Deoriatal Chandrashila trek: Life at Sari village

So you are ready to go on the Deoriatal Chandrashila trek. Your tickets are booked and bags packed. You’ve read through the trek details so may times that you know the itinerary by heart. On the trek you will know that there is much more to experience that can ever be put into words. There are photo stories that give you a virtual tour of the trail, articles about why it is ‘the trek’ for beginners, stories by trekkers and the photo albums of the gorgeous birds you will see. But there are little things that add a lot to the experience like the villages you cross, the culture of the mountain folk and their simple lives. The village of Sari in Rudraprayag district is your base camp for the trek. Here are a few snippets of knowledge that will help you enjoy your trekking experience.

Sari Village

On most treks you keep going by visualizing the beautiful mountain summit that you have seen in pictures. But on the Deoriatal to Chandrashila peak trek, you see the Chandrashila peak right from Sari village. Needless to say, it is easier to motivate yourself when the mountain is right ahead of you. All you have to do is take a few steps. Click on the video below to see what Indiahikes founder Arjun Majumdar says about Sari village on his trek to Deoriatal.

The Deoriatal to Chandrashila peak trek begins from a small village called Sari. At an altitude of 6,601 feet the village is quiet and “untouristy”. Villagers go about their daily lives untouched by commercialization. This also means that if there is any trekking gear that you have forgotten to buy, there is no market in here. You will need to go to Ukhimat which is 12 km away from Sari to purchase stuff. Also please note that electricity at the village cannot be relied upon. It is intermittent. You will not be able to charge your electronic appliances here unless you are lucky or have carried a power bank with you. You will get mobile signal though. Airtel, Vodafone and BSNL numbers function at Sari.

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On the first day of your trek, you stay at a guest house in Sari. The view you get from here is refreshing to say the least. Neat carpets of green, dreamy paths and tiny structures like the miniature houses you get in board games. The sight of enormous, sturdy mountains in the background that gives you goosebumps. Click here to see the which massifs you see on the Deoriatal Chandrashila trek. Don’t miss any!

The people and their lives at Sari

With a population of less than 1000, Sari village thrives on farming and livestock rearing. You may find little tea stalls selling refreshments but agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for a large majority of the village people. There is one school in the village here with an attendance of about 100 students. Trekkers often carry stationery for these tiny tots. On a recent visit to hand over these items to the children, our staff interacted with these little prodigies to help them understand the value of cleanliness. Read all about it here Classes on Cleanliness at Sari.

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The village is rich in apple and peach orchards and it’s boundaries are lined with bright colored Rhododendrons and Oak trees. Click here to know about the flora on the Deoriatal Chandrashila trek. The Deoriatal Lake is barely 2 hours away from Sari village. The Deoriatal Lake like most Himalayan spots, is rich in myths and legends. Read about them here. On Day 2 of the trek, you camp right next to the Deoriatal Lake. The campsites on the Deoriatal Chandrashila trek are placed in order to give trekkers a great camping experience. Click here to know all about the camps you will stay at on your trek

Architecture

On the first day, half an hour into the trek you see a small temple dedicated to lord Shiva. Locals worship here. Made in the early Nagara architecture style, the walls of the temple are plain with geometrically placed ridges made in stone. A rock sculpture of the mythical cow Nandi is strategically placed at it’s entrance. Inside the temple you see avtars of Shiva carved in rock. This temple is a landmark before you start towards View point one. Do not mistake this for the renowned Tungnath temple. Click here to read on the Tungnath temple.