Winter Trek in Garhwal Himalaya

Highlights of the trip

• Famous Temples at Haridwar, Rishikesh & Tungnath, Confluences, Crystal Clear Lake, Snow clapped Himalayan Peaks and many more.
• Low altitude trek with cavernous gorges, spacious views, vibrant colors. Dazzling variation in scenery
• Snow clapped peaks, murmuring Water falls, lush green meadows & Mountain Goats.
• Rare glimpses of an ancient culture of local people.
• Sweeping views to Chaukhamba & Kedarnath Peak. Possible sightings of some wildlife,
• Nights in Hotel, Guest House and Tents.

Introduction :

Deoriatal Lake has captivating surroundings with forest all around. The mighty Chaukhamba Peak & Neelkanth peaks are reflected in the pristine waters of this lake.

Chandrashila Trek is one of the popular trek that can be undertaken round the year, in Garhwal Himalayas except during heavy snowing months of December & January. Chandrasila summit is a rock face above the temple of Tungnath, the highest of all the temples in the Himalayas. It is a short but rigorous hike beyond the temple. The Chandrasila summit affords the most beautiful view of the Nanda Devi, Trishul, Kedar Peak and Chaukhamba peaks.

Chopta is one of the most beautiful and picturesque spots in the whole Garhwal. The breathtaking view of the Himalayas is treat for the eyes as well as soul.
Chopta is situated on the Gopeshwar - Ukhimath road at a distance of about 40 Kms. from Gopeshwar Chopta is 2900 mts high.

You may also be interested in :

• Ladakh Frozen River Trek
• Land of Snow Leopard
• Winter break Exploration in Bhutan
• Winter Trek in Garhwal Himalaya

Region : Garhwal Himalayas of Uttranchal
Style of Trek : Indian Leader
Altitude : 4090 mts/13415 ft
Duration : 06 Days
Season : December - February
Grade : Easy to Moderate

Day 01 : Arrive Delhi

On arrival at Delhi meet Himalayan Adventure Executive and transfer to pre booked hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 02 : Delhi - Haridwar - Ukhimath (200 kms/7-8 hrs)

In the morning transfer to railway station and from here board an AC train for Haridwar at 06:55 hrs. Arrival at Haridwar by 11:25 hrs and then transfer to Ukhimath via Rishikesh, Devprayag (Confluence of Alaknanda & Bhagirathi, from Devprayag the Holy river Ganges started), Rudraprayag (Confluence of Alaknanda & Mandakini River). Breakfast and lunch enroute. Arrival at Ukhimath by evening. Check into the guest house. Overnight stay.

Ukhimath (1370 mts/4500 ft) is on the other side of the Mandakini River Valley from Guptkashi a relatively short steep walk by foot, or a much longer way by road. Ukhimath is the winter seat of Kedarnath, as well as the winter home of the priest who presides over his worship. After the Kedarnath temple closes for the winter, a movable image of Kedarnath is brought in procession to Ukhimath, where it resides until the Kedarnath temple reopens in late April or early May.

This picture shows the outer gateway to the temple complex, which is not only brightly painted and decorated, but two full stories tall (the wall also serves as the back wall of buildings inside). The stones piled at lower left were for some sort of construction project, which was in full swing when I visited (since summer is the "slow" season ritually speaking, it made sense for the place to be torn up them. And the nearby buildings are clearly residential, since a young girl is visible at upper right.

Day 03 : Ukhimath – Sari Village - Deoriatal (2438 mts/7998 ft)

In the morning you can see snow clapped Himalayan ranges. After breakfast drive to Sari village and from here start your trek to Deoriatal through dense forest of Rhodendron and lots of wild flowers and ferns. The trek will take 2-3 hrs to reach Deoriatal. Upon arrival at Deoriatal set out the tents for overnight stay.

Day 04 : Deoriatal – Sari - Chopta

In the morning trek down to Sari village (3 kms) and from here drive to Chopta through dense forest and meadows. Its 30 kms drive from Sari Village. Upon arrival at Chopta set out your tents for overnight stay. In the evening explore the magnificent view of the Himalayas.

Day 05 : Chopta –Tungnath (3680 ft/12070 ft) – Chandrasila (4090 mts/13415 ft) - Chopta

After an early breakfast trek to Tungnath with packed lunch. Tungnath is situated at the height of 3680 mts from the sea level the highest in India. The trek is three kms upward. Enroute you will find lush green meadows and you can see the entire range of snow clapped Himalayas. Upon arrival at Tungnath Temple and visit the temple. After relax one further one kms trek to Chandrasila peak. Later trek back to Chopta for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 06 : Chopta

The day is exploration. Overnight stay at tent.

Day 07 : Chopta – Haridwar - Delhi

After an early breakfast drive to Haridwar. Breakfast & Lunch enroute. Upon arrival at Haridwar transfer to railway station to catch Dehradun Shatabdi express train for Delhi at 18:05 hrs. Arrival at Delhi by 22:45 hrs. on arrival at Delhi meet our executive and transfer to hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 08 : Delhi Depart

Transfer to airport according to your flight schedule.

Trip & Services Ends Here

The Above cost Includes

• Train : AC Chair car train from Delhi – Haridwar & Back
• Transport : All road transfer by Chevrolet Tavera/Toyota Qualis/Mahindra Max car from Haridwar to Haridwar. Also railway station/airport transfer at Delhi.
• Accommodation : Hotel in Delhi, Tourist Rest House/Guest House in Ukhimath with bed and breakfast basis. While on the trek accommodation will be provided in tents. Our tents are 4 season dome tents (Keltay) with lots of space for personal luggage. We will be putting up a dining tent and a toilet tent to make your camping comfortable.
• Meals : In Delhi/Ukhimath only breakfast will serve. While on trek all meal will be provided. The food would be mix of Indian, Chinese & Continental.
• Professional and experienced Trip Leader & Local trekking guide who knows the area very well
• Cook and porters to carry camping equipments, ration and some amount of clients personal gear (not more then 12 kgs)
• All necessary Permits and camping fee

The above cost do not include

• Air fare
• Enroute meal
• Any charges for carrying still/video cameras etc.
• Alcohol, soft drinks, bottled water, beverages, etc.
• Personal expenses like tips, telephone calls, laundry, etc.
• Any meals/services not mentioned above
• Any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances like landslides, road blocks, bad weather, etc.
• Travel insurance

Visa

You Need to have Indian Visa for entry to India on your holiday. To apply for Indian Visa you have to contact your nearest Indian consulate or you can call on 09057570045 or visit http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/ for more information.

Indian Embassy in London

Address : Indian Embassy
India House, Aldwych,
London WC2B 4NA.
Tel: 020 7836 8484
Site URL : http://www.hcilondon.net/

Money

There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that visitors can bring.

Banks

Banks are open in the major cities & the nearest towns of the sanctuaries for transaction from 10.00 to 14.00 hrs on all days except Sunday.

Best time to visit

High season: October to April - Monsoon.

Travel wear

Cotton outfits, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen lotion etc. Some woolen clothes require, during winter.

Credit cards

Main hotels, restaurants and shopping centers honor major credit cards.

Currency

Indian Rupee (INR)

Drugs

Heavy punishments including imprisonment are imposed for possession of narcotic drugs.

Food

All standard restaurants offer a variety of cuisines including Continental, Chinese, Indian & local.

Water

It is always better to drink bottled drinking water or drinking water from restaurants. It is not advisable to drink water from slow moving streams, lakes or dams. Mineral water is available in sealed bottles.

Trekking Equipments List

• Trekking shoes or Regular sports shoes Nike or Adidas
• One warmer (jacket or equivalent with hood)
• One wool shirt or sweater, Two cotton shirts/T-Shirts
• One pair cotton trousers or shorts
• One pair shorts or calf-length skirt for women
• Three pairs of regular underwear
• Long underwear - thermal or wool
• Wind- and rain-gear with hood, Sun hat, Cotton socks 4 pair
• Personal first-aid kit including medication for common ailments
• Flashlight with extra batteries, Sunglasses
• Water bottle, preferably wide mouthed, with at least one liter capacity
• Pocket knife, Camera, Note book with pens and pencils
• Plastic bags - small size for books, film etc., larger bags for clothes
• Suns cream lotion
• Personal toiletries

Private Departures

Did you know that we can also arrange private departures on the vast majority of our small group tours? So if you can’t find a date to suit you or if you want to have your very own adventure just with your friends or family then we can help you.

Private departures will follow the same itineraries as our usual group tours, but on a date to suit you, with no minimum numbers.

Customised Private Groups

For a group of 6 or more people we can organise a customised private group tour where we design the itinerary and activities especially for you, according to your requirements.

To enquire about booking a private departure of this tour or about organising your own private group tour, please fill in the form below and our Private Tours Team will be in touch shortly.

Frequently Asked Questions

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