Deoriatal Chandrashila

The adventure starts at Sari. Exit the campsite and take the left trail that you took to reach the campsite the day before. After about 100 meters, take a trail that goes straight towards Deoriatal. This is a well-defined rocky trail and is quite steep. After approximately 15 minutes, you will come across a road head. Spot the village houses around. Take in the pretty view of vast farmlands from here.

After about 45 minutes of a hike, the trail becomes less steep. The forest has been cleared here, so you will get a good view all around.  At the valley facing the end, you can see the summit of Chandrashila and below it, the holy Tungnath temple. You may need binoculars to spot the temple.

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

From here, you will need to follow the trail that winds up the mountain ridge. After a steady uphill trek for about 20-30 minutes, you will reach Ropini Bugyal. This spot is ideally located to relax and feast your eyes with a grand view of the mountains and the Ukhimat side of the valley. Turn back and witness the magnificent sight of Mt Chaukhamba from here. 

From here, take the trail that goes by a beautiful rhododendron and maple forest. After a steady hike of ten minutes, you will reach the second viewpoint.

Now, at 7,434 feet, Sari is no longer visible. With only a kilometre left, you will find yourself at the backside of the mountain and you will get a view of the Ukhimath side of the valley, though only for a while. You are now nearing your destination.

After a very short downhill trek, your surroundings open up to a grand view of Deoriatal, with Mt. Chaukhambha massif looming in the background.

The lake is also called Devariya Tal because it’s believed that devis (Goddesses) once came to the lake to take a dip. Alternatively, one can also start the trek from Ukhimath by taking another trekking route over the mountain for an 8 km steep incline trek to Sari. However, if you are short of time, this can be avoided. You can instead proceed to Sari via road.

Photo Point: There’s a watchtower close to the lake that gives you grand views of the surrounding mountains.

Camping beside Deoriatal is not allowed anymore. So you will need to camp ahead where camping is allowed by the forest department. About 400 metres of ascent through a forest section lead you to the campsite space. The beauty of the view generally intensifies in the morning, when the clouds have cleared to offer unreal views of the hills.

Note: Do not miss the sunset from Deoriatal. The alpen glow of Mt Chaukhamba and the reflections of it over the lake is a beautiful sight to behold.

Walk from the campsite towards Jhandi Top in the south-east direction. A lovely forest trail awaits you. Full of rhododendron and maple trees, the trail is a picturesque one. Now and then, the Kedar Dome and Chaukhamba peaks peek at you through the trees on your left.

After 15 minutes of forest walk from the guest house, look for a small clearing as you exit the forest. In front of you, the Chandrashila peak is visible. Below, towards your right, you can see Sari village again. Observe the open expanse and a view of the forested ridge. This is the logical route of the forest ridge trek to the base of Chandrashila Peak.

Take the ascending trail ahead of you as you get much better views from both sides of the valley. Towards your left, you can see the mountain ridge, from where a trail to Madhmaheshwar and Nandikund trek passes.

Photo Point: After 15 minutes of climbing the ridge, look out for the highest point of the ridge nearest to you. This hill-top has a flag post. This is Jhandi Dhar/ Jhandi Top.

In March and April, the trail is blazing with red and pink flowers of rhododendron. After 15 minutes of following the laid trail, you reach the top of Jhandi Dhar. The ridge has a small flat ground with unobstructed views from all sides. You can see the Sari side of the valley, Mt Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and other snow-clad peaks. The forest continues to thicken throughout the trek. If you thought the forests until now were dense, you haven’t seen the start of it.

From here, proceed and take the trail that descends rapidly and connects with the forest ridge below. The descent is sharp but pleasant. After 10-15 minutes, the trail takes an eventful turn as you enter the forest ridge from the left. The flora of the region is stupendous.

Now and then, you might come across small shrines with bright yellow flags tied to them. These are all made by tourists and locals. You can use them as landmarks to ensure you’re on the right trail. Also, keep an eye out for wild animals such as foxes and leopards.

Keep walking on a leisurely downhill trail inside a generous cover of the forest, which will give you respite from the late morning sun. This is a quiet section of the forest with an abundance of birds. The Himalayan woodpecker and Verditer Flycatcher can easily be spotted here. Walk for another 20 minutes, until you see three trails branching out.

Take the centre trail that ascends gradually. This is the trail to Rohini Bugyal.

After 20 minutes of gradual ascent, you’ll walk on level land for around 10 minutes. From here, the trail opens to small pasture land. You exit the forest even as the view of Chandrashila peak greets you upfront. Just before you, you see the second forest ridge that needs to be traversed.

Take the trail from the right side of the connecting ridge. It passes by a small grassland. The trail ascends sharply as you re-enter the forest once. This part of the forest has some of the oldest oak, maple, and rhododendron trees of the Kedarnath Sanctuary.

Another 20 minutes of trekking will have you reach the next landmark of the day, which is next to a small temple. This is known as Bhagdwal by the locals.

By now, you have trekked approximately 5 km. Three trails are branching out from here. The one towards the right descends sharply and reconnects with Sari Village. The one that descends from the left goes to a local village near Ukhimath. Take the centre trail and walk for 15-20 minutes till you reach a small meadow.

From here, you can see Kala Parvat, which is a peak located on the right of Chandrashila peak. Below Kala, Parvat is a small glacial lake, called Bisuri Tal/Bisudi Tal. Legend has it, the Pandavas hid their weapons here.

The trail from here is a leisurely walk ahead for about 30 minutes as you pass a small rivulet. The stream is the only source of water and it is advisable to fill your bottles here. Rohini Bugyal is about 500 meters of a climb from your right side.

Photo Point: Rohini Bugyal is a small meadow surrounded by beautiful rhododendron forest and a view of the Kedar Dome and the Kala Parvat peaks. The sunset view from here is incomparable!

After a bit of an ascent in the forest section from Rohini Bugyal, we reach the highest point for the day. Later it’s a steep descent to the Syalmi meadow. It's a wildlife hotspot! You can spot foxes, snakes and griffons; Another 20 minutes of a descent from here takes you to the Syalmi Campsite. 

Start off in the south-east direction from the Syalmi campsite. The trail descends rapidly to Akash Kamini, a rivulet coming from Chandrashila. Pause here and take some photos by this gurgling stream. It takes 20-30 minutes to reach the stream. Replenish your water supplies here. There is a small bridge to cross.

Note: This bridge gets washed away in case of heavy rains. But if the water level is low, it can be crossed without the help of a bridge. 

From here, take the trail that now ascends gradually with a series of three scissor bends. As you climb up, the view of the valley gets better and better. Around 20 minutes of the steady climb will take you to a small meadow called Shamkhudi Bugyal.

There is a series of shepherd huts here made of stones. In summer, you will find locals occupying the huts with their livestock. Continue further to reach a nursery of medicinal plants. After about 10 minutes of descent through a jungle trail, you would come upon a road head. Walk for another 100 metres to reach the Baniya Kund campsite.

From Baniya Kund campsite, you need to trek first until Chopta which is around 1.5 km. The trek from Chopta to Tungnath is accessible via a cemented pilgrim trail.

About 100 meters of the climb from Chopta is where you have the forest checkpost. You can obtain the trekking slip by paying a fee (Free for children below 5 years of age, Rs 38 for students between 5 and 18 years of age, Rs 150 for an adult, Rs 75 for seniors or students above 18 years and Rs 600 if you are a foreigner) that is valid for 3 days.

Note: You are not allowed to go trek before 8 am during the winter season. And you cannot start your trek after 2 pm. So plan your start time accordingly.

The trek up to Tungnath temple is approximately 3 km. It ascends sharply via a series of 11 scissor bends. The walk is pleasant but is a very steep climb. After you reach the 10th scissor bend, look for a flag and a small open temple towards your right side.

You can now see Chandrashila peak and the Tungnath temple complex at the base of the peak. The views from here onwards are incredible. A connecting peak leading to Chandrashila, known as Ravanshila, is visible to your right. Tungnath temple is only half a kilometre away from here.

Towards your left, overlooking the valley is a section of Birch trees (Bhojpatra). This is a haven for birds like Monal and Griffin vulture. Take the 11th and last bend to reach the famous and holy Tungnath temple. The temple is closed in winter and you will find snow here from late December until around April.

Folklore: Tungnath temple is the third of the Panch Kedars. These are 5 temples believed to have been built by the Pandavas to atone for the sins of killing their kin and Brahmins in the Kurukshetra war in the Mahabharata. Lord Shiva, whose forgiveness they sought, disguised himself as a bull. Parts of this bull appeared in 5 different places, each of these identified as a Panch Kedar. Tungnath is where his hands and chest are said to have appeared. This place has the distinction of being the only temple in the world to be located at such a high altitude (12,083 ft).

Chandrashila peak is 1.5 km above the temple complex. The route to Chandrashila peak is from behind the temple complex. Pass by the local dormitories and take the trail that winds from the right side of the base of Chandrashila peak. A trail goes by from here and takes a series of scissor bends.

During winter, expect this trail to be completely buried in snow. Those planning to do a winter trek here are strongly advised to carry crampons/microspikes and an ice axe (Registered Indiahikes trekkers get microspikes as part of their trek). The climb from Tungnath to Chandrashila is a 600 ft ascent and is a very steep climb.

After you negotiate a series of switchbacks, you will reach the upper base of Chandrashila Peak. From here, the summit of Chandrashila is visible. The climb up to the summit takes 30-45 minutes.

Once at the top of the peak, you get a 360-degree view of the mountains of Garhwal and Kumaon. Walk past a temple and see some great mountains of Uttarakhand, like Nanda Devi, Trishul, Nanda Ghunti, Kamet, Dunagiri, Chaukhamba, Kedar dome, Thalaysagar, Gangotri ranges, Jahanukut and more.

Photo Point: The sunrise view from this spot is the best you will get to see in all of the Himalayas.

At Chandrashila, you find another temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. This is believed to have been built by Rama to atone for the sin of killing Ravana. This temple is open from April to October.

The deity is moved to Makkumath in winter.

The trek back to Baniya Kund is via the same route taken to reach here. It takes around 45 minutes to reach Tungnath and another hour and a half to reach Baniyakund from Tungnath.