The Five-Day Trek
The famous Chopta, Deoriatal & Chandrashila Peak trek takes 5-6 days. From Haridwar, it is a 7 hours drive to Kund. After spending a night here in the comfortable Adventures' Himalayan Eco Lodges & Camp, you start early next morning for Deoriatal. Situated at an altitude of 7,998 feet, Deoriatal is a mythologically significant lake.
Mythology
The story goes that on their vanvaas, Pandavas were passing through this area. When their mother, Kunti, felt thirsty, one by one all her four sons went to fetch her some water from this lake. But they all died until Yudhistra's turn came. At the lake Yaksha Devta ordered him to answer his questions correctly or die. Yudhishtra put forth a request to Yaksha Devta that if his answers are correct then he should bring back his brothers to life. And so they all came back to life after Yudhishtra answered all the questions correctly.
The trek halts here at Deoriatal for the night as dinner is served around the bonfire. There is nothing as comforting as lying under the open night sky gazing at the stars. Depending on the weather, one camps here along the lake or inside various homestays that are nearby.
Next morning, the trek heads toward Chopta, the 'Mini Switzerland', thanks to its green meadows and eye-popping view of Himalayan peaks. The trek from here leads to Tungnath mandir. It is one of the five temples of Panch Kedaar. It is the highest Shiv mandir in the world situated at staggering 12,073 feet. Along the way, the nature's beauty will behold you to such spectacles like the Himalayan giants including Bandarpoonch, Kedar and Chaukhamba peaks.
From here, it is about 1 km trek to the final destination of your journey- the summit of Chandrashilla at 13,123 feet. One gets a pristine 180° view of the entire snow-clad panorama from here. As per mythology, after defeating Raavana, Lord Rama came here to meditate.
The Four-Day Multi-Sport Trip
If you are a sports and adventure enthusiast, you can opt for the four-day sports trip. You will get see a lot action packed into these four days. It will include mountain biking, duckie rides (inflatable kayaks), bridge slithering, cliff jumping and river rafting. You will get to raft twice in Alaknanda river. This rafting stretch typically includes class II – III category rapids.
Snow Trek
If you are a fan of snow treks then you should definitely come here between November and March when it snows here. Come prepared though as the temperatures here during winters run between a minimum of −15 °C and a maximum of 15 °C. During this time, one gets to see a lot of snow after reaching Chopta. Depending on the snow conditions, your instructors would either arrange for an open field camp or check into various homestays that dot this place.
Temperature
Tourists come here in winters as well as in summers. From March till May, the weather here remains cool and comfortable with temperature between 10 °C and 30 °C. The coldest months are from November till February. One can witness snowfall from November till March.
Lodging and Sports
This trek also has very comfortable lodging and sports facilities. For those who want to spend their time soaking up the natural beauty and taking long walks along the river Mandakini, GIO Adventures' Himalayan Eco Lodges & Camps at Kund is the best place. After reaching Kund from Haridwar, you can check into the lodge, have a nice, warm shower and get ready for some delicious food. The lodge overlooks Mandakini river and the snow-clad Kedar peak.
What are you still waiting for then? Start packing your rucksacks. Loads of fun and adventure is heading your way.
