Chopta Tungnath Chandrashila

The Chopta-Tungnath-Chandrashila route in winter is different from the easy, crowded hike it is in summer. Fresh mountain air, a touch of snow, and a long and often lonely trail makes this a truly riveting trek. The Chopta-Tungnath-Chandrashila trek in Uttarakhand’s Himalayan region is no appalling challenge in the summer. In fact, for a seasoned mountain goat, it is at best an easy hike. The blazing sun keeps your joints well-oiled and the rolling green meadows double as stunning scenery and cheerful company. Maggi and chai breaks are accompanied with a sunny patch to thaw and a chat with the shanty owners along the well-paved trail. You have to make way for queues of positively harangued ponies, weighed down by burly tourists. But one cannot ignore the ironic happy jingle of their bells—a background score that echoes in the underlying valleys. More so, the promise of seeing the Himalayan peaks spread over 180 degrees from Chandrashila allays the rigor to a large extent. But in the winter, the scene is starkly different. Time stands still through the course of five kilometers from the base of Chopta to the Chandrashila peak. No clanking of pony bells follows you. No one hollers a namaste from the shanties. It’s eerily quiet. A Narnia-esque detached intrigue hangs heavy through the path. But the enigma is unmatchable.