QUICK OVERVIEW
Date
Apr 26 - May 2
Arrival Airport
Dedradun
Accommodation
Homestay/ Hostel
Duration
6 nights
Meals
All meals during the trek
Group size
12-14
CHANDRASHILA SHORT ITINERARY :
Note : Itinerary has pictures from all seasons. The picture of snow are from winter trek. Other seasons won't have this much snow and will be much easier too.
DAY 01 : ARRIVE RISHIKESH BY EVENING
Usually I ask people to reach delhi and take an overnight bus. But now I will suggest take the direct flight to Dehradun. This way , you will be less tired also for the trek. We will walk through the famous Laxman JHULA bridge , have some snacks and sit beside the river for a while. Today evening , we will have the briefing about the trek so that even if you forgot to bring something, you can still go and procure it.
DID YOU KNOW?
Word Chandrashila means moon rock. This peak is located on Chandranath Parvat. This point offers the magnificent anomic view of the great Himalayas.
DAY 02 : RISHIKESH TO SARI
We will start the road trip to our base village today After breakfast , we will move, along the holy Ganges and Alaknanda river, to Sari : my favourite village in the Himalayas. Today our hike is of only 20 minutes to first campsite from the roadhead.
You will also be given practical information on – How to trek and How to backpack
Post dinner , we will go for a stroll in the village and watch the clear sky and galaxy bands.
DAY 03 : TREK TO DEORIATAL
Post Breakfast , we will start our trek ( 2 hours ) and you will reach one of the best campsites in the Himalayas by 12 in the afternoon. It boasts the view of mighty Mt. Chaukamba ( 7138 M ).
Here , we will learn
- How to pitch a tent and use other trekking equipments
- How to navigate when lost ( surprise surprise !! )
- How to make your own fire
DID YOU KNOW?
According To Mythology, It Is Believed That This Is The Same Place Where Lord Rama Meditated After Winning Over Ravan.
DAY 04 : TREK TO CHOPTA
I cannot tell you how much I love this portion of the trek .This is the most alive jungle you will come across, I promise you will be trekking through one of the densest areas too- Kedarnath wild life sanctuary As much as you will love mountains , you will love this forest more.
We will be spending some time dipping our feet in a stream in between the jungle and relax by the middle of the day. We will be carrying a day pack with packed lunch and other required items , you will have an option to send the heavy backpack back if you want
DID YOU KNOW?
Offers a mesmerizing panoramic view of peaks such as Kedarnath dome, Trishul and nanda Devi.
DAY 05 : CHANDRASHILA PEAK (3600M, 5KM)
A scenic trek, today's hike will take you to the Tungnath Temple. An ideal place to seek mental peace, this temple is popular among the locals and trekkers as well. Moving further from the temple; after a short break, you will be heading to Chandrashila Summit that attains a towering height of 3,600m. We will plan to reach the summit for the sunrise . Enjoy some of the most stunning and panoramic views of the Mt. Kedar, Mt. Chaukhamba , Mt. Nandadevi and other nearby peaks before trekking back to Chopta.
While in this region, you can also see Himalayan monals and griffons.
DID YOU KNOW?
The best winter trek in the country that’s suitable for everyone
DAY 06 : DRIVE FROM CHOPTA TO RISHIKESH
After the breakfast, we will go to this pretty village school. I taught here for a while during my tenure in the mountains. Each of you can bring something to give the kids here- pen, pencil ,books, chocolates. We will divide our batch into teams and teach in different classes.
Today morning, an exciting drive through the scenic passes and terrains of Chopta will take you back to Rishikesh. We will celebrate our successful trek in Rishikesh
DAY 07 : TAKE ANY FLIGHT TODAY FROM DEHRADUN
For the numerous meet ups to come in various cities , today we bid adieu . Book your flights after 11 am.
Note : Itinerary has pictures from all seasons. The picture of snow are from winter trek. Other seasons won't have this much snow and will be much easier too.
TRIP REVIEWS
Surbhi Rathi
ENCHANTING, THRILLING AND ADVENTUROUS is the only right way to recount my trek with Vyshak and this MAD group whom I now call family ❤️
I booked my slot just a week prior to the trek and my first question to Vyshak was- "Is there an exit route planned?"
"It's not the destination, it's the journey" makes perfect sense now. Vyshak knew exactly how to keep us all entertained throughout the trek that reaching the summit felt like a cake walk.
Warmest hugs on a rainy trek from the people I met for the first time, facetious remarks from friends I've known for over 7 years, beginning of new friendships admits the jungle, interesting stories and hilarious experiences from previous trips, lame conversations, the most entertaining games and ravishing falls are the memories I will always hold close to my heart from this journey!
From making us feel at home on our first day to arranging 'chai' for us at the summit, Vyshak surely knows the way to people's heart!! His enthusiastic spirit, empathetic nature and perpetual positive attitude is what makes him the life of the party!
Each day was a learning, a new experience and an emotion I've never felt before. This trek was something I never imagined doing but now I'm eagerly looking forward to my next one with the "One in the orange jacket"🧡
Gunjan Shetye
Reaching at the top of Chandrashila was one of the bucket list items for me waiting to be checked off & as always Orange Jacket adventures has been making it possible to check off many such adventure plans since my first trip to Meghalaya with them and then Sandakphu trek. Chandrashila trek led by Laxman was my third adventure and once again a very memorable trip. This one tested our limits as we climbed but what kept us going was the great pep talk by Laxman at start of every day, our knowledgeable guide Manoj ji, my dear brother accompanying me at trek first time, a group of fantastic people and the beautiful natural glory of the Himalayas.
This time my challenges were more to complete this trek as I had fractured my little toe just few days before the trek. I contemplated whether I should do this trek. I still went and took it one step at a time. The first two days didn't pose any difficulty as we were only traveling by bus and then camping in the woods. It was the third day when we had the ascent to Deoriatal lake. I started my trek with a steady pace and kept moving while some fellow trekkers were still gasping for breath I focused on my pace only and kept moving with my bagpack and two walking sticks style like Vyshakh. Laxman noticed my approach and my pace and
encouraged me by praising it. He has a different style of trek leading with both appreciation and by critical feedback. My takeaway from it was to learn and move ahead. We made it to the campsite and I felt really good as I didn't hurt my legs with the correct style I followed for this ascent. After reaching the site heard some of Laxman's great insight about people who have accomplished accolades in sports and fitness with extreme adventures and how they overcame pain. The whole experience that I had myself about overcoming my challenge with the fracture and relating it with the stories built my mindset to accomplish the Summit climb.
Luckily for me on this trip I had friends from my previous OJ trips accompanying and it was best reunion of my travel buddies.
Me and my brother made it past the 4th day which was 16kms walk in the Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary we felt relieved but what came next was the toughest climb for us. Already exhausted and petrified to start the trek at 3AM we could not relax. The best way was to listen to our trek leader and guide as they knew the mountains best and we followed them to the tee. My best moment was when one of my friend who had planned to be with us on trek but couldn't travel on first day showed up on the summit day by reaching at base camp in Chopta as a surprise with help of Laxman. We all Summited Chandrashila peak and witnessed a beautiful sunrise.
OJ trips are always special and memorable as they give me what they call an Experience and not just an Itinerary and it is true in every sense.
SLOTS AVAILABLE :
GROUP TRIP DATES:
FLIGHTS CONSIDERATION :
Onwards : After 11 am
Outwards : After 7am
COST ( excluding 5% GST )
Rs. 16,000 / person ( Before Feb 3, Early Bird offer )
Rs. 16,500 / person ( After Feb 3 )
You are loosing Rs.500 by not referring this trip to your friend ( Refer to 2 friends who might join you & all of you gets Rs.500 off each while you book together )
HOW TO BLOCK A SLOT ?
Step 1 : Block the slot
You can block the slot by paying a token amount of 5000 INR for this trip either by UPI , credit card/ EMI or by Bank transfer.
Step 2 : Refer 2 people to get a Discount
You are loosing Rs.500 by not referring this trip to your friend ( Refer to 2 friends who might join you & all of you gets Rs.500 off each while you book together )
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. TRANSPORTATION : Rishikesh to Rishikesh
2. ACCOMMODATION : Alpine Camps
3. MEALS DURING TREK : Breakfast, Lunch , tea & Dinner
4. We will provide you with good veg Food
5. All Trek Permit en Route
6. Trekking equipment : Tent, Sleeping Bag
7. Trained Outdoor leader to keep you safe. I Promise 🙂
- Mineral Water or any other room service
- Cost of any Extra Day
- Flight tickets
- Any expenses due to deviation from itinerary
- Government tax (GST) and Payment gateway charges ( Credit card/ EMI option )
- Before 45 days of trip, there will be 10% cancellation charge.
- Before 30 days and within 44 days of arrival, there will be 25% cancellation charge.
- Before 15 days and within 29 days of arrival ,there will be 50% cancellation charge.
- Within 14 days of trip there will be 100% cancellation charges.
All this been said if you or me can find a replacement for the slot. I will be happy to refund the entire amount. 🙂
- *Mandatory : Original ID Proof
- You need to bring your voters ID / Passport (with at least 6 months validity remaining) for getting the permit along with 2 passport size photographs.
- Clothes : 2 Fleece jacket , 3 Synthetic / cotton pants ,4 Full sleeves tees , Sunhat , Woollen head-scarf/ muffler ,Towel , 2 pair of thermals , 1 down jacket ( zero degree equivalent ), Water proof jacket or poncho.
- Shoes & socks: High ankle shoes , cotton socks
- Skin care essentials : Sunglasses with UV protection ,Lip balm Cold cream, Sunscreen lotioniv)Other accessories : LED Torch/ headlamps (If already bought)
Most people come alone for my trips. About 25% of the people bring a friend or partner.Honestly It really doesn't matter. I have seen on all the batches I have lead. Most people really gel with everyone, even the ones who thought wouldn't gel up, surprise themselves always with the way they got comfortable with everyone.
Each trek/ trip is rated according to the number of days we spend outdoors . If you aren't sure where to start, go with an easy trip or trek.
For trips,
I dreamed of trips where we could go out hike , get exhausted , come back to hotel and have a great evening. This is exactly why some of my trips have Day hikes in it. It is a perfect chance for people who have never hiked in their entire life. Don't worry, We are there :).
For treks,
you can start with Sandhakphu or Chandrashila . You can also benchmark yourself for the treks.
- If you can run for 30 mins and cover around 3-3.5 km , then you can go ahead with an easy trek
- If you can run for 30 mins and cover around 3.5-4 km , then you can go ahead with an moderate trek
- If you can run for 30 mins and cover around 4-5 km , then you can go ahead with an difficult trek
If you have never done a high altitude trek, then start with a easy or Easy- moderate trek. That way you will understand how your body reacts to high altitude and you can check you cardio strength too.
Usually, most batch sizes are between 12-20 people who are aged between 16-38. Most people come alone or with a friend. The trip would feel like you are travelling more with college friends than strangers. We tend to do more outdoorsy things than regular trips .
For example : If we find a very pretty waterfall/ a beautiful sunset / Rainbow on the way. We would stop the vehicle right away to catch the beauty of it.
We usually sleep very late on these trips as we play a lot of group games and most people feel they will miss the precious time with the group members and decides to stay awake.
Here are few places you can read more about the brand and trips
RELATED READING ABOUT CHANDRASHILA
- The Ultimate Tungnath Temple Travel Guide: History, Facts, Things To Do, How To Reach (2023)
- Discover 20 Irresistible Reasons To Visit Chandrashila Trek In 2023
- Best Time to Trek Chandrashila: Unveiling the Perfect Season
- 15 Crucial Things to Avoid at Chandrashila Trek
- Ready for Adventure? 10 Important Things to Carry for Chandrashila Trek
- The Ultimate Chopta Travel Guide: History, Facts, Things To Do, How To Reach (2023)