Himachal
Trekking
6 Reasons That Will Make You Go Up And Stand Atop The Churdhar Peak
If you are searching for a nice weekend trek in Himachal that doesn’t make your knees toil too much and still takes you up a mountain top having a respectable altitude and a breathtaking view then look no further than the Churdhar trek.
Located in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, the Churdhar peak, which at around 3600 meters, is the highest mountain peak of the outer Himalayas and attracts hundreds of trekkers and mountain-lovers each year.
Recently, I with some of my friends headed for Churdhar to have some quality time in the mountains far away from the city’s madness and to give ourselves a break from the daily grind. We returned as blissful as anybody could be after living in the mountains, even if it means being there for just two days.
Anyway, here I am listing out some of the top reasons why Churdhar is a popular paradise for trekkers and why you too can do it too:
1. A perfect weekend trek
You can complete this trek in flat two days without requiring too many office leaves. The trek starting point is Nauradhar, which is around 130 kms from Chandigarh. If you start early, you can reach Nauradhar after crossing Kumarhatti on Chandigarh-Shimla road, and Rajgarh in Solan district, in around three hours. If you start your trek say by 9 am, you can easily reach the top around sunset, stay there for the night and return next morning to first Nauradhar and then head back to wherever you had come from.
2. An easy trek
Another nice thing about this trek is that it’s a comparatively easy trek. And when I say easy I don’t mean easy like walk in a park but I mean that it’s not that difficult and you can do it with some little effort. Except the last few steep patches, the trail is a delight to walk on. But of course, you have to be in a fit condition to do any trek including this one. By the way, George Everest, the British surveyor, had also hiked the Churdhar peak and done readings of the Himalayan mountains from here in 1834. The Mount Everest has been named in his honour. May be this little fact will work as an inspiration for some.
3. A beautiful trek
Though located in the outer Himalayas, this trek nonetheless has natural beauty in abundance. On the trail, you cross amazing dense forest and get around some of the biggest and heaviest rocks and boulders you ever seen.
And from the top, the view of various mountain ranges will simply take your breath away. I mean it. You can see many mountains including the Shrikhand Mahadev peak standing there majestically. A 56-square kilometer wildlife sanctuary, the Churdhar sanctuary, is an added attraction of this trek. You can also spot various species of birds and some animals on your way up.
4. You can do it on a shoestring budget
It’s one trek that doesn’t require any mountain guides until and unless you have zero experience in trekking. You just need to know the way up and just walk on. Moreover, you also don’t have to worry about where to spend the night and what to eat as there is a rest house near the top built for the visitors. The place remains opens most of the time of the year except during winter time when the top gets buried in heavy snow. So basically, you just spend on your travel and a nominal amount on food and stay.
5. A winter’s trek
For seasoned trekkers and those who want a little bit extra adventure, Churdhar is an ideal winter trek. It doesn’t snow here too much as the altitude is not that high, making Churdhar trek a perfect destination. Many trekkers with prior experience opt to do Churdhar trek in winters only. But if you don’t have any good trekking experience then you should do this trek in winters with help from professional mountain guides.
6. A trekker’s pilgrimage
Churdhar peak has spiritual and religious significance also. Long before Churdhar became popular and trekkers started walking on this trail, the Churdhar peak was and continues to be visited by locals to pay their obeisance to Shirgul Maharaj, a deity, and worshipped as Lord Shiva. Every year during monsoons, hundreds of devotees from Sirmaur, Solan, Shimla and many areas of nearby Uttarakhand reach the peak and there is almost a fair-like atmosphere here. So if you are a spiritually bent person, then it’s a must trek for you.
