June 19, 2025
On the fourth day of the trek, we had breakfast in the morning and packed lunch to carry with us. We set off for the next higher camp at 7 a.m. Today's trek was around 14 kilometres long. It was a steep climb. By now, after spending two to three days together, the other co-trekkers had become familiar. There were trekkers from various states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh, ranging in age from 18 to 65 years. Trekking is an activity where age, language, or profession don’t create any barriers. Everyone comes here to do something different from their usual hectic lives.
Today's trek involved a lot of ups and downs, so we took several rest breaks. We reached a point called Zandi Top. There was a brief photo session. From time to time, I tried—sometimes successfully, sometimes not—to capture birds on camera.
After covering a distance of about four to five kilometres, we entered Rohini Bugyal. A 'bugyal' is a type of forest—specifically an alpine meadow—that exists at an altitude of approximately 3,300 to 4,000 meters above sea level. This type of landscape is mainly found in Uttarakhand. There are many such bugyals in Uttarakhand, such as Ali, Auli, Dayara, Bedni, and Rohini/Chopta. In 2018, the Uttarakhand government imposed a ban on overnight stays in bugyals. As a result, no camping is allowed in any bugyal now. Many trekking routes pass through these meadows. Local people use bugyals as grazing grounds for their livestock. During winter, when snowfall begins, these areas are also used for skiing.
As we kept walking through the bugyal, rhododendron trees began appearing all around. The flowers, which had been bright red until now, had started to take on a slightly pinkish hue. It made me think—maybe those trees were running a little low on haemoglobin! We walked through the bugyal for several kilometers. Around 2 p.m., we stopped near a stream for lunch. The water was extremely cold, and so were the pooris we had packed in the morning, making them a bit difficult to swallow. But even in this forest, having something to eat reminded us of how fortunate we were. It also made me realize how our definition of a 'comfort zone' evolves with the situation
Around 3 in the afternoon, we exited the bugyal and reached the main road. From there, we took a vehicle to the Baniyakund campsite. This camp was extremely beautiful and quite large Swiss tents facility. From this point, the Chopta–Tunganath Mountain range was clearly visible. Since the summit was scheduled for the next morning, the excitement was building up. The cold had intensified even more here—especially for someone like me, coming from a coastal region, the cold that once felt refreshing now started to feel a bit overwhelming, so layers of warm clothing became essential.
On the fifth day, we woke up early in the morning, had breakfast, and around 6 a.m., we set out for the Chopta–Tunganath summit. We carried water bottles and some dry fruits along the way. From Baniyakund, we drove to the base of Chopta. The cold outside was still intense. The Youth Hostel had completed the necessary formalities with the Forest Department, so we were able to begin trekking immediately.
Chopta is situated at an altitude of around 9,000 feet above sea level, while the Tunganath temple is at 12,073 feet. As the climb began, my heartbeat naturally started to rise. Within the first five to ten minutes, the thought crossed my mind—how will I make it to the top? But as my legs found rhythm, so did my heartbeat."
The distant and faintly visible peaks of Chaukhamba, Kedarnath, Nanda Devi, and Trishul, seen earlier from Deoriatal, had now become clearly visible. The soft golden rays of the sun falling on the mountain ranges gave them a beautiful golden hue. Meanwhile, I was busy with photography. Our guide pointed out the Monal bird. It seemed to be a relative of the peacock—stunning in appearance, as if the divine had freely splashed a palette of colors on its feathers. Though I captured many birds with my camera, this one stood out vividly in my memory. The Monal is the state bird of Uttarakhand and the national bird of Nepal.
While photographing, I noticed that the birds here have particularly bold and vibrant colors. Except for spotting one Goral (a type of mountain goat), I didn’t come across many animals, but there were plenty of birds. We also found many flowers of various colors and types. Since the trek was relatively easy, I could devote a good amount of time to photography.
As we climbed higher, the weather kept changing frequently, but fortunately, it didn’t turn bad. On one of my past treks, a guide had once said, ‘Mumbai's fashion and mountain weather change in no time.’ Absolutely true!"
Upon reaching the top, the first thing we came across was a small shrine dedicated to Lord Ganesha, it was a stone frame housing an idol of Ganesha. While climbing up, we had seen occasional patches of snow, but as we approached the Tunganath temple, large expanses of snow became visible. As the sun grew stronger, some of the snow had started to melt. Since we only had regular trekking shoes, the chances of slipping on the snow increased, so we had to tread carefully.
We reached the temple, but it was closed. So, we had to offer our prayers from outside. The Tunganath temple, situated at an altitude of 12,073 feet, is the highest Shiva temple in the world and one of the Panch Kedar. The name ‘Tunganath’ means ‘Lord of the Peaks.’ During winter, the idol and the priest are moved to the Mukkumath temple, known as Modkeshwar, for worship. All the Panch Kedar temples close on Bhau Beej (two days after Diwali) and reopen on Akshaya Tritiya. This year, they reopened on May 2.
According to Hindu mythology, the Pandavas built these five Kedar temples. After the battle of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas were burdened with the sins of killing their kin (gotra-hatya) and Brahmins (Brahma-hatya). To atone for their sins, they decided to seek Lord Shiva. However, Shiva, avoiding their pursuit, took the form of Nandi, the bull. Parts of this divine bull appeared at five different locations—the hump at Kedarnath, arms at Tunganath, face at Rudranath, navel and stomach at Madhyamaheshwar, and hair at Kalpeshwar. These sites came to be known as the Panch Kedar. After establishing these temples, the Pandavas worshipped Lord Shiva at Kedarnath for salvation and then departed for heaven via the Swargarohini route.
After offering prayers at the temple, we had a cup of tea and then set off towards Chandrashila. Chandrashila is just one and a half kilometers from Tunganath, but the entire stretch is a steep ascent. There was a lot of snow along the way, but with the help of co-trekkers, we successfully reached the Chandrashila peak. According to Hindu mythology, after killing Ravana, Lord Rama came here to worship Lord Shiva to atone for the sin of Brahmahatya (killing a Brahmin).
Even though it was already 11 in the morning, the cold was intense. The wind was strong, and suddenly, the sky turned cloudy. Fortunately, the sun broke through again. Chandrashila Peak was our summit point. After reaching the summit, we took a group photo. As the weather kept changing rapidly, we soon decided to descend. From Chandrashila to Tunganath, we had to descend cautiously, but the descent from Tunganath to Chopta was quite easy. Around 2 p.m., we reached the base of Chopta and then returned by vehicle to Baniyakund. After having lunch at Baniyakund, we came back to Sari, the base camp.
Many members of the group began their return journey that same day. We left the next morning. On the way, we unexpectedly got a chance to visit the Omkareshwar Temple, which was a pleasant surprise. During winter, the idol from Kedarnath is kept in this temple.
By afternoon, we reached Rishikesh, had lunch, and then headed for rafting. Because of my fear of water, it’s probably best I don’t say much about rafting—but I will say this: everyone should experience that thrill at least once in their life.
The eight days passed in the blink of an eye, vanishing like camphor into the air. As we departed, we carried with us a treasure trove of memories, newfound friendships, and moments of pure joy. With the return journey underway, the sleep lost to altitude sickness over the past days gently began to return…..
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