Best Winter Treks In India

If you have been planning to go for a trek for a long time, we have lined up our favourite winter treks in India if you also love chasing snow.

1. Chopta Tungnath Chandrashila Trek

With mesmerizing summit views of Kedar, Chaukhamba, and the Himalayas, the Chandrashila trek, at an altitude of 12,083 ft. is one of the most suitable treks for beginners. A visit to the holy Tugnath temple, famous for being the highest Shiva temple in the world offers you a vantage point in the trek. The journey to the trek takes you through Rishikesh, Sari, and Chopta, and the way is surrounded by vivacious patches of pine, oaks, and rhododendron. When here you can also indulge in bird-watching activities and lakeside picnics. Do not miss watching, the golden-breasted eagles that are a mesmerizing sight from the summit. On this trek you will get to see attractions like Deoria Taal, Beautiful valley of Chopta covered under the snow, one of the highest temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and at last Chopta Chandrashila Summit where the snow trek ends.

• Maximum altitude: 12,083 ft
• Temperature range: Day: 8°C to 15°C; and Night: -5°C to 3°C
• Approx. trekking distance: 16 KM
• ATM: Last ATM is in Ukhimath, around 13 KM before Sari
• Trekking gradient: Easy to moderate

2. Brahmatal Winter Trek

 
One of the top moments of a Himalayan trek is when you trek to an alpine lake. Unfortunately, in winter, most alpine lakes on our treks are out of bounds. Yet, on the winter Brahmatal trek you not only trek to an alpine lake, you also camp near it. Getting an opportunity to trek to such a lake in winter is what makes the Brahmatal trek special.  When you stand beside the frozen lake at Brahmatal, you are already at around 12,000 feet. The setting is magnificent. The lake is in a crater, the waters crystal clear, a shrine sits beside the lake, a lone tree standing on the far bank. And just beyond the rim of the lake you are looking at two of the most beautiful mountains of our country — Mt Trishul and Mt Nandaghunti. In fact if the snow is not too much, we will camp just beyond the lake. The experience of camping in such a setting is in itself an experience. Brahmatal is a relatively new trek in India. Yet, within a few years it has become very popular. There is a good reason for it — the trek has almost perfect settings for a winter snow trek.

• Difficulty:  Moderate
• Maximum Altitude:12,250 ft
• Duration: 6 Days

3. Kedarkantha Winter Trek

The summit climb of Kedarkantha is a very rewarding one.  Right from the base camp of the trek, the summit looms large.  As you start your trek in the early hours of the morning and steadily climb up the steep slope, the world opens up around you. The climb is not easy.  The entire stretch is steadily steep. Kedarkantha is such a popular winter trek that it would be apt to entitle it as the Queen of Winter Treks. Knee-deep snow in winters, mesmerizing view from the top, and the beautiful and easy trails make it popular among trekkers. The ‘easy on endurance’ trail goes through the thick pine forests of Govind National Park. The views from the top are worth climbing to an altitude of 12,500 ft. Kedarkantha trek will give you an inimitable view of the cosmic sky, lush meadows, snow paths, charming villages, scented pine forest, sky-knocking peaks, tranquil rivers, and some mythological story whispers. It has endearing campsites, a thrilling summit climb, and one of the best winter experiences in the Himalayas. Most trekkers treat it as a bucket list trek, and they’re completely justified because it’s not every day you come across such a perfect winter trek.

• Kedarkantha Trek Distance: 20 km
• Kedarkantha Trek Height: 12,500 ft
• Kedarkantha Trek Temperature: Day (8°C to 15°C) and Night: (-5°C to 3°C)
• Best Time to do Kedarkantha Trekking: November to April
• Railway Station: Dehradun is the nearest railway station
• Airport: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun

4. Dodital Trek

Dodital is a freshwater lake in uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, India, situated at a height of 3,024 metres. The Assi Ganga river emerges from Dodital and joins Bhagirathi at the confluence in Gangori, near Uttarkashi. Dodital at an altitude ~ 3100 m/10170 ft (Geo Coordinate (30.8913359 N,78.5176831 E), is a medium to large freshwater lake in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. The emerald green lake is nestled inside thick Oak, pine, cedar and rhododendron forest. It has formed due to accumulation of  natural streams coming down from the surrounding mountains. An outward stream from this lake keeps the balance of the water level and referred to as Assi Ganga. For the beginners, the trek is an ideal one, in these 6 days, you can get the essence of a proper Himalayan trek. Walking amidst dense forest, trading narrow trail by deep river gorge, crossing streams, camping in wilderness, negotiating steep climb and finally trading knee-deep snow in winter all of these experiences staying within 10000 ft is rare. Though the trail is steep at places, but the altitude being not so high, with ample amount of oxygen in the air, anyone can savour the beauty of this trek.

• Height of the trek: 13,300 feet
• Difficulty level: Easy to Moderate
• Age group: 12-45 years
• Duration: 7days/6nights
• Trek distance: 25.5 Km (one way)