Chopta Uttarakhand Trek

Chopta is a beautiful village in the garhwal region of indian state uttrakhand. it serves as the base for trekking to tungnath. tungnath is one of the temples of panch kedar and is located at a distance of approx. 3 kilometers from chopta village. lying in the laps of himalayas chopta is undoubtedly an upspoiled natural beauty. it offers a spectacular view of the himalayan range. the other nearby destinations that serve as the tourist attractions are nanda devi, chaukhambha and trishul. this village is located at an elevation of 2680 meters above the sea level and is surrounded by the dense forests of pine, rhododendron[1] and deodar trees. it is very famous for its flora and fauna[2]. and hence it serves as a paradise for nature lovers.

Chopta Trek is a very short and easy trek and is usually undertaken by amateur trekkers and beginners. but the view it offers is majestic. it runs parallel to the other himalayan treks including chandrashilla trek. because of its alluring view chopta is often connoted as "mini switzerland" of india. this place is also very renowned for its sunset view.

Though Chopta Trek is all season trek but the best season to undertake this trek is from march to may and august to october. it is because during monsoons the snow fall makes the trek more challenging and during winters the routes are all covered with the thick layers of snow making the journey more tiresome and strenuous. yet some groups undertake trekking in winters to experience the thrill of traversing a knee high snow covered route.

The common route of the short trek is from chopta to tungannath temple which is approx. 6-7kms and the return from this place to chopta. during summers and monsoons chopta can be reached by road and hence the trek starts directly from here. the surroundings of the route are all covered by the dense oak and pine trees making the view majestic. it's a very easy one day trek and usually enjoyed on the weekends by the trekkers to rejuvenate them. the tranquility it offers at the temple is worth the journey one undertakes to reach here.

The alternative route that is followed by the trekkers in winters is via deoria tal and hence this trek is also known as deoria trek. during winters the route to chopta gets jammed because of the snow fall and hence it becomes impossible to reach to chopta by road. hence the trekkers looking out for a trek to tungnath via chopta have to start off their trek from deoria tal. from deoria tal trekkers traverse a distance of approx. 12 km to reach chopta and from chopta the regular route to tungnath temple is followed.

Chopta Trek though being the most easy and short trek offered by the himalayan region but is a very popular trek because of the same reason. on one hand where the beginners enjoy this route to the utmost the professional trekkers also take full amazement this place offers. hence chopta trek serves as the favorite trekking destination of himalayan region.