Tungnath, home of the highest Shiva Temples in the world is also pretty talked-about among travelers, trekkers, and thrill-seekers. The winter trek with the greatest mountain views is just hard to pass. Offering the spectacular panoramic view of the Himalayan ranges it is a perfect weekend getaway.

And this is exactly what Devansh did! Devansh Gupta, a resident of Delhi, who currently lives in Dehradun is working as a Software Engineer at TCS. With a deep love for travel and adventure, he made a weekend trip to Tungnath-Chandrashila.

Day 1

He started early in the morning at 7:30 am and took a bus from Dehradun to Jaisalmer to Kheemut. He reached Kheemut by 4:30 pm and directly hopped on a shared cab till Chopta. Arriving at Chopta in the evening by 6:30 pm, he booked a local stay for the night. He shared the room with 2 other travelers who had similar itineraries as him. Having traveled all day long, he called it a day. 

Day 2

The next morning he started the trek by 8 in the morning and with some breaks in between managed to reach the Tungnath top by 11:30 am. It took him 3-4 hours to make it to the top. Devansh says the trail is well made, with cemented paths and safety rails. However, it is covered with snow, so you might still want to be cautious. The trek is pretty easy to moderate on the difficulty level and can easily be completed by a beginner.

After staying there a while and taking some beautiful pictures, he continued moving uphill. It took him about half an hour to reach Chandrashila. The trail after Chopta gets a little choppy and bumpy, the climb is steep and not that well maintained. But you can still cover it without much difficulty. 

Devansh remembers being in awe upon seeing the first glimpse of the magnificent Himalayan peaks. It is like a grand feast, there is so much to take in that you cannot take all of it in. It is an experience you will not forget till posterity. After spending a handful of time, he started climbing downhill. He went back straight to Chopta and then back to Kheemut.

Day 3

He decided to stay the night at Kheemut and took some well-needed shut-eye. Having gathered memories for a lifetime, it was time to head back to daily life.

Devansh recommends wearing trekking shoes, and if you don’t have one you can rent them at Chopta. Not to mention, there are no food stalls up on the top and, if there is one, it is covered in snow in colder months so you would want to carry your own eatables. Surprisingly, there is a good network connection, even at the top, but we recommend planning your itinerary well in advance and don’t completely rely on smartphones for routes and payments. You never know what might not work for you at the last moment. 

For more pictures and videos, check out Devansh’s page @devansh_gupta3993.

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