There’s a saying among the trekkers: “No two treks can ever be the same." I’ve always believed it. But this time, when I revisited this trek that I've already done, I realised something deeper: “Even the same trail can feel completely different."

Hi, everyone. My name is Divya, and this is my story of witnessing a completely different side of the “Chopta Chandrashila Tungnath Trek With Deoriatal."

You know, although everything was the same around me—the mountains, the routes, the trail—it felt like an entirely new story.

When “Again” Feels Like the First Time

Going on this 5 day trek again, I thought I knew what to expect: the stairs, the forest section, the summit push. I remember it all and also that I had to climb it all over again, which brought a mix of excitement and slight regret too I guess.

But I didn't let the thought of tiredness take over me. Because this time I had a clear motive, powerful enough to push me forward: “To Witness Chopta In All Its Glory” not buried under a thick layer of snow, and witnessing “Blooming Rhododendrons” too.

You know the last time I came to Chopta Chandrashila trek with TTH, the entire region was covered in a thick layer of snow. The view was beautiful, no doubt, but the cold weather truly tested me and I couldn’t get even a glimpse of the vibrant rhododendrons too.

Which is why I chose Spring, Summer (March - April) this time. So that I can witness the whole region in full blooming mode.

Beginning Of This Adventurous Journey

• Dehradun to Rishikesh - Before my trek journey actually began, I was supposed to reach Rishikesh, our pick up point. Since I live in Dehradun, I reached Rishikesh a night early and stayed in a hostel dorm.

There, I met another trekker, who had just returned from Pangarchulla Trek with TTH. We shared our trek experiences, that conversation made me feel like I was already into the mountains.

Note: If you’ve never stayed in a hostel dorm while traveling, then believe me, you’re really missing out a lot of fun.

• Day 1: (Rishikesh to Sari)


Finally, my journey begins at 6:00 AM, when the TTH team picks us up. From there we traveled for 8-9 hours to reach Sari Village, the first campsite. The drive was very beautiful, equipped with ever-changing landscapes.

Between 4:00 and 5:00 PM we reached the Sari Village, where we were greeted with a team of people who warmly welcomed us and provided us with some refreshments too.

After that, we went through a routine medical check up and received a detailed briefing about the whole trek. We also met our trek leader, who was very kind and approachable, making sure we felt comfortable sharing any concern.

Later on, we had a short interaction session, where we introduced each other, followed by a delicious dinner and sweets too.

After all this, we departed to our designated rooms to prepare ourselves for tomorrow’s adventure.

• Day 2: (Sari to Alpine Lake Deoriatal)


From this moment my true adventure truly begins. Firstly, I woke up to the most breathtaking view, where a soft sunrise behind the mountains, drifting clouds, and birds creating a peaceful melody.

After that we followed the usual schedule of having breakfast and a mandatory health checkup first, and then we began moving forward in our journey towards Lake Deoria Tal.

Honestly, it was the part that I wasn’t looking forward to, because it had a lot of stairs to climb, but eventually we all survived those stairs as we took our time to give rest to our bodies and clicked lots of photos.

After reaching Deoria Tal, we settled ourselves in the allotted tents, relaxed a bit, and then went to the kitchen to have our lunch. While having lunch, I noticed how thoughtfully TTH catered to different dietary needs, including vegetarian and Jain meals.

In the evening, we all went out to check our surroundings; there we saw some rhododendrons and then played a few games too.

Speaking of dinner, we had a simple yet proper nutritious Himalayan meal, which had Chaisu Bhaat (which is my favorite dish, by the way).

In the night, we had a briefing for the next day on what to wear and what to expect. Some people went to sleep early, while others stayed outside to look at the sky. The stars looked magical. It felt like tiny fairies were playing in the sky, and the brighter stars were like guardians watching over them.

• Day 3: (Deoria Tal to Tala Village and drive to Baniyakund)


After waking up and completing our morning routine, we started our journey towards our destination. In between, I finally saw the beautiful rhododendrons. Although there were not as many as I had imagined, thanks to changing climate patterns, it was still beautiful enough to make me stop and stare.

Sure, I could capture that view on my camera, but the way my eyes and heart absorbed that view, the surreal feeling of witnessing a postcard-like view by myself is something that no camera can capture.

After that, this time I experienced things that I couldn’t during my last visit here, like climbing through the dry forest trail, followed by a descent through a half - ridge, some muddy area and then half stair route.

Before reaching our today’s destination , which was Baniyakund. We covered two major spots: The beautiful Jhandi Top and Tala Village.

Somewhere along the way, I excitedly introduced people to bicchu ghaas (kandali). Judging by their reactions, they were quite confused, so I explained it to them, which turned out to be a fun and interesting experience.

As we were coming near our destination, I came across two very cute dogs, I named the first one Kaalu (Black) and the second one Dholu. After playing with them and giving them some food, we finally reached Baniyakund, our next campsite.

It was a beautiful campsite, and the mountains were also clearly visible from there, making our morning view very mesmerizing. After freshening up, we interacted with each other and went to a Hanuman Temple, located right across from where we were staying.

Later in the evening, we explored the nearby market and went for a short stroll before going back to our campsite. We had an early dinner because the next day was our big summit day.

And guess what? This time, I finally got to eat a gulab jamun for dinner, and by this I meant last time I couldn't for some reason but this time I made sure I’m the first one to get it.

After finishing our dinner, our trek leader briefed us about summit day and advised us to sleep early.

• Day 4 (Baniyakund to Chopta and trek to Tungnath and Chandrashila)


Finally, the most awaited day had arrived. To reach the summit point, we all woke up at 1:00 AM. I was literally struggling to keep our eyes open, we all were half asleep but were fully layered. Wanting to sleep a little longer made me question my life choice for a moment.

After pushing myself forward and filling my stomach with light food, my excitement level started rising. From Baniyakund we drove to Chopta to begin our trek.

After covering some trail, I once again came across those two dogs. Their presence made me feel like they were guiding us the whole way, making the mountains feel more alive.

The initial stretch was so beautiful and magical. I mean, the whole trail in the beginning was all about dark forests, cold air, and rhododendrons quietly lining the path.

But after that, things started taking a turn. We started experiencing snow in our mid-trail, which could be a little risky if we went further without gearing ourselves up properly.

We had to maintain firm footing and move ahead with confidence. I won’t deny that some sections were scary, even for me too, despite having done this trek before. So, keeping our faith in God and in ourselves, we kept moving further and finally reached the Tungnath Temple.



After seeking blessings in the temple from Lord Shiva, some decided to stay back and rest near the temple only, while others prepared themselves to move towards Chandrashila Top.

The trail ahead of us was covered in snow; it was not too fresh but was not too old either. I wouldn’t say it was extremely cold because, trust me, I have an exact idea about how cold it can get there after doing this same trek during winters last time.

One thing I can say for sure is that the way we all pushed each other to move forward, gave pep talk, and helped each other played a huge role in reaching the summit.

With heavy breath and tired legs, I can proudly say that we made it, we finally reached the top of Chandrashila Summit.

And at that moment, without even thinking, I said to myself “You did it, Divya. You actually did it.” And yes… I did it.

As the realization sank in, I started capturing pictures of the mesmerizing 360 panoramic view of Himalayan peaks like - Nanda Devi, Trishula, and Chaukhamba. We also took a group photo with the TTH Chopta–Chandrashila trek banner at around 12,000 ft for proof.

After that I witnessed a view that was so breathtaking that I don’t think any possible view comes even close to it.

Watching that sunrise happening between the mountains and clouds, and being able to capture that moment with my eye and not just with my camera, while standing at the Chandrashila top, it was one of those moments that I will never forget.

• Time to Descend from Chandrashila and Return to the Campsite - If I’m being honest, I thought the return journey from Chandrashila would be difficult, but in reality, it wasn’t.


Even though half of the trail was covered in snow, I didn’t find much trouble except that my knees were done, and around Tungnath Temple, they almost gave up but I knew better.

I knew that if I stopped, it would be difficult to continue. So I kept moving. At one point, the trail even felt never-ending.

After some time, somewhere halfway down, we all randomly started laughing for no reason and even did the “Penguin Walk." Soon enough, we reached Chopta, and the moment we set foot in Chopta, it started raining. Sitting in our traveler, we quickly headed back to our campsite.

After nearly 10 hours of trekking and exploring, we finally reached a place where we could rest properly. Meanwhile, it started hailing. The air turned colder, and everything just felt more alive, and the temperature dropped instantly.

For the first time on the trek, we finally got to use our rain covers. Walking towards the dining area for snacks, all of us bundled up, slightly tired but still excited. It felt like one of those simple mountain moments that you don’t really plan but end up enjoying the most. This was our last evening of the trek.

While having snacks in the evening, we all shared our experiences, laughed and spent some happy moments together. As the night comes in, the end of our journey has also come. Keeping in mind that this is our last night in the mountains, we all departed to sleep with today’s beautiful memories.


• Day 5 (Baniyakund to Rishikesh)

The final day in the mountains had finally arrived. Leaving this beautiful place and the peace it held was so hard. Honestly, I didn’t expect to feel so emotional while saying my goodbye to this beautiful place and its people, but with a heart full of memories and emotions, I took one last look at those beautiful surroundings before leaving the mountains behind.

Our return journey was filled with fun, music, and lots of chatting. As Rishikesh started coming into our view, we knew the journey had officially ended and it’s time that we all returned to our lives.

After completing this trek, I was sure about two things. First, I’m truly glad that I made this decision to do this same trek once again; otherwise, I would have deeply regretted it. The beauty of Chopta Chandrashila during spring and summer is truly unbeatable.

Second, I knew that whenever it’s possible, I’m going on another trek and will share yet another interesting experience of mine from the mountain.

As I know this won’t be my last trek, there’s another mountain waiting to be explored.

So, just like me, if you are also thinking of exploring mountains during the spring/summer season, then I will suggest that you, without giving a second thought, pick Chopta Chandrashila Tungnath Trek With Deoriatal.

And if you don’t want to explore Chopta but some other trek, then my suggestion is that without any hesitation, you can reach out to Trek The Himalayas, as they will be able to guide you properly on which trek will meet all your requirements.

Till then—Risk It. Live It. Trek It.