Much before we started Indiahikes, I had read a couple of trek journals about the trek. I knew it was a pilgrim trail from Chopta until the Tungnath temple, only a 4 km walk. 

I had read people would stay overnight at the Tungnath temple premises. In the early morning, they would go to Chandrashila to catch the sunrise.

In my mind, Chandrashila was a two-kilometre further trek from Tungnath. There were some good views to offer but that was it. And yes, I had heard a lot about the beautiful meadows around Chopta. I didn’t know how this qualified for a trek.

I think my innocent pre-Indiahikes mind didn’t fathom what was written in these journals. Because none of them painted the correct picture of the trek. And none of them talked about the combination of two treks, the Deoriatal and the Chandrashila, and how put together, it creates one of the best treks in our country.

I curse myself and these journals roundly now. I wish I had done this trek earlier, much earlier.

Note: Tungnath temple opens only in summer and closes by Diwali.

I timed the trek for spring the first time I did the Deoriatal Chandrashila trek. The moment I stepped on the trek, I knew I was onto something special. The Deoriatal Chandrashila here was the Goechala trek of the west. Pink, red and scarlet Rhododendrons bloomed in vivid colours all along the trek.

I was a bit stunned at the density of the rhododendrons on the trek.

Near Chopta, at some spots an entire section of the mountainside was red. We ran other great treks in the Himalayas. But none of them came close to the amount of rhodos that I saw on this trek. It was a feast!

I still have an old video that I was recording at Deoriatal. We have never published that video. Because in that video you cannot hear me at all. My voice is drowned by the chirping of birds. We tried changing locations for that video, but we gave up soon. The birds were everywhere!

Later, after we talked a lot about the birds on this trek, many of our birder trekkers went on this trek. They have only one thing to say about this trek. This is the trek to see birds. It is one of the Best Himalayan treks for Bird Watching. 

Other treks have birds. But none of them will come close to what you see on the Deoriatal Chandrashila trek. There are at least 30 – 40 varieties to see on this trek.

I am not a birder, but I have done this trek thrice — in all seasons. Every time, I have seen Monals very close to the trail. For me, Monals, the state bird of Uttarakhand, are prettier than the peacock and perhaps even more colourful.

Getting a chance to see Monals would be a good reason for me to do the trek again. I have rarely seen Monals on other treks.

And there it was right in front as if rising from the edges of the lake the entire massif of Mt Chaukhamba. I looked around. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the same sight. No one could take their eyes off Mt Chaukhamba.

You can ask me to do a lot of treks. But the sight of Mt Chaukhamba from the shores of Deoriatal is something I am not willing to exchange for any other views.

I am not saying it is difficult, but it is a nice thrill to top the summit. It took me a moment to grapple with the sight of the summit.

Right in front of me, at a touching distance, were not one, not two, but all the major summits of our Greater Himalayas.

I ticked them off. Jaunli, Mt Jogin, Mt Thalaysagar, Kedarnath and the Kedar Dome, Sumeru, Bhagirathi I , Mandani Parbat, of course Mt Chaukhamba I, II, III and IV. These were 7,000-meter summits!

When I turned my head to the other side, there she was India’s highest mountain — Mt Nanda Devi right in front. Then, to almost add a cherry on top was our eternal favourite Mt Trishul along with Mt Nanda Ghunti. To the left were Gauri Parbat, Hathi Parbat, Dunagiri.

For a long time, I stood transfixed on the spot.

On other treks, I had seen great mountain views. But never so many of them, so close and from such a great vantage point.