“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
― John Muir
"Put on your micro-spikes" commanded Pratap our technical guide for the trek. I looked to check the time, it was 4.15 AM by my watch. I hoped we were on time. Anxiety and excitement prevailed. It would be the first time I would be walking on ice. I guess the whole team was waiting for this. But it wasn't easy at all, there was a very thin layer of ice and we had to be careful to avoid slipping. We were about to reach Tunganath. Tunganth temple is the highest Shiva temple in the world and is believed to be the Tritiya Kedar in the pecking order of the Kedars. It was pitch dark and we could hardly see beyond a metre. Tunganth was our only stop before we climb to the summit of Chandrashila, a mountain peak of 12,083 ft, the trek for which we enrolled.
An Asian proverb says "Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times". once you have seen it, you can't wait but come over and over again. This has been my story with the Himalayas. I fell in love with the Himalays when I completed my first high-altitude trek to Roopkund in september last year. This time it was time to climb a peak of height 12,083 ft called Chandrashila literally meaning "Moon Rock". If mythology is to be believed, this is where Lord Rama meditated after defeating the demon-king Ravana. When I decided on doing this trek,I was excited to relive the meandering roads, vast meadows and pristine water streams but kudos to our trek guide Manoj bhai who enlightened us on the significance of the place and kept us motivated with captivating and exciting stories in the evening.
Chandrashila summit trek is a 4 day affair. I was doing this trek again with IndiaHikes, a trekking community. I was really impressed in which they carry out their job paying attention to details, improved safety standards, serving good food at such high altitudes and the green trail initiative. I was doing this trek with 24 other trekkers. We were picked up from Haridwar railway station and transported to Sari, a small Himalayan village at an altitude of 6,700ft. The route to Sari was extremely scenic. We drove through Rishikesh, Devaprayag, Rudraprayag and Srinagar and the beautiful emerald green Alaknanda river giving us company throughout the journey. We were also lucky to spot 2 khambas(walls) of the mighty Choukhamba. At one point our driver pointed towards a half-snow clad peak which looked discouragingly far but temptingly near under a cloudless blue sky. That was our destination, Chandrashila.After reaching Sari, we were asked to assemble for a briefing. we were formally introduced to our Trek Leader Geet. He started with the team introduction and briefed us on various aspects of the trek- trek itinerary, etiquettes,medical tips, green trail etc. Most of the people were first timers and almost everyone was excited to experience snow probably for the first time. After a sumptuous dinner we retired to our beds.
The first day was a leisure walk of 3km to Deoriatal.It was about 9:30 AM when we left. The trail is a well-laid one and is a gradual ascent. The beautiful gharwal forests en-route Deoriatal are known for their fiery red and pink canopy of rhododendrons that set the trail blazing. Few of the trekkers also managed to lay their hands on the fresh juice of the Rhododendron flower. It tasted heavenly, nectar in true sense. We reached the campsite by 12 PM. We were mesmerized to see our tents pitched beside the holy deoriatal and silhouette dominated by the mighty Himalayan peaks particularly Choukhamba. Yes you can say that I am obsessed with Choukhamba. During my whole trek I almost stopped at every view point to admire this sublime beauty. Since we reached so early, we had plenty of time to kill. We utilized this time to know our trek mates and indulged in some fun-filled sports activities. Ours was a cosmopolitan group with people from varied background with colourful personalities. Manoj bhai opened his bagful of stories and we were glued to it and asked for more and more and he obliged. It comprised fiction and non-fiction and we were all ears to him. An eventful day ended. Next day was supposed to be a tougher one. I was sharing the tent with 2 other trekkers and on this fateful night a dangerous term was coined "Comfort Marriage". We were oblivious to the fact that pin drop silence at a camp site in the Himalayas is a myth. Almost everyone was enjoying our discussion and were quick on passing comments the following morning.Every evening, Kuldeep(trek guide) would monitor our oxygen levels and pulse with his oximeter to make sure that none of us had problems with the altitude and were fine enough to trek.
Day 2 was a tiring day and we had to cover a treacherous distance of 14 km in 8 hrs. So we started early around 7 AM and walked through dense forests.We had our lunch packed and were excited to find a dining spot in the woods.After a short but intense ascent up, we came to Jhandi Dhar, a high-point clearing marked by a flag post with 360 degree view of the surrounding. We were at the cliff with the ridge sharply receding into valleys down beneath. We could spot Sari from where we started our trek. Manoj bhai and Geet decided that we will be having our lunch at the banks of Akash Kamini - a beautiful glacial stream. My excitement knew no bounds in noticing pure clean water flowing from nature’s lap. The cold water of the stream provided much needed respite from the already tiring walk. After devouring our khichdi along with chikki we moved over neatly laid forests and small meadows. Though the forest looked endless but you never get bored, there is so much to look for. It was filled with flora and fauna. We could spot few Himalayan birds too. Once the forest trail gave way to asphalt road, we could spot ice. It was then an epic battle between trekkers started- snow fight. It was already a long day and after another 1 km walk we could spot our next campsite in the vicinity. We would be spending 3 nights at this particular place. After our evening snacks, everyone enjoyed the most beautiful sunset. Being a tiring day,almost everyone retired to their beds early.
We had heard that this particular camp site is home to myriad birds. So me and a few folks from the group made a plan to wake up early and go for bird-watching. It was then we came to know that our trek lead Geet was a birdwatcher. We got up early the next morning as planned and followed Geet. We could spot few birds high up on tree branches but were unable to identify them from far below though we had a booklet handy. We were lucky enough to spot few female monals near to our campsite. But the most fascinating of all the birds that we saw that day was a male Monal. It is a colourful bird and when it took flight we were awestruck. It felt like getting up so early is worth while. Apart from this, the day was a leisure one and we enjoyed plenty of free time moving around the camp site and playing games. Before snacks that evening, IndiaHikes team briefed us on the use of micro-spikes and I along with few people were disappointed on not seeing gaiters. That would mean not enough snow on the peak. Geet gave us a demonstration on their use and asked us all to try them on right then, so that we would be able to do it quickly the next day. The best part of going to Chandrashila is to marvel the sunrise when there is no enough snow. So our lead and guide decided we would start as early as 1.30 AM the following day. We were served early dinner and were asked to go to bed at 7 PM.
When you are in the mountains, you follow its time. If not for this day and this place, the group would have been in deep slumber. But it was astonishing and rejuvenating to see them getting ready before 1.30 AM!! This day was a little different than other days when we pretty much walked at our pace but today the slowest trekkers were made to walk at the head of the line to control the speed of walking of the group.It was pitch dark and we all had to use head lamps or torches.After an hour walking on the zigzagging stony path uphill, I stopped to see dimming lights in the houses of villages far down in the valley and the constellation of stars above me. I was starstruck.I looked behind me, torch lights dotted the pitch-blackness like darting fireflies, making their way up. We rested for a while at Tunganath temple waiting for the group at the end to reach. People who reached early were sceptical of missing the sunrise and rang Tunganath temple bells and prayed to the lord to delay the sunrise.
After the Tungnath temple, we continued to trudge upwards on a slope at a disheartening angle. The slippery ice was making the climb even tougher. The distance from the Tungnath temple to the Chandrashila peak is about 600 feet and is a steep climb.
“The way up to the top of the mountain is always longer than you think.
Don’t fool yourself, the moment will arrive when what seemed so near is still very far.”
— Paulo Coelho
Leaving behind all the difficulties and excruciating pain in our calf muscles,we managed to reach the summit just before sunrise.The 360 degree view was outstanding. We also spotted a Himalyan ibex. It was heartening to see strong emotions of accomplishment taking the shape of tears in few first time high altitude trekkers. I was standing on a Himalayan peak with an astounding view above the horizon.
After our customary portraits with the mighty Himalayan range in the background and few group photos we descended to our camp sites and relaxed. The following morning we started our journey back to our monotonous lives.
Sometimes we need to let off our tedious and repetitious life and go to some serene place with no mobile connectivity, to a place with misty forests and vast meadows , streams, and winding paths , with best ever sunrise and sunset , to a place with great variety of flora and fauna, to whistling and dancing birds and to listen to the music of the wind passing through the leaves and kissing your body and replenishing your soul with happiness.
I can aptly conclude with a quote
“Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.”
― David McCullough Jr.
PS: This trek was completed on 30th March,2017. Thank you IndiaHikes and my trek mates. I had a wonderful time.
For inquisitive minds:
Mythological importance of Deoriatal :
Deoria tal is believed to be the lake from where Yakshya asked Pandavas the questions on life.According to Mahabharata, once when Pandavas were in the Banbasa fleeing ,Thirsty and tired Yudhisthara asked Bhima to look for a place where they could bring water from. Bhima got up on a tree and saw a lake at a distance. Sahadeva, the youngest of the Pandavas was ordered to go and bring some water.Sahadev went and tried to drink the water. At the very time Yakshya stopped Sahadeva and asked him to answer his questions which Sahadeva denied and thus died the very moment he tried to gulp water. Same thing happened to Nakula, Arjuna and Bhima respectively. Finally when Yudhisthira came, he answered all questions of Yakshya before drinking the water. Happy with Yudhisthira, Yakshya asked Yudhisthira to choose one of his brothers to be alive and Yudhisthira choose Nakula. To Yakshyas bewilderment, Yudhisthira replied that though Bhima is the most strong and Arjuna the top in arrow shoot, he would choose Nakula to do just towards their second (step) mother Madri. Happy with the answer, Yakshya gives life to all four Pandavas who were lying on the bank of the lake dead. Yakshya is the father of Yudhisthira.Deoria lake maintains its purity and amazing beauty till date.
Mythological importance of Tunganath :
The legend states that sage Vyas Rishi advised the Pandavas that since they were culpable of slaying their own relatives (Kauravas, their cousins) during the Mahabharata war or Kurukshetra war, their act could be pardoned only by Lord Shiva. Consequently, the Pandavas went in search of Shiva who was avoiding them since he was convinced of the guilt of Pandavas. In order to keep away from them, Shiva took the form of a bull and went into hiding in an underground safe haven at Guptakashi, where Pandavas chased him. But later Shiva’s body in the form of bull’s body parts rematerialized at five different locations that represent the "Panch Kedar" where Pandavas built temples of Lord Shiva at each location, to worship and venerate, seeking his pardon and blessings. Each one is identified with a part of his body; Tungnath is identified as the place where the bahu (hands) were seen.
Mountain ranges to the left of mighty choukhamba (as seen from Chandrashila)
from Left to Right
Jaonli(6632m),Gangotri(6672m),Jogin(6465m),Thalay Sagar(6904m),Bharte Kunta(6578m),Kedarnath(6940 m),Kedar dome (6831m),Sumeru Parwat(6331m),Bhagirathi(6856m),Mandani(6193m),Satopanth(7075m),Janhukut(6805m),
Mountain ranges to the right of Choukhamba (as seen from Chandrashila)
from Left to Right
Ghoda(6708m),Hati Parbat(6727m), Gorur Parvat(6504m),Dronagiri (7066m),Changbang(6864m),Deo Damla(6620m),Rishi Kot(6236m),Nanda Devi(7816m),Sunanda Devi(7434m),Bethartoli(6352m),Nanda Ghunti(6309m),Trishul(7120m)
― John Muir
"Put on your micro-spikes" commanded Pratap our technical guide for the trek. I looked to check the time, it was 4.15 AM by my watch. I hoped we were on time. Anxiety and excitement prevailed. It would be the first time I would be walking on ice. I guess the whole team was waiting for this. But it wasn't easy at all, there was a very thin layer of ice and we had to be careful to avoid slipping. We were about to reach Tunganath. Tunganth temple is the highest Shiva temple in the world and is believed to be the Tritiya Kedar in the pecking order of the Kedars. It was pitch dark and we could hardly see beyond a metre. Tunganth was our only stop before we climb to the summit of Chandrashila, a mountain peak of 12,083 ft, the trek for which we enrolled.
An Asian proverb says "Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times". once you have seen it, you can't wait but come over and over again. This has been my story with the Himalayas. I fell in love with the Himalays when I completed my first high-altitude trek to Roopkund in september last year. This time it was time to climb a peak of height 12,083 ft called Chandrashila literally meaning "Moon Rock". If mythology is to be believed, this is where Lord Rama meditated after defeating the demon-king Ravana. When I decided on doing this trek,I was excited to relive the meandering roads, vast meadows and pristine water streams but kudos to our trek guide Manoj bhai who enlightened us on the significance of the place and kept us motivated with captivating and exciting stories in the evening.
Chandrashila summit trek is a 4 day affair. I was doing this trek again with IndiaHikes, a trekking community. I was really impressed in which they carry out their job paying attention to details, improved safety standards, serving good food at such high altitudes and the green trail initiative. I was doing this trek with 24 other trekkers. We were picked up from Haridwar railway station and transported to Sari, a small Himalayan village at an altitude of 6,700ft. The route to Sari was extremely scenic. We drove through Rishikesh, Devaprayag, Rudraprayag and Srinagar and the beautiful emerald green Alaknanda river giving us company throughout the journey. We were also lucky to spot 2 khambas(walls) of the mighty Choukhamba. At one point our driver pointed towards a half-snow clad peak which looked discouragingly far but temptingly near under a cloudless blue sky. That was our destination, Chandrashila.After reaching Sari, we were asked to assemble for a briefing. we were formally introduced to our Trek Leader Geet. He started with the team introduction and briefed us on various aspects of the trek- trek itinerary, etiquettes,medical tips, green trail etc. Most of the people were first timers and almost everyone was excited to experience snow probably for the first time. After a sumptuous dinner we retired to our beds.
The first day was a leisure walk of 3km to Deoriatal.It was about 9:30 AM when we left. The trail is a well-laid one and is a gradual ascent. The beautiful gharwal forests en-route Deoriatal are known for their fiery red and pink canopy of rhododendrons that set the trail blazing. Few of the trekkers also managed to lay their hands on the fresh juice of the Rhododendron flower. It tasted heavenly, nectar in true sense. We reached the campsite by 12 PM. We were mesmerized to see our tents pitched beside the holy deoriatal and silhouette dominated by the mighty Himalayan peaks particularly Choukhamba. Yes you can say that I am obsessed with Choukhamba. During my whole trek I almost stopped at every view point to admire this sublime beauty. Since we reached so early, we had plenty of time to kill. We utilized this time to know our trek mates and indulged in some fun-filled sports activities. Ours was a cosmopolitan group with people from varied background with colourful personalities. Manoj bhai opened his bagful of stories and we were glued to it and asked for more and more and he obliged. It comprised fiction and non-fiction and we were all ears to him. An eventful day ended. Next day was supposed to be a tougher one. I was sharing the tent with 2 other trekkers and on this fateful night a dangerous term was coined "Comfort Marriage". We were oblivious to the fact that pin drop silence at a camp site in the Himalayas is a myth. Almost everyone was enjoying our discussion and were quick on passing comments the following morning.Every evening, Kuldeep(trek guide) would monitor our oxygen levels and pulse with his oximeter to make sure that none of us had problems with the altitude and were fine enough to trek.
Day 2 was a tiring day and we had to cover a treacherous distance of 14 km in 8 hrs. So we started early around 7 AM and walked through dense forests.We had our lunch packed and were excited to find a dining spot in the woods.After a short but intense ascent up, we came to Jhandi Dhar, a high-point clearing marked by a flag post with 360 degree view of the surrounding. We were at the cliff with the ridge sharply receding into valleys down beneath. We could spot Sari from where we started our trek. Manoj bhai and Geet decided that we will be having our lunch at the banks of Akash Kamini - a beautiful glacial stream. My excitement knew no bounds in noticing pure clean water flowing from nature’s lap. The cold water of the stream provided much needed respite from the already tiring walk. After devouring our khichdi along with chikki we moved over neatly laid forests and small meadows. Though the forest looked endless but you never get bored, there is so much to look for. It was filled with flora and fauna. We could spot few Himalayan birds too. Once the forest trail gave way to asphalt road, we could spot ice. It was then an epic battle between trekkers started- snow fight. It was already a long day and after another 1 km walk we could spot our next campsite in the vicinity. We would be spending 3 nights at this particular place. After our evening snacks, everyone enjoyed the most beautiful sunset. Being a tiring day,almost everyone retired to their beds early.
We had heard that this particular camp site is home to myriad birds. So me and a few folks from the group made a plan to wake up early and go for bird-watching. It was then we came to know that our trek lead Geet was a birdwatcher. We got up early the next morning as planned and followed Geet. We could spot few birds high up on tree branches but were unable to identify them from far below though we had a booklet handy. We were lucky enough to spot few female monals near to our campsite. But the most fascinating of all the birds that we saw that day was a male Monal. It is a colourful bird and when it took flight we were awestruck. It felt like getting up so early is worth while. Apart from this, the day was a leisure one and we enjoyed plenty of free time moving around the camp site and playing games. Before snacks that evening, IndiaHikes team briefed us on the use of micro-spikes and I along with few people were disappointed on not seeing gaiters. That would mean not enough snow on the peak. Geet gave us a demonstration on their use and asked us all to try them on right then, so that we would be able to do it quickly the next day. The best part of going to Chandrashila is to marvel the sunrise when there is no enough snow. So our lead and guide decided we would start as early as 1.30 AM the following day. We were served early dinner and were asked to go to bed at 7 PM.
When you are in the mountains, you follow its time. If not for this day and this place, the group would have been in deep slumber. But it was astonishing and rejuvenating to see them getting ready before 1.30 AM!! This day was a little different than other days when we pretty much walked at our pace but today the slowest trekkers were made to walk at the head of the line to control the speed of walking of the group.It was pitch dark and we all had to use head lamps or torches.After an hour walking on the zigzagging stony path uphill, I stopped to see dimming lights in the houses of villages far down in the valley and the constellation of stars above me. I was starstruck.I looked behind me, torch lights dotted the pitch-blackness like darting fireflies, making their way up. We rested for a while at Tunganath temple waiting for the group at the end to reach. People who reached early were sceptical of missing the sunrise and rang Tunganath temple bells and prayed to the lord to delay the sunrise.
After the Tungnath temple, we continued to trudge upwards on a slope at a disheartening angle. The slippery ice was making the climb even tougher. The distance from the Tungnath temple to the Chandrashila peak is about 600 feet and is a steep climb.
“The way up to the top of the mountain is always longer than you think.
Don’t fool yourself, the moment will arrive when what seemed so near is still very far.”
— Paulo Coelho
Leaving behind all the difficulties and excruciating pain in our calf muscles,we managed to reach the summit just before sunrise.The 360 degree view was outstanding. We also spotted a Himalyan ibex. It was heartening to see strong emotions of accomplishment taking the shape of tears in few first time high altitude trekkers. I was standing on a Himalayan peak with an astounding view above the horizon.
After our customary portraits with the mighty Himalayan range in the background and few group photos we descended to our camp sites and relaxed. The following morning we started our journey back to our monotonous lives.
Sometimes we need to let off our tedious and repetitious life and go to some serene place with no mobile connectivity, to a place with misty forests and vast meadows , streams, and winding paths , with best ever sunrise and sunset , to a place with great variety of flora and fauna, to whistling and dancing birds and to listen to the music of the wind passing through the leaves and kissing your body and replenishing your soul with happiness.
I can aptly conclude with a quote
“Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.”
― David McCullough Jr.
PS: This trek was completed on 30th March,2017. Thank you IndiaHikes and my trek mates. I had a wonderful time.
For inquisitive minds:
Mythological importance of Deoriatal :
Deoria tal is believed to be the lake from where Yakshya asked Pandavas the questions on life.According to Mahabharata, once when Pandavas were in the Banbasa fleeing ,Thirsty and tired Yudhisthara asked Bhima to look for a place where they could bring water from. Bhima got up on a tree and saw a lake at a distance. Sahadeva, the youngest of the Pandavas was ordered to go and bring some water.Sahadev went and tried to drink the water. At the very time Yakshya stopped Sahadeva and asked him to answer his questions which Sahadeva denied and thus died the very moment he tried to gulp water. Same thing happened to Nakula, Arjuna and Bhima respectively. Finally when Yudhisthira came, he answered all questions of Yakshya before drinking the water. Happy with Yudhisthira, Yakshya asked Yudhisthira to choose one of his brothers to be alive and Yudhisthira choose Nakula. To Yakshyas bewilderment, Yudhisthira replied that though Bhima is the most strong and Arjuna the top in arrow shoot, he would choose Nakula to do just towards their second (step) mother Madri. Happy with the answer, Yakshya gives life to all four Pandavas who were lying on the bank of the lake dead. Yakshya is the father of Yudhisthira.Deoria lake maintains its purity and amazing beauty till date.
Mythological importance of Tunganath :
The legend states that sage Vyas Rishi advised the Pandavas that since they were culpable of slaying their own relatives (Kauravas, their cousins) during the Mahabharata war or Kurukshetra war, their act could be pardoned only by Lord Shiva. Consequently, the Pandavas went in search of Shiva who was avoiding them since he was convinced of the guilt of Pandavas. In order to keep away from them, Shiva took the form of a bull and went into hiding in an underground safe haven at Guptakashi, where Pandavas chased him. But later Shiva’s body in the form of bull’s body parts rematerialized at five different locations that represent the "Panch Kedar" where Pandavas built temples of Lord Shiva at each location, to worship and venerate, seeking his pardon and blessings. Each one is identified with a part of his body; Tungnath is identified as the place where the bahu (hands) were seen.
Mountain ranges to the left of mighty choukhamba (as seen from Chandrashila)
from Left to Right
Jaonli(6632m),Gangotri(6672m),Jogin(6465m),Thalay Sagar(6904m),Bharte Kunta(6578m),Kedarnath(6940 m),Kedar dome (6831m),Sumeru Parwat(6331m),Bhagirathi(6856m),Mandani(6193m),Satopanth(7075m),Janhukut(6805m),
Mountain ranges to the right of Choukhamba (as seen from Chandrashila)
from Left to Right
Ghoda(6708m),Hati Parbat(6727m), Gorur Parvat(6504m),Dronagiri (7066m),Changbang(6864m),Deo Damla(6620m),Rishi Kot(6236m),Nanda Devi(7816m),Sunanda Devi(7434m),Bethartoli(6352m),Nanda Ghunti(6309m),Trishul(7120m)
