Soul Talk
Uttarakhand never fails to bring a smile to my lips, it is not only due to the scientific reason of the place providing clean oxygen to my city lungs, it just has this miraculous power of giving new strength to my sleeping soul.
But, just as none of us can stop growing, every town cannot stop turning to a city to increase its tourism revenue right? Thus, I am here to tell you about places which are not a mirror to the city life with just a change in the topography. I am here to talk about places which will give you goosebumps throughout the largest gland of your body.
Disclosure of the location
At a distance of 200km from the adventurous Rishikesh, you can reach this treasure trove called ‘Chopta’ after taking a train till Rishikesh, from there buses and shared or non-shared jeeps are available, if you are planning on self-driving the route to Chopta is pretty easy, the route starts from Rishikesh- Devprayag- Srinagar- Rudraprayag- Syalsur- Ukhimath and finally reaches Chopta.
The mesmerizing sight of the Burans flower, famously called rhododendron in English will be a welcome invitation to paradise, these flowers are symbolic to Chopta and will surely leave you spell-bound.
Forests of rhododendron, pine and deodar will surround your amazing view of the Himalayan range including Trishul, Nanda Devi, and Chaukhamba.
My disclosure does not end here, now that you have filled your being with pure oxygen, let me tell you about the famous 4 km trek to the Tungnath temple with Chopta as the base point.
For that, let me take you around Chopta a little more. Famously called the ‘Mini Switzerland’, Chopta is famous for its beauty and grace. The residents of this place will make you feel at home with their chatpati Maggi and hot soup served at the dhabas, you can stay at small network-ridden guesthouses. With such a company around, I am sure your trekking experience would never turn into a faded memory.
Where is this trekking point?
Tungnath, the ‘highest’ temple of Lord Shiva perched at an astounding elevation of 3680 m above sea level, is surprisingly the easiest to climb.
The history of this temple is quite interesting and dates back a 1000 years with the Mahabharata. It is said that Lord Shiva’s hands were seen at Tungnath when he turned himself into a bull to avoid meeting the Pandavas.
The Tungnath trek is an easy but steep 4km trek that commences from Chopta. Rocky terrains and green meadows will be visited by your feet, even ponies are available in case the trek turns too steep to climb.
The views of the Himalayas will fill you with an indomitable spirit of your magnificent vastness that will make you want to go higher.
The nearness of the Himalayas from Tungnath will freeze you with captivation and guess what? You can extend your stay in the lodges at Tungnath at a rate of Rs 300-400 and enjoy the view of the beautiful sunset early morning.
More activities
You can even trek higher to the Chandrashila summit which is 1.5km from Tungnath. As the name suggests the view of the moon against the Himalayan peaks is not just mesmerising, it is just incredible. Another trek to Devariyatal is also popular among trekkers and should be included in your itinerary.
Months for travelling/ Ideal time
June to October, November is the best with snowfall, avoid summers, update with MET
When should you pack your bags?
Just like there is a particular time for everything, the places you choose to go to are best at some point of the year.
Summer months would do no justice, thus the time from June to October sounds good. And if you love the snow the time from November would suit best, though it might be slightly dangerous so do keep your MET department handy.
What should you pack?
Super-warm winter clothes, ofcourse. Add a camera to capture history and yes, sturdy shoes are a must in all seasons.
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