Ajan Top Trek - Trek The Himalayas

Overview

Ajan Top is located at an altitude of 8,399 feet (2,560 meters) in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India. The Ajan Top Trek is an exciting journey into the Himalayas that offers breathtaking landscapes and scenic views at every instant. Starting from Lohajung Village, this mesmerizing destination needs a short, 2.4 to 2.5 kilometers of hike to complete; yet the adventure is refreshing. Since Ajan Top is a one-day trek, the trails are not necessarily marked as it can be reached without difficulty. It provides a nice opportunity to comfortably enjoy the stunning natural beauty of Lohajung and its adjoining tourist sites.

If you are looking forward to going on a much longer trek, the Ajan Top Trek serves as an ideal trip to get acclimatized properly. For instance, if you are planning to do Brahmatal or Ali Bedni treks that begin from Lohajung, you can come a day earlier. It will not only be helpful for acclimatization, but allow you to enjoy the extra sightseeing as well.

Despite being a relatively shorter trek, the Ajan Top Trek has a rich biodiversity with different animals, birds, and plants to explore. A significant part of the trail passes through cascading terraced fields and the walk through them mesmerizes you. Just after that, the landscape changes into beautiful rhododendron forests. The whole route to this trek runs along a ridge-type landscape, while the backdrop in the distance offers a highly majestic view of snow-clad Himalayan summits. The prominent peaks that are clearly visible from this trek are: Mt. Nanda Ghunti, Mt. Trishul, and Mt. Mrigthuni. Another cool attraction of this trek is Ajan Temple – the highest point of this region.

Ajan Top Trek Itinerary

Altitude: 8,399 ft
Time taken: 2.5-3 hours; 2.35 km one way
Trek gradient: Easy

One-Day Itinerary

06: 00 AM – Wake-up & Make Preparations

Wake up early, hydrate well, have a light but energy-rich breakfast, and pack essentials. For a single-day journey, your backpack should contain water, snacks, first-aid kit, sunscreen, sunglasses, and suncap.

08:00 AM - Start the Trek

The reviving journey to Ajan Top starts from the main market area of Lohajung. The exact point from where the trek branches off lies at the beginning of the village. As you make your way towards this area, you can easily notice the entry way to get on the trail. It takes you upwards right away.
After climbing for a short duration, you will come across a public water tap where you can refill your bottles. Continue walking, and after some time you will reach near a couple of houses with a small playground on your left-hand side. Here children are often seen enjoying sports activities.
The initial section of the path is gently uphill with oak and rhododendron trees bordering it. During spring and summer seasons, the trail turns extremely stunning with rhododendron flowers blooming all along.

09:00 AM - Short Break at Chibila Village

As you trace your steps further ahead and follow the trail for about 1 km, you will reach a village called Chibila. It is a typical village that effortlessly exhibits rich Garhwali culture and traditions. Stop for a quick rest to hydrate, refuel with snacks, and take photographs.

09:15 AM - Continue the Trek

After strolling through the upward trail and a little bit away from the village, you will catch the first glimpse of Mt. Trishul. From here you can only see the peak, while the rest of the mountain remains hidden behind Ali Bugyal for now. Apart from that, you can also get a sight of Tharkot Mountain while passing through this region. After walking for a few more minutes, the whole range becomes visible.
The ascent from Chibila village is gradual and comfortable and mostly on cemented pavement. This part of the trail takes you through the heart of terraced fields in which seasonal crops ripple in the wind. In winters, the mustard fields in the entire area turn green and yellow, and the sight is captivating for sure.
For another kilometer, the route is a combination of cemented path and stone gravels before coming to an end. This is where you will find another public tap and you can refill your water bottles.
From this point onward, there is no clearly marked path leading to Ajan Top. Various secondary trails have been established as a result of soil erosion. Any of these paths will help you get to the top.

10:30 AM - Reach the Summit / Viewpoint

The tree line disappears as you move further and an open meadow begins to emerge. You will find yourself at a wide opening up at the peak. During autumn, this meadow is green and there are small wildflowers scattered throughout. The Ajan Temple is the serene landmark at the top. The views of the mountain are spectacular as seen through the temple.
On your right the whole range of the Himalayas lies before you-- Nanda Ghunti on the left, Trisul I (7,120 m), Trisul II (6,190 m). To the right are Mrigthuni (6,855 m), Devtoli (6,788 m) and Tharkot (6,099 m). It is a good place to relax and take your lunch, with some of the most spectacular mountains in the area around.

11:30 AM - Begin Descent

Having spent a good time at the summit, you have to return to Lohajung by retracing the same route. The average time of descent is 40 minutes - 1 hour.

1:00 PM to 1:15 PM - Return to the Base

Arrive back at the base village, Lohajung by taking a midway break. End the day with a warm meal and rest in your hotel/guesthouse.

Best Time to Visit

The Ajan Top Trek is a short, easy, and mesmerizing getaway to the Himalayas. This one-day hike allows you to experience the incredible views of the mountains from various vantage points. It is often regarded as a popular day trek especially for those who want to be acclimatized for longer treks that begin from Lohajung.

Although, Ajan Top showers its natural beauty all year long as every season has something to offer. But if we are to choose a time period that best showcases the beauty of this trek, then you can consider the months, December through June. The winter months, including December to February, are characterized by crisp, cold air, clear skies, sub-zero temperatures, and snowfall. During the peak winters, the summit and its adjacent ridge-top meadows are covered by a continuous blanket of snow. The visuals of the winter season are absolutely breathtaking.

As the spring season approaches, the greenery of the trek returns with vibrancy. The meadows, fields, and forest covers turn lush green in color. The rhododendron forests acquire striking red and pink hues. The forests in the entire region turn into a flowery corridor with a stunningly colorful canvas. During this time of the year, the trek becomes a photographer’s paradise, and the experience of visiting this place is skyrocketed.

How to Reach Ajan Top Trek

Alternative 1: Delhi → Kathgodam → Lohajung

Delhi has direct bus service to Mundoli/Lohajung which leaves Anand Vihar ISBT at 9:15 pm. The bus arrives at Kathgodam around 4:00 am and Lohajung at around 5:30 pm the same day. Lohajung is approximately 230 km from Kathgodam. The road to Lohajung is an incredible journey. It will take you beyond lovely Kumaoni and Garhwali hill stations such as Nainital, Kausani and Gwaldam and provide stunning mountain vistas in between.

Another mode of transport from New Delhi to Kathgodam is via train. Ranikhet Express leaves New Delhi Railway Station at around 08:30 PM and reaches Kathgodam at 5:00 AM the next morning.

Note: This is a very long and physically exhausting ride, and the buses are not very comfortable. We highly suggest you look for alternatives 2 or 3 instead in order to enjoy a better travel experience.

Alternative 2: Delhi → Rishikesh → Lohajung (cab service)

Beginning your drive from New Delhi, you should either go to Haridwar or Rishikesh. After reaching there, hire a cab straight to Lohajung. The route you will follow is: Devprayag – Srinagar – Rudraprayag – Karanprayag – turn right to Tharali – Debal – Mundoli – Lohajung.

Note: Lohajung might be unknown to many taxi drivers. Showing them the path given above will serve to guide them and avoid the confusion.

Alternative3: Delhi → Rishikesh → Karanprayag → Lohajung (bus service)

From Rishikesh Bus Stand, get on to any bus that goes to Joshimath or Badrinath. You only have to travel till Karanprayag and then get off the bus. This journey from Rishikesh to Karanprayag takes approximately 6 to 7 hours to complete. To keep time, it is better to take a bus in the morning or better arrive at the bus stand at the earliest time possible, around 6:00 am.

Once you have reached Karanprayag Bus Stand, take a shared taxi which will continue to Tharali- which is about 47km away. The road is quite picturesque, as it follows the Pindar River.

Take a common taxi from Tharali to Debal, which is approximately 14km far. At Debal, another common taxi can take you to Lohajung about 24km along.

FAQs

Where is Ajan Top Trek?

Ajan Top is situated in the beautiful wilderness of Himalayan wilderness at an altitude of 8,399 feet (2,560 meters) in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India. This trek starts from a stunning village, Lohajung and covers an approximate distance of 2.4 km. It’s a one day trek and can be completed in 5 to 6 hours both ways.

What is the difficulty level of Ajan Top Trek?

The Ajan Top Trek is an easy trip that takes you through terraced fields, ridge-top meadows, and dense rhododendron forests. It allows you to enjoy the natural beauty of Lohajung Village and its adjacent places.

What is the best time to visit Ajan Top Trek?

As far as its natural elegance is concerned, Ajan Top Trek attracts tourists throughout the year as different seasons have different attributes. But when it comes to highlighting the best time, you can consider the months from December to June. In winters, you can experience cool and crisp air, clear skies, frigid temperatures at night, and snowfall. In spring and summer, the trek turns vibrant with rhododendron flowers, lush-green meadows, and lively forests.

How to reach Ajan Top Trek?

There are different ways to reach Ajan Top Trek from different parts of India. But in any case, you have to go through Rishikesh most of the time. After reaching Rishikesh, you can either hire a taxi/cab to Lohajung; or board a bus that goes to Joshimath or Badrinath. In case you are traveling by bus, you have to buy a ticket to Karanprayag only. From Karanprayag, you can book another taxi to Lohajung.

Why should I do Ajan Top Trek?

If you want to experience the raw beauty of Himalayan landscape in a single day, this trek is for you. More importantly, this trek is perfect for you to get acclimatized if you are going on a longer trek such as Brahmatal or Ali Begni Bugyal.