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TREK TO CHOPTA

1. Having been brought up in a place in Pune which was surrounded by hills and trees, and a few small streams emptying into a large lake, I have always had a special affinity towards mountains. Since I am presently working in Delhi, I got an opportunity to attend a river rafting camp at Shivpuri near Rishikesh. The serenity of the mountains, with the mighty Ganges cutting across them, captivated my imagination and I had then firmed up my mind to trek through the beautiful Garwahl hills.

2. I was aware that there are adventure clubs which conduct organised treks. However, the drawbacks of going through such adventure clubs are that the treks are conducted as per fixed schedules for which one needs to plan for leave in advance which in my case is difficult. Further, these adventure clubs insist on a minimum number of participants which means that plans/ schedules of all friends in one’s group should converge. But the most obtrusive drawback is that invariably such adventure clubs charge exorbitantly and their commercial compulsions deprives one the joy of experiencing nature in its unadulterated form.

3. The idea was therefore to do a trek where one could just pack the bags and proceed at short notice by ensuring that bare necessities are catered for without pinching on the pocket. The internet, of course, provided lots of useful information. I found out that the trek in a place called Chopta, in the upper Garwhals, was a popular one with backpackers. I did not bother to gather a group of friends for the trek knowing fully well that our schedules would not converge. I asked only one like-minded friend but he, too, could not get leave. Hence, I goaded myself to overcome my initial hesitancy and decided to do this trek alone.

4. The information that I provide is therefore for all those people who want to enjoy nature in its pristine beauty without bothering too much about urban comforts, and at the same time not spend a fortune on the trip. In addition, I feel obliged to add to the information which has already been posted by fellow trekkers, so that those who intend visiting Chopta are benefitted. The information provided may be viewed from the perspective that I undertook the trek in early November this year (2012).

5. It is advisable to work out the trekking programme with a local organizer. In my case I worked it out with Mr. Surender Singh Negi who resides in a village called Sari, and organizes the guide, stay, food, etc. More about him later.

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6. Location Chopta. Chopta is situated at a height of approximately 6500 feet in the upper Garhwal region of Uttarkahand. It is a small hamlet located between Guptkashi and Chamoli, north of Rudraprayag. The nearest town is Ukhimath which is 22 Km by road from Chopta.

7. Trek in Chopta. Usually the trekking is divided in three legs, spread over two to three days as follows:-

(a) Leg 1 – Sari to Deori Tal. Sari is a small village located about 08 Km by road from Ukhimath. To my mind, not more than 40 families stay in Sari, in houses which are small but made of bricks and cement. Deori Tal is a beautiful saddle land on top of the mountain with a lake in the middle. It overlooks the Himalayan peaks of Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Chaukhamba. There are no settlements in Deori Tal. The 03 km trek from Sari to Deori Tal is uphill and takes between 01 hour to 2½ hours.

(b) Leg 2 – Deori Tal to Chopta. This leg comprises the major portion of the trek. It is a 16 Km trek usually ascending upwards. There are no settlements enroute the entire trekking leg right up till Chopta. The leg passes through jungles and one small river. The 16 Km leg takes between 05 to 12 hours. However, some trekkers (who are usually in

Deori Tal

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groups comprising ladies and children) halt overnight staying in tents in a clearance in the middle of the hills. This place is referred to as Chani and is located 08 Km short of Chopta.

(c) Leg 3 – Chopta to Tungnath & Chadrashila. It is a 2½ Km uphill trek to Tungnath and from thereon Chandrashila is located at a distance of about 1½ Km. The complete 4 Km trek takes between 1½ - 04 hours one way. The descent back to Chopta is of course faster. An old temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is built at Tungnath. The temple is open from May to Oct and closed for the next six months. Chandrashila on the other hand overlooks the mighty Himalayan peaks.

8. Season for Undertaking the Trek. The trek is usually undertaken between March to mid November, except August and September when it rains heavily. It snows in the region (Sari- Deori Tal- Chopta-Tungnath) from end November to February. However, enthusiastic trekkers also trek during the snow months. My guide – one pleasing youngster named Sandeep, informed me that during the summer (Apr – July), the temperatures are pleasant throughout the day, and the trees bear flowers adding to the colour. However, I feel that if one wants to view the majestic Himalayas from the Garwahl hills, then early November is the best time. By this time it has already snowed in the Himalayan peaks, and the green Garwahl hills with the white snow capped Himalayas in the backdrop is a sight that makes one feel closer to God. The day time temperatures in November range between 08-12°C. But, as I had earlier experienced in Leh, where the temperature was -04° C during the day, as long as the sun is out one does not feel cold in the hills. It is only when the sun is obscured by clouds, or after sunset that the chill is felt. However, for

Chopta

Tungnath Chandrashila

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those who want to pay their obeisance to Lord Shiva at the Tungnath temple, it may be borne in mind that the temple is closed from 1st November onwards for six months. Thus, apart from the rainy months, the region has something to offer to everyone and one can choose the season as per his/her specific requirements.

9. Time for Commencing Trek. Irrespective of the season, it is recommended that the trek to Chopta (Leg 2) is commenced by 0900 hrs. This provides for the sun to be out for good time and the chill factor is no longer a concern. Moreover, by this time the nocturnal animals have also retired for the day! (The locals may have stories to tell about leopard attacks on animals by night, but they themselves admit that no attacks have taken place on humans by night and definitely not during day. In fact my guide, mentioned that he has not sighted any wild animal during the treks in the last five years that he has been working as a guide). For Leg 1, it would be prudent to commence trekking from Sari latest by 1430 hrs. This would ensure that you reach Deori Tal before it turns dark. For Leg 3 one may commence trekking latest by 1200 hrs from Chopta so as to ensure that the trek to Chandrashila is completed and one can return back to Chopta before nightfall.

10. Weather. It would be good idea to confirm about the weather in the hills before undertaking the trek. Hence, I checked on the internet for local weather at Ukhimath and Chopta. Various sites gave vastly different weather predictions. I contacted Mr. Surender Singh Negi (my local trek organiser) from whom I could confirm that it was not snowing yet in the area and trekking was feasible. He informed me that the nights were chilly. After having been there, I can now say that one site called ‘Meow Weather’ provided very accurate temperatures/ predictions. Other sites that I checked were grossly off the mark.

11. Staying Arrangements and Facilities Available. The arrangements for stay and facilities available at the halt points are enumerated below:-

(a) Sari . Homestays are available in Sari. The locals host the trekker in their houses and provide a separate room and food as well. The rooms have attached toilets. Some affluent households have constructed rooms adjunct to their houses. They too, provide home cooked meals. Hot water can also be provided in homestays. The rooms cost anywhere between Rs. 300-600 per person per night, including meals. Small shops are available which sell wafers and biscuits and small odd things. Mobile recharge is available at some shops. There is no medical shop at Sari village. Medical shop is available at Ukhimath.

(b) Deori Tal . It is a pleasant experience to stay overnight at Deori Tal. This way, you are present there to enjoy the sunrise and the sight of the Himalayas in the early mornings. Tents are provided at Deori Tal for staying. The tents usually have two hard beds with thick heavy quilts to

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beat the night chill. I understand that single-man tents can also be provided. Temporary toilets have been erected close by. There are two huts in Deori Tal which function as the kitchen and also sell small eats and soft drinks.

(c) Chopta . Chopta is bigger than Sari. At the outskirts itself there are small hotels (more like dhabas) where one can have meals. Below the floor of these hotels, there are rooms with attached toilets. The rooms have space for up to four big hard beds. Each such hotel (or dhaba rather) has 3-4 rooms.

(d) Tungnath and Chandrashila . These places do not cater for staying arrangements. Hence, one has to come down to Chopta for staying.

12. Mandatory Requirements for Trek. The mandatory requirements for the trek are a forest pass and a guide. The forest pass is issued by a forest ranger, who has his office-cum-hut at Deori Tal as well as Chopta. The pass is valid for three days and costs Rs. 150/- per person. The guides are not registered guides but any local who is confident of the trekking route. Since almost all locals know the jungle route, any and every adult therefore qualifies as a guide and is easily available.

13. Travelling till Sari. The travel to Sari village can be divided into four legs as follows:-

(a) Leg 1 – Delhi to Rishikesh/ Haridwar. Haidwar is well connected by rail. Few trains also commute till Rishikesh. It is a 30-45 minute journey from Haridwar to Rishikesh by train or bus. The most suitable mode to travel till Rishikesh/ Haridwar is by train. Most of the trains from Delhi reach Haridwar before noon. But one needs to book train tickets in advance – for which leave from office needs to be concurred in advance! However, for backpackers who decide at short notice, buses are the best way to travel from Delhi to Rishikesh/ Haridwar. All buses to Haidwar/ Rishikesh depart from the Anand Vihar ISBT which is in NOIDA. Government buses (Volvo, Deluxe and Normal) operated by Sates of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are readily available from Anand Vihar ISBT. The frequency of Volvo and Deluxe buses is limited and they usually ply after 2200 hrs. Normal buses ply throughout the day at regular intervals. One cannot book tickets online and needs to go to Anand Vihar. Private buses also ply commencing 2100 hrs from various points in Delhi (finally reaching Anand Vihar by 2300 hrs). Though online booking is possible in private buses, there exists the risk of the bus schedule being cancelled at the last moment due to lack of adequate number of passengers. Consequently, one has to make efforts to get the refund back. For the same reason, Government buses do not offer online

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booking of tickets. It is therefore recommended that one just goes to Anand Vihar ISBT on the day of travel and purchase the ticket there itself about an hour before departure. It is also recommended that one travels at night, around 2100 hrs onwards, so that one reaches Haridwar/ Rishikesh early the next morning by 0300 hrs. Further, the traffic snarls enroute (especially at Modinagar) are not there at night. The travel time from Delhi to Haridwar is about 06 hours. The Volvo buses charge about Rs. 570/- per person, the Deluxe charges are about Rs. 375/- whereas the fare for the normal buses is about Rs. 185/- per person. I travelled by the normal bus of Uttarkhand Transport Corporation paying Rs. 183/- and departed Anand Vihar ISBT at 2130 hrs to reach Rishikesh the next morning at 0330 hrs. Further, you reach Sari by afternoon which gives you adequate time to trek from Sari to Deori Tal and yet reach Deori Tal before nightfall. [ Anand Vihar ISBT is co-located with Anand Vihar Metro Station and DTC Bus Depot. Hence, one can use the Metro or DTC buses to reach Anand Vihar ISBT as convenient ].

(b) Leg 2 – Haridwar/ Rishikesh to Kund . From Haridwar/ Rishikesh the only mode of travel to the hills is by road. It may be noted that road travel uphill of Rishikesh is usually not undertaken by night since it is very difficult to negotiate the narrow tricky roads by night. Accordingly buses of private operators are regularly available throughout from 0400 hrs onwards to all destinations uphill so that the roads can be negotiated during daytime. Private taxis are also available but they usually commence plying by 0730 hrs. There are hardly any State buses available for travel to the hills. The cost of travel by private buses or shared taxis is comparable. Both, buses and taxis, halt at all major towns enroute to Kund for 5-10 minutes for boarding passengers. To travel to Kund, one has to board a bus/ taxi going towards Gaurikund or Guptkashi. Kund is small hamlet about 12-15 Km short of Guptkashi. The route is Rishikesh – Devprayag – Rudraprayag –Srinagar – Agastyamuni – Kund. The journey from Rishikesh to Kund takes about 07- 09 hrs. I travelled by bus from Rishikesh to Kund paying Rs. 190/-. The buses are comfortable but leg space is slightly limited. The bus departed Rishikesh at 0500 hrs. This gave me time (between 0330-0500 hrs) to go to a nearby lodge and use the toilet/ bathroom facilities to freshen up prior undertaking the bus journey. I paid Rs. 50/- for the washroom facilities. The bus reached Kund at about 1230 hrs.

(c) Leg 3 – Kund to Ukhimath . The bus drops you at the ‘Y’ Junction at Kund. From there buses ply to Ukhimath. The travel time from Kund to Ukhimath is only about 20 minutes and the fare is Rs. 10/- only. When I reached Kund there was a bus waiting at the junction for Ukhimath. It departed at 1300 hrs and I was at Ukhimath by 1320 hrs.

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(d) Leg 4 – Ukhimath to Sari . From Ukhimath shared taxis are available for Sari. However, the timings of the taxis are not fixed. It depends on the number of passengers waiting to travel towards Sari. Buses ply only once in the evening (about 1700 hrs). Alternatively one can travel from Ukhimath to another village called Mutsara which is situated below Sari. From thereon one can either walk up to Sari (it would be an hour’s walk) or check if there is any transport going to Sari. When I reached Ukhimath, I found that there was no taxi plying. I was told by the locals that usually a taxi leaves by 1400 hrs but that specific taxi was not to be seen (taxis are known by their registration numbers and the locals know which taxi will go to a particular place). I was offered two options by the locals. I could either book a taxi to Sari all by myself for which I would be charged Rs. 500/- or I could go to Mutsara by a shared taxi, for which I had to pay Rs. 25/- , and then proceed to Sari as I wished. To be more certain I spoke on mobile with Mr. Surender Singh Negi, my local trek organiser. He told that I could wait at Ukhimath itself and he would organize my pickup, or I could come to Mutsara from where he would pick me up on his motorcycle. I proceeded to Mutsara by shared taxi at about 1415 hrs, reached Mutsara by 1430 hrs where I found Mr. Surender Singh Negi waiting for me, not on his motorcycle, but he had arranged for a taxi! And yes, I did not have to pay for the 10 min journey from Mutsara to Sari by taxi.

14. Return Travel.

(a) For the return leg, there is a bus which departs Sari at 0630 hrs for Rudraparayag (via Ukhimath). The fare from Sari to Rudraprayag is Rs. 75/- . From Rudraprayag one can again get many private buses/ taxis towards Rishikesh/ Haridwar. The fare is Rs. 150/- from Rudraparyag to Rishikesh and Rs. 175/- if one is travelling further down to Haridwar. I took the bus from Sari to Rudraprayag and reached Rudraprayag by 1000 hrs. There was a bus departing for Rishikesh. So I boarded that bus and reached Rishikesh by 1515 hrs (enroute the bus halted for lunch at a place just after crossing Devprayag). From Rishikesh I took another bus which was departing for Haridwar, paid the fare of Rs. 25/-, and reached Haridwar by 1600 hrs. Though I knew that I could get a bus directly from Rishikesh to head back to Delhi, I wanted to go to Haridwar for two reasons. Firstly, I wanted to purchase the famous pedas (prachin Mathura walon ki peda) from Haridwar. Secondly, I wanted to explore the feasibility of travelling by the Shatabdi train which departs Haridwar at 1815 hrs and reaches Delhi by 2245 hrs. The pedas, I purchased promptly from the famous shop close to Har-ki-Pauri. From there I walked to the railway station only to be informed that there was no seat available in the Shatabdi train. The next train to Delhi would arrive by 2000 hrs. Considering that the travel time by train would be about 06 hours, I realised I would reach Delhi railway station at the unearthly time of 0200

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hrs the next morning. The bus, on the other hand, would take the same travel time and make me reach Anand Vihar ISBT from where could get a bus to Dhaula Kuan. In addition, I would definitely get a seat in the bus. The train at 2000 hrs provided no such guarantee. So I decided to travel by bus. The bus depot is co-located with the railway station at Haridwar. However, before I went to the bus depot I purchased a platform ticket and went to the dormitory in-charge and paid Rs. 25/- to use the washroom facility of the dormitory at the station. On my return, I travelled by the normal bus of Uttar Pradesh Transport Corporation departing Haridwar at 1800 hrs and reaching Anand Vihar ISBT at 2330 hrs, paying Rs. 181/-. The buses are fairly comfortable and I did not feel any discomfort throughout the journey both ways. The buses halt at designated places where one can have snacks/ meals and also use the washrooms. Further, as I have mentioned earlier, the idea was to minimize on travel expenses without unduly compromising on comfort and hygiene.

(b) Enroute to Anand Vihar the bus halted at a place after Meerut for dinner. The dhaba charged me Rs. 190/- for a very frugal dinner (more than the fare for travel form Haridwar to Delhi!). I was later told by a co-passenger in the bus that it is better to find out exactly what is going to be charged in the dhabas of the UP belt between Meerut to Gaziabad and only then place the order, since many dhabas charge exorbitantly to unsuspecting travelers.

(c) For the return journey one may note that the last Metro from Anand Vihar is at 2300 hrs towards Dwarka. Towards other destinations the last Metro is between 2200-2215 hrs. However, DTC buses towards Dhaula Kuan and Delhi railway station ply throughout the night at about 1-1 ½ hours intervals from Anand Vihar DTC Bus Depot itself.

Note.

One can travel to the Garwahl hills in own vehicle also. However, my experience has been that the narrow and tricky roads in these hilly regions are not like any other road in India. The experienced drivers of the local buses and taxis negotiate these roads deftly, whilst the tourists who come in their own vehicles find the same difficult. Invariably, any roadblock that I came across during my journey in the hills was due to tourist in own vehicles who did not know when and where to halt and give way to traffic coming from the opposite direction. I found the local drivers to be safe drivers and was impressed by their handling of the bus especially at bends where there had been landslides in the recent past.

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Further, it is advisable to eat light during the bus journeys since the roads are winding and the road journey could be uncomfortable for people with motion sickness.

15. Local Trek Organiser. The internet provides mobile numbers of two or three local trek organisers from Sari village. All have the surname ‘Negi’. However, amongst the local trek organizers, I found Mr. Surender Singh Negi the most responsive and enterprising. Though I had contacted other trek organisers also, he was the only one in regular touch providing me with vital information all along. He organised for my stay in tents at Deori Tal and at rooms in Chopta and Sari. Further, he arranged for the guide and the forest pass. He not only cooked delicious food at Deori Tal, but also kept me entertained with his delightful stories. His mobile numbers are 08958329376 and 09410367921. In addition to the Chopta Trek, he also organizes for the 04-day Madhmeshwar Trek (via Gondar and Bantoli) and the 05-day Biswarital Trek (via Ronibhughiyan and Chitragupha). Both these treks commence from Sari but are open from May to August and October to November only since during other months it is either snowing or raining.

16. Additional Tips.

(a) If you can plan at least 03 weeks in advance, then you can get reserved tickets in train. It is preferable to travel to Rishikesh/ Haridwar and back by train. The journey would be more comfortable. One can use the toilets of the train to freshen up. And the monotony of travelling by road only is broken.

(b) Use a rugged, but adequately used footwear for the trek. My shoes were rugged but not used much. During the trek I got shoe-bite on my feet.

(c) Carry adequate band-aids. I realised that my shoe was not very comfortable at Anand Vihar ISBT itself whilst proceeding for the trek. However, there was no medical shop at Anand Vihar ISBT. But after much searching I found one shop (but not a medical shop) within the ISBT premises that sold band-aids, but of some unknown company and poor quality. As a result I had to change the band-aid frequently during

Surender Singh Negi

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the trek and exhausted my stock of five very quickly. Band-aid is not available in Chopta!

(d) Carry medicines which you may require, especially for fever, cold and motion sickness.

(e) In the month of November, a light jacket would suffice during the trek. However, at nights a heavy jacket, muffler, woolen cap and gloves would be required.

(f) Carry a torch with spare batteries. You would require them in the tents, at nights, and sometimes in the rooms as well since electricity is not very stable in the area.

(g) Use your mobile sparingly. You don’t know when you’ll get to charge it again.

(h) The average distance covered in an hour if one is trekking alone would be about 03-3 ½ Km. However, from discussions with my guide I realised that with families/ children, the average distance would be 1- 1 ½ Km per hour.

(i) During daytime, even if you are not feeling thirsty, sip water at regular intervals to remain hydrated. If needed, for the nights, carry something to drink to keep yourself warm.

(j) The phone numbers of Anand Vihar ISBT are:-

(i) Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) 011-22141611.

(ii) Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) 011-22149089.

(iii) But it may be noted that nobody picks up the phone. This I realised when I wanted to make a few queries regarding bus timings and reservations.

If you have any comments, or require additional details you may contact me on prachetpanda@hotmail.com