Itinerary -
Day 01 : Haridwar/Dehradun – Kund (Drive/6-7 hrs)
Meet our representative at Haridwar and from here drive up to our mountain lodge in Kund. This is a beautiful drive during which you pass through India’s spiritual capital, Rishikesh. You will drive along the River Ganges in the beginning and later on along the River Alaknanda and Mandakini to finally arrive at the lodge in Kund. Check into the lodge and soak in the natural beauty around you and if sky is clear gaze into the snow-clad Kedar peak at a distance. At the lodge one is sure to get a feel of staying in a village with terraced fields, mountain homes and forest all around. Depending on the time you arrive in the lodge, you could go for a nature walk along the river Mandakini by the lodge or just sit by the river and relax. It’s a great spot to just sit and lose track of everything else. Only thing to disturb you would be the sounds of a variety of birds and the river flowing by. Overnight stay in the lodge.
Day 02 : Kund – Deoriatal (2438 M)– Kund (Drive/1.5 hrs & Trek/4 hrs both ways)
Today, after breakfast, you take a short and extremely beautiful drive of about 45 minutes to reach Sari village. Once you are over with contemplating a permanent shift to this beautiful and quaint village you start on the hike to the lake. From Sari a short trek of about 2.5 kms will bring you to the beautiful high altitude lake of Deoriatal. This climb though short is uphill throughout. For people not wanting to hike there is the option of getting onto a pony. Also for the adventurous there is the option of walking up to the lake from the lodge itself. At the lake there are beautiful views of the Himalayas and the surrounding valleys and the reflection of the Chaukhamba peak in the shimmering waters of the lake is a sight worth seeing!! We spend some time here exploring the beautiful surrounding and have lunch before heading back to sari village. From here board the vehicles and drive back to the HEL lodge in Kund. Enroute visit the beautiful Ukhimath temple, the winter seat of the Kedarnath deity. One can also attend the evening aarti here. On arrival in the lodge you can sit back and relax. Overnight stay in the lodge.
Day 03 : Kund – Chopta – Tungnath (3680 M) – Chandrashila Peak (4000 M) – Chopta – Kund (Drive/1 hr & Trek/5 hrs both ways)
After breakfast, you will again set out on a beautiful drive to Chopta which will take an hour. You will cross a few small villages and get a very up close feel of the Himalayan way of life. Chopta, popularly referred to as the Mini-Switzerland of India is truly a jewel in nature’s crown with huge un ending meadows, thick oak & rhododendron jungles and big Himalayan peaks and valleys all around. Today one will have the option of doing the Tungnath & Chandrashila trek from Chopta or spending time in and around Chopta.
From Chopta you begin the trek to the legendry Tungnath temple, the highest Shiva shrine in the world. It’s an awesome walk through alpine meadows which towards the top take on a golden hue and are a complete delight. Tungnath is stunning to say the least! Religious or non-religious does not matter, just sit by yourself for a few minutes in the courtyard of the temple with eyes closed you will feel very light! The big Himalayan mountains all around, crisp mountain air, holy Tungnath temple and the feel of sitting on top of the world conjure a memorable experience. People wanting more from life can continue on the trail and walk yup to the summit of Chandrashilla peak at about 4000m. The effort is going to be rewarded multiple times with views which are surely unparalleled. From the summit you can see big Himalayan peaks (Nanda Devi, Trishul, Chaukhamba and many more) and surrounding valleys in all directions. After capturing the views in your camera start walking down to the base camp at Chopta and from there get onto your vehicles and drive down to the lodge in Kund where a refreshing shower and hot dinner awaits you. overnight stay in the lodge
Day 04 : Kund – Haridwar (Drive/ 6-7 hrs)
It’s not over yet. Early morning brace yourself for an experience of your lifetime as you set out on a short nature hike with our birding expert. There are some wonderful varieties of birds near the lodge and the walk through the forests is very invigorating. Once back at the lodge we have breakfast and depart for Haridwar
Please Note: You can extend the trip by a day and take a one night halt at our luxury riverside camp at Jayalgarh while driving back to Haridwar from kund. Set on the banks of river Alaknanda it is a beautiful destination to relax and also indulge in a variety of water activities like rafting, duckie rides, kayaking, fishing, cliff jumpng etc
Trip Ends With Sweet Memories !!!
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
Jeans / Trekking Pants - 2
Windproof jacket of decent quality (no flimsy wind cheaters please!) preferably with a hood
Fleece / Full-sleeve Woollen sweater
Regular socks (3-4 pairs)
Scarf/muffler (optional)
Comfortable Trekking/Hiking shoes (shoes with a thick sole are recommended)
Lightweight floaters/sandals/slippers
Raincoat / Poncho
Small light weight towel
Water bottle (sturdy ones, no empty Bisleri bottles!!)
Cap / Hat to keep the strong sun away from your face
Sun glasses
Walking stick / Trekking pole
Sunscreen Lotion
Lip Balm
Torch / Flashlight (with extra batteries)
Medicines, if requiring any specific medication
Personal toiletries
Books, if you like reading
Day pack/small bag which you will carry on your back every day and keep your essentials in it
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.
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
In the initial days of the pre monsoon season (April – Jun) days are going to be sunny and warm (18-26 °C) while the night temperature at the highest campsite would be in the range of 5-13 °C. In the post monsoon season (Sep-Nov) the days are sunny and clear with temperatures hovering around (14-22 °C) the evenings start getting cold with the onset of October and nights are comparatively colder (2-10 °C). Mid-December onwards it gets cold with onset of snow. This region experiences heavy snow which melts only by mid-March. During winter months if the day is clear, then it’s sunny with very comfortable weather. Evenings and nights are cold with temperature going down to about –8 °C. In winters we avoid camping and base ourselves at the lodge in Kund to the maximum extent.
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: 4 Days
Season: Jan-Dec
Grade: Moderate
Region: Garhwal (Uttarakhand)
Description
The base for this trip would be the Himalayan eco lodges & camps at Kund (www.himalayanecolodges.com/kund.php). Located in the lush green Mandakini valley, the Himalayan Eco Lodge in Kund, is one of the most spectacular locations for any spiritual & outdoor pursuit. The life giving waters of the mystical Mandakini cut a wide swath through valley, washing over rocks and boulders on their relentless journey to meet the Alakhnanda at Rudraprayag. From the lodge one gets a wonderful view of the snow clad Kedar peak that forms the backdrop of the Kedarnath temple. This valley is steeped in history and mythology and the temples that dot this area stand as the living testimonials to its rich culture and tradition
If one is looking at a short 4-day trip in the Himalayas then look no further. This is one of the most enchanting short trips which take one very close to the inner Himalayan valleys. Most of the places in this trip are in a protected area and hence there are minimal signs of civilization and abundance of flora & fauna, which adds to the beauty of the place. This trip would qualify as a walking trip as on 2 days we have beautiful hikes incorporated into the trip. In the first leg of the trip we hike up to Deoriatal. This is a beautiful lake at an altitude of 2438 m and has captivating surroundings with forests all around. 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
Next on our trip 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. People will have the option to spend the day at Chopta enjoying the surroundings or hiking all the way up to Tungnath & Chandrashilla. From Chopta we will trek up to the Tungnath temple, which at an altitude of 3680m is the highest Shiva shrine in the world. All along the route, in addition to the abundant flora and fauna, one gets wonderful views of the Himalayan giants including Bandarpoonch, Kedar, Chaukhamba peak and may 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.