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Chopta is a small town located at an altitude of 2900 Mtrs above sea level in the Garhwal Himalayasin the state of Uttarakhand. It is one of the many untouched pristine places which is any travellers peaceful dream , considered one of the most picturesque places in the Garhwal region.
It is resplendent in various hues of red’s and pink’s of rhododendron flowers (Nov-Apr).There are around 200 diffferent varies of Rhododendron flowers growing at various altitudes known for their medicinal properties such as curing Heart Ailments and joint problems.
Having some breathtaking beauty to offer. When I went there I could just term this journey as a “Walk through heaven”. Chopta’s beauty can appeal to anyone’s senses. Its difficult not to appreciate the lush green meadows, the beautiful landscapes and the trees with their boughs heavy with thousand of flowers .
From here you can proceed to the Tungnath Temple at a height of 3680 Mtrs with around 3.5 Kms of trekking. It has the highest temple in the asian continent where Shiva is worshipped. The trekking routes offer some breath taking views of the snow capped peaks around .A few layers of clothing always help because you swiftly pick
up altitude and the temperature drops.You might encounter an occasional shower but all along at every half a kilometre you have small kiosks to protect you from the rain. You can trek further on for around 1.5 Kilometer to Chandrashila which is one of the highest easily scalable peak at an altitude of 4090 Mtrs.It offers a 180 degrees view of the Himalayas.You can have a magnificent view of many peaks from here like the Kedarnath ,Chaukhmba ,Badrinath etc. Intially a little trouble acclimatising ,you will realise that its worth all the effort.The beauty just surpasses everything.I remember cursing myself all the way but on reaching Chandrashila i was stupefied .Im yet to see something as beautiful as this.
In Chopta we had put up in the middle of the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary.The thrill of staying amidst the wild is an experience in itself. We were lucky to have spotted a few musk deers with local help. You can hear the deers bark through out the day.One of the most thrilling ride’s of my life from Chopta to Gopeshwar (60 Kms) .
We crossed dense Himalayan jungles which have leopards, wild Boars ,mountain cats but the peace and
the beauty was astounding.
How to reach there:Since we went there on the bike we reached from Rishikesh up till Rudrapayag. You can also do so from Dehradun which is located 158 Kms away.From Rudraprayag we reached up to Ukhimath.The roads are realatively safe and smooth even on a bike.From Ukhimath its just 30 Kms to Chopta.Beware of Landslides as these are a common feature in the region and can halt the drive for a few hours at the minimum.
Where to stay : Chopta offers small hotels with basic facilities, but the Badri Kedar Hotel located in the middle of the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary is the most comfortable of them all.It is located 2 Kms from the centre of Chopta, enroute to Gopeshwar.You can spot Musk Deers and even have your own personal camping equipment put up in the meadow that the hotel area bounds.The facilities offered are clean rooms with attached toilets and regular supply of water,solar lights and round the clock basic food options.You can stay at Duggal Bhatti which is a few kilometres short of Chopta, giving one self a fabulous view of the Himalyas.
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b dasgupta
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could you please mail me the tel. ph. no. of hotels in chopta?