List of Essentials

Mountain/adventure travel requires one to be adequately equipped with the right kind of personal gear. Since one is travelling in the wilderness there will be hardly any opportunity to buy anything once you hit the trail so we urge you to carefully pack everything into your bags. Also please keep in mind you can rent out or purchase equipment from our Gear Store, if required.

    Shirts/T-shirts – 2/3
    Warm shirt/light micro fleece pullover/full sleeve T shirt
    Trekking Pants (water resistant/repellent & having inside lining for extra warmth) - 2
    Windproof/water resistant outer shell (jacket) of good quality (no flimsy wind cheaters please!) with a proper hood
    Down jacket (with min 600 fill power rating)
    Thick Fleece / Full-sleeve Woollen sweater
    Thermal inner wear (upper & lower)
    Woollen cap (Balaclava)
    Inner fleece gloves
    Outer waterproof gloves
    Thick woollen socks & regular socks (4-5 pairs)
    Scarf/muffler (optional)
    Comfortable waterproof Trekking/Hiking shoes (shoes with a thick sole and high ankles are recommended)
    Camp shoes (these can be easy to slip in sneakers/sport shoes)
    Gaiters
    Raincoat / Poncho
    Small light weight towel
    Insulated water bottle & hydration pack (optional)
    Cap / floppy hat to keep the strong sun away from your face
    Sun glasses with UV protection and ability to cut the glare (imp when traversing through snow)
    Sturdy walking stick / Trekking pole
    Sunscreen Lotion
    Lip Balm
    Torch / Flashlight (with extra batteries)
    Medicines, if requiring any specific medication
    Personal toiletries
    Book, if you like reading
    Day pack/small bag which you will carry on your back every day and keep your essentials in it
    Carry rain cover for your bags
    Keep a few poly bags or waterproof bags in your bag in which if required you can put your belongings in case of heavy rain
    Camera if you like (with fully charged batteries)

…LOADS OF ENTHUSIASM!! AND A PLEDGE TO LEAVE NO TRACE

Carry your stuff in a duffel bag, soft shoulder bag or a rucksack. Avoid suitcases, trolleys or any other hard luggage. As you will be walking long distances carrying a rucksack, avoid bringing unnecessary items on the trek. Please avoid carrying expensive watches, jewellery and electronic items on the trek.

For Departure Dates just call 7350530009 / 7350540009 / 7350550009

Transport Options (Delhi – Haridwar – Delhi)

For travel to Haridwar and back one can choose between air, rail & road. For air travel, the closest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport (30 kms) in Dehradun and is well connected to Delhi and other parts of the country by Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines & Spice Jet.  Train travel is highly recommended with enough options being there. For train details, you could log on to www.indianrail.gov.in and for online railway ticket bookings you could log on to www.irctc.co.in.

There are frequent Public Transport buses including Volvos available from Delhi to Haridwar that cost about Rs. 200-500 per person. These buses depart from Delhi ISBT every 30 mins. or so and take about 4/5 hrs to cover the distance. The same is also applicable on the return journey. A private vehicle could also be arranged for if you require the same.

Weather Details

This snow trek is organized between Jan & Mar when the region has had good snowfall. Contrary to popular belief, winters is a good time to be in the mountains if one is equipped properly. Most locals inhabiting higher reaches of the mountains don’t mind the problems associated with snowfall and seem to have a good time during these months. Also there are lots of local festivals in these months. In these months weather is generally clear most of the days. Day time is pleasantly warm with one getting to enjoy sitting out in the sun and temperatures would be around 12-17 °C. Evenings are quite cold and one would need to be inside a tent/room or sitting outside next to fire with proper winter clothes. The evening temperatures will be around -3 to 5 °C. Nights can be very cold with temperatures in the range of -8 to 0 °C. Snow Treks India is more adventurous and challenging, so it is very important to keep warm clothes in your journey

Please keep in mind that the above information is not exact and does not account for sudden changes. Whatever the temperatures and conditions rest assured we will be prepared to handle it with ease as we use equipment of very high specifications

Duration: 05 Days

Season: Dec-Mar

Grade: Moderate+

Region: Garhwal (Uttarakhand)

Description

For the mountain lover, the winters are a great time to be travelling in the Himalayas because of the clear views and sunny days. This winter trek gives you the opportunity to scale a small trekking peak in the Garhwal Himalayas, Chandrashila peak (4000m). On the trek you pass through undulating grass meadows in summer, but in winters this terrain forms the perfect base for a snow trek with undulating meadows of snow. With the close proximity of this trek to the roadhead, the trek is iodeal for beginners wanting to experience the joys of snow trekking in a safe and relatively comfortable manner.

In the first leg of the trek we hike up to Deoriatal. This is a beautiful lake at an altitude of 2438 m and has captivating surroundings with forests all around. This trail would not have much snow and it forms an easy start for the trek ahead. From Deoriatal, the Chaukhamba peak feels like it is an arms length away and the reflection of the mighty peak in the crystal clear waters of the lake creates a beautiful effect. The story associated with this scenic place is that when the Pandavas were in exile and were hiding from the Kaurava king, Duryodhan, they stopped nearby for a rest. When their mother Kunti felt thirsty, one by one four of her sons went to fetch water from this lake but died, as they could not answer the question put forth to them by the Yaksha Devta who resided here. When the eldest son's Yudishtra's turn came, he answered all questions correctly and with the result the dead brothers also came back to life. Chaukhamba Peak View from Deoriatal Here we will camp by the lakeside and enjoy the star spangled sky in the night.

Next on our trail is Chopta, popularly referred to as the Mini-Switzerland of India because of its undulating green meadows (carpets of snow in winter!!) and a breath taking view of the majestic Himalayan peaks. We will start getting into big snows on this trail and once in Chopta would have a lot of snow all around. Depending on the snow conditions, we will either decide to camp or we would stay in some homestays that dot this place. Staying in here is a totally enjoyable experience with the excellent views and beautiful valleys all around. Next day, from here we will trek up to the Tungnath temple, which at an altitude of 3680m is the highest Shiva shrine in the world. There would be thick snow all around and we would have a totally enjoyable experience trekking through this terrain. All along the route one gets wonderful views of the Himalayan giants including Bandarpoonch, Kedar, Chaukhamba peaks and many more. From Tungnath you can trek up a further 1 kms to the summit of Chandrashilla peak at about 4000 m. The 180 degree view of the snow-capped peaks and the underlying valleys all around make this trek well worth it.

Another interesting and beautiful part of this trip is the opportunity to spend time at Namoh Adventures'Himalayan Eco Lodges & Campsat Kund.This lodge overlooks the Mandakini river and is in the shadow of the Kedar peak and is a beautiful base to begin and end the trip.

Winters are a great time for all the trekking enthusiasts to travel through the rugged terrains of the Himalayan mountain range. The skies are clear and the sunny days make it more beautiful. Chandrashila (4000m) peak is a short trek in the Garhwal Himalayan Range, which takes you through the undulating meadows in summer months and snow covered grasslands in the winter months. This trek has a close distance from the road head and for beginners or first-time climbers, its a perfect travelling experience. The trek is safe and does not pose many challenges.

The first phase of the trek is a hiking trip up to Deoriatal. Deoriatal is a beautiful lake that is at an altitude of 2438m above sea level. The enchanting surroundings are covered with dense forests all around. This trail gives an easy trekking experience to the trekkers. The peak of Chaukhamba is close from this place, and the towering reflection of the peak can be seen in the clear waters of the lake. As the legend goes, Pandavas were in exile and were hiding from the Kaurava king, Duryodhana, they stopped nearby for a rest. When their mother Kunti felt thirsty, one by one four of her sons went to fetch water from this lake but died, as they could not answer the question put forth to them by the Yaksha Delta who resided here. When the eldest son's Yudishtra's turn came, he answered all questions correctly and with the result the dead brothers also came back to life.

Chopta comes in the next leg of the trek and doing justice to its nickname "Mini-Switzerland of India", the green meadows and the majestic view of the Himalayan peak can take your breath away. Chopta has a lot of snow besieged trails and depending on the snow the trekkers can decide about their plans of camping or take alternative home stays. A trek to Tungnath temple is preferred by most of the trekkers and at an altitude of 3680m, Tungnath temple is considered to be highest Shiva shrine in the world. Chandrashilla Peak is about 4000m above sea level and gives a complete round view of snow capped peaks. Chandrashila Trek is considered to be much more muscle flexing than the rest of the trails. Namoh adventures gives an opportunity to the trekkers to spend time in the "Himalayan Eco Lodges & Camps at Kund. Enjoy Chopta Trek with us!!