A Trip to Tungnath

At times universe do conspire in helping you what you want to achieve. I experienced this thought from Paulo Coelho's popular book The Alchemist working for me recently. For a long time I was thinking about a trekking trip but the thought remained a thought till last week, when I found company in Aseem, my colleague who was also keen on trekking trip.

Tungnath it would be, we finally decided! With just a week in hand, I booked train tickets to Haridwar hoping that they will get confirmed before we leave. But summer vacations ensured that it was not to be. After checking my PNR status every day, I had to opt for a bus journey. We had to take an overnight bus to Rishikesh.

Braving the red lights, pollution and heat of Delhi I finally managed to reach ISBT Kashmere Gate. On reaching the ISBT, we naturally looked for an AC bus but little did we know that there were more people willing to travel on AC then there were buses available.  All Air-conditioned buses were full. We checked bus after bus only to find that all seats were taken.

 

We finally settled for the normal bus. We headed to Rishikesh. The journey was long but thankfully not tiring. I soon fell asleep and woke up only when bus stopped at Khatauli for a refreshment break. When I opened my weary eyes to look out, Aseem was delightfully munching the thick bread-omelette. As soon the bus rolled, I went into a slumber again.

 

The UKSRTC bus dropped us at Rishikesh around wee hours of morning. Our next destination for the day was Ukhimath, a small town on the bank of the Mandakini but before that we had to reach Tehri Bus Adda (stand) as it is called to get a bus to Ukhimath. Tehri Bus Stand is where you get buses to Tehri, Srinagar, Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Joshimath, Badrinath…

We could not get a direct bus to Ukhimath from Rishikesh and settled for a Rudrapryag-bound bus. Most buses in Uttarakhand (at least in the Garhwal region) are small and cramped. It can be very difficult for a tall person (more than 5’6) to sit there comfortably. Regular jeeps are also available for various places in the morning. Jeeps are comfortable and quick mode of transport in the hills provided you grabbed the front seat beside the driver. But don’t think you’ll be alone at the front. There will be one more passenger to accompany you with the driver. The middle seat (with four people) and the last seat (with four or more than four) may be annoying and extremely tiring. If you are uncomfortable on hill roads, popping in an avomine is a good idea.

 

It was wonderful to leave Delhi behind. We were at the foothills of the Himalayas and perhaps the only place where Ganga looked so pure and clean. Besides being a pilgrimage, Rishikesh is also a popular adventure destination. Rafting down the Ganges has its share of thrill. And the last time when I was on a raft with a couple of friends, it was such an exciting experience. Shivpuri and Kaudiyala are popular places from where rafting starts. As the bus passed these places, I felt like getting down and heading straight away to the sandy shore of the river.

 

Devprayag and Srinagar are two major towns on the way to Rudraprayag. Devprayag is where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda meet. Here onwards the river is called Ganga. A road from here goes to Pauri. Srinagar is another major town and is hub of education institutions in Pauri district. It is the seat of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna University. Recently a Medical College has been established just four kilometers ahead of Srinagar at Srikot. Rudraprayag is approximately 30 km from Srinagar.

 

We reached Rudraprayag at around 11 am and started looking for a direct bus to Ukhimath, 50 km ahead. There was no bus at that time and we managed find a Jeep to Guptkashi, a major town on the way to Kedarnath. We were supposed to get down at Kund from where one road goes to Ukhimath and the other goes to Guptkashi. The driver despite being informed; crossed the bridge to Guptkashi without dropping us at Kund. It is only when a few co-passengers pointed that out, he stopped the jeep. Fortunately, it was not too late and we had to walk back across the bridge to get a bus to Ukhimath. Again after some time, we found ourselves packed in a jeep.

Transport can be a big issue if you are totally dependent on public transport. The situation becomes grim during Char Dham Yatra season, when a large chunk of private buses is pressed into service for pilgrims on Chardham Yatra.

 

We finally heaved a sigh of relief after we reached Ukhimath. The road from Kund to Ukhimath is narrow and climbs up steeply. A chill runs down the spine, when you see the height you gain in a few kilometers. Ukhimath is a small town with a very few places to stay. There are no hotels as such in Ukhimath. Accommodation is available in the form of lodges. GMVN Tourist Bungalow is about 3-4 kilometers before the main town. If you don’t have your own transport, it is better to find a place to stay in the market area. The rates are cheap and you’ll get a decent place stay in less than Rs. 600.

 

Ukhimath is the winter abode of lord Kedarnath. In winters when the Kedarnath Temple is closed due to heavy snow, lord Kedarnath is worshipped here. Ukhimath is also the winter seat of lord Madmaheswar, one of the Panch Kedars. The marriage of Lord Krishna’s grandson – Anirudh - and daughter of Vanasur – Usha – was solemnized here. Ukhimath was earlier known as Ushamath.

 

The next morning, we took a shared jeep to Chopta, the base for the Tungnath Trek. Chopta is approximately 30 kilometers from Ukhimath and it may take close to two hours to cover the distance. This is the drive that I loved. The road is narrow but beautiful. There are rhododendron, devdar and pine trees that line the road. I recommend an early morning drive preferably in your own vehicle. As the sun rises, the snow-laden mountains come alive. En-route there are perfect places to pitch your own tent.

 

We had a hearty breakfast at Chopta. It consisted of a plate of magi, an alu prantha and two cups of hot tea. We were well prepared for the six-kilometer long trek to Tungnath. The trek route is well paved and climbs at 30 degree angle initially. There are ponies that one can opt for or a potter if you don’t want to carry your luggage.

I kept on the essentials and left a bag at the shop where we had breakfast.

On the route there are shacks where one can have refreshments. The trek is beautiful and one can see the snow laden mountains from the entire route. The best time, I learnt to do is trek is April – May, when the rhododendrons are in full bloom. It takes close to three hours to complete the trek but we were huffing – puffing after half an hour. We continued some how, walking inch by inch, taking a break every now and then. The last one kilometer, which is at an angle of 60 degrees, was the most arduous stretch. It really tested our strength and patience to carry on.

We thanked Lord Shiva once we made it to the very first shop that would be our place of stay for the night. The trek was over and we could feel a sense of achievement.