of Digital Content at Indiahikes.

Climbing the Chandrashila Summit

The Chandrashila summit is a vantage point that stands unparalleled among our treks. From Chandrashila you see the greatest mountain views of our Indian Himalayas.

From the summit you get a 360-degree view of the mountains of Garhwal and Kumaon. Mt Trishul, Nanda Ghunti, Kamet, Dunagiri, Chaukhamba, Kedar dome, Thalaysagar, Gangotri ranges, Jahanukut and also Mt Nanda Devi, India's highest summit.

It's not easy to reach the summit of Chandrashila in peak winters. Fresh snow makes it tricky. The experience is like being on an expedition.

Campsites on the Deoriatal Chandrashila trek

You start the trek from the Indiahikes Community Campus at Sari at 6,560 ft. We built this campus in 2020. We love the campus setting. The design of the campus makes trekkers interact with each other much before the trek starts.

The Trekking Emotion

It can be very overwhelming for trekkers once they reach the summit. Trekkers most often break down and cry when they reach the summit. The setting and magnitude of the occasion is immense.

The Ancient Tungnath Temple

At the foot of Chandrashilsa, is Tungnath, the highest Shiva temple in the world.  It is one of the Panch Kedars, and people from across the country flock to this temple to pay homage.

This temple is famous because according to the legend, after the war of Mahabharata, Lord Shiva was upset with the Pandavas for their gruesome killing. The Pandavas found a way to please, venerate and celebrate Lord Shiva; they built the Tunganath temple.

The Pandavas were thus freed from their sins.

Not many talk about Deoriatal-Chandrashila trek in winter. Yet, it is gaining popularity very quickly since its opening. It is best done in the months of January and February. Trekkers must not miss out on this small window of experiencing this trek in winter.

Have you done the Deoriatal-Chandrashila trek in winter> Write to me on latika@indiahikes.com to share your thoughts :)