Nestled amidst the majestic Himalayas lies the state of Himachal Pradesh, home to a myriad of captivating treks. Each journey through these mountainous landscapes offers an exhilarating blend of adventure and excitement. Himachal Pradesh, cradled in the lap of the Himalayas, invites explorers to discover its pristine beauty through untrodden paths.
Traversing through shimmering rivers, meandering streams, and dense forests adorned with birch, silver oak, deodar, and pine trees, these treks cater to every hiker’s preferences and abilities. The breathtaking vistas of Himachal Pradesh unveil diverse landscapes, allowing adventurers to bask in the splendor of world-renowned summits.
Among the plethora of treks in Himachal Pradesh stands the Churdhar Trek, embraced by a captivating forest sanctuary spanning 56 square kilometers. This trek promises an unforgettable journey through nature’s untouched realms, leaving every visitor in awe of Himachal’s boundless allure and enduring spirit of adventure.
Churdhar Trek
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Embark on the Churdhar Trek, an ideal spiritual journey and a weekend getaway near Chandigarh and Shimla. Leading to the highest peak in the Shiwalik range of the Himalayas, the Churdhar trek, also known as Chur-Chandni Dhar, is a renowned trail in the outer Himalayas. It’s a lesser-known fact that atop this peak, George Everest conducted his astronomical readings of the Himalayan Mountains.
The trek offers a challenging yet rewarding experience, with a steep trail winding through picturesque terraced fields. As you ascend, you’ll be greeted by breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, making every step a moment to cherish.
The Churdhar experience is very amazing. From the peak of the Churdhar trek, you can see till the heights of the Kedarnath and Badrinath. The Churdhar peak is easily visible from the famous tourist spots of Shimla, Solan, Kasauli, and Kufri. The Churdhar trek from Chandigarh is an ideal weekend trek for all nature lovers. For those who are looking to venture into the world of trekking then the Churdhar trek is the best way to do it.
Churdhar trek is in the Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. There is a temple which is dedicated to Lord Shirgul Devta housing a Lingam dedicated to Lord Shiva right under the peak.
This temple is situated at the height of 3650 meters above sea level and has a deep significance for the local people of Sirmour, Shimla, Chaupal, and Solan area. The temple of Lord Shirgul Devta is more than 5000year old and is the main attraction for visitors to this mountain. At the top of the Churdhar peak, a huge statue of Lord Shiva looks so mesmerizing as well as takes you back to the tales of the great Indian epic like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Established at the height of 3650 meters above sea level the statue of Lord Shiva makes the axiom true that reaching God is never an easy task. You can witness snow–covered mountains surrounding you from all over. This is one of the best moments in life that will leave you in spirituality and you will realize that you are small in front of our mother nature.
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Churdhar trek is bliss for wild–life admirers, there are many species of birds and animals that can be seen during the trek. Some of those birds are red junglefowl, Indian peafowl, Himalayan monal, multi-colored laughing thrush, and the koklass pheasant. And the animals are barking deer, wild boar, goral, Musk deer, pika, and Asiatic black bear.
Churdhar Trek Distance
There are 3 routes to reach Churdhar Peak. The shortest route to reach Churdhar is from Chaupal, located in the district of Shimla with a route of trek 7 km. The longest route to reach Churdhar is from Haripurdhar in Sirmour district involves trekking with 50 km.
Noradhar is the most convenient and preferable route and it is just a 20 km trek uphill to reach Churdhar. Noradhar is a hamlet on the Solan-Rajghar–Sangrah road. It is around 137 km from Chandigarh and 390 km from Delhi.
Churdhar Trek Starting Point
Nauradhar is the starting point of the Churdhar trek. Cabs and public transports are available to reach Nauradhar from Shimla, Solan, Chandigarh, and Rajgarh.
How to Reach the base location to start the Churdhar trek
There are several ways to reach the starting point of the Churdhar trek i.e, by bus, by cab, by train, and by air.
Churdhar Trek By Bus
Nuaradhar is the base point to start the Churdhar trek. Solan, Shimla, Kalka, Nahan, and Chandigarh are the nearest cities from where you can take the bus to reach Nauradhar base point.
Churdhar Trek By Cab
You can also hire a private cab from any nearby city or town to reach Nuaradhar. The expense of the cab depends on the place from where you are going to hire a cab.
Churdhar Trek By Train
To reach Nauradhar base point you have to reach the nearest railway stations that are Kalka Railway Station (KLK), Chandigarh Railway Station (CDG) and the smaller nearest railway station is Solan Railway Station (SOL). And after reaching there you can hire a cab or by use of public transport you can reach Nauradhar.
Churdhar Trek By Air
There are 3 nearest airports from where you can connect to your base point Nauradhar by cab or by bus.
Jubarhatti Airport of Shimla is at a distance of 125 km to Churdhar trek base point.
Jolly Grant Airport of Dehradun is at a distance of 175 km to Nauradhar.
Chandigarh International Airport is at a distance of 150 km to Nauradhar basepoint.
Churdhar Trek Itinerary
The highest peak in the outer Himalayan range lying at an altitude of 3655 meters.
Churdhar Trek Day 1
Chandigarh to Nauradhar the distance is 137 km and the trek to Jam Nallah is 7 km
Nauradhar town is the starting point of the Churdhar trek. You can take the bus from the Chandigarh bus stand to Nauradhar is around 6.30 am. The initial part of the trek is a steep ascent on the muddy terrain only a good pair of shoes will help you to get through it then it climbs gradually through the pine forest until you reach Jam Nallah it can be your campsite for a night there are plenty of options available. On the way, there are several many camping spots. This place is all surrounded by pine and cedar trees.
Churdhar Trek Day 2
Jam Nallah to Churdhar peak the distance is 9 km
You should start your day early in the morning because day 2 is a long trekking day. Climb gradually up to 5 km through forest cover and reach Teesri which is located at an altitude of 3250 meters. The route is quite straight–forward. In about 2 hours you can reach Teesri.
At Teesri, you find some shops along the ridge of the mountain, this is the windiest place on the entire trek. There are rocky paths filled with boulders that made way to meadows. And, then you have to trek for 2 km to reach Chureshwar temple and the peak is about 1 km away from the temple.
After reaching the peak of Churdhar you get jaw–dropping spectacular views of high Himalayan Peaks like Kedarnath, Badrinath, Kinner Kailash, and Srikhand Mahadev. After spending good time at the peak descend towards the campsite and reach there by evening.
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Churdhar Trek Day 3
Jam Nallah to Nauradhar the distance is 7 km and back to Chandigarh the distance is 137 km
After breakfast leaves for Nauradhar by following the same which you followed on Day 1. Reach Nauradhar and then leave for Chandigarh by bus, by cab or you can drive by yourself.
Churdhar Trek in Winters
Churdhar trek is an easy trek in the summer season but it becomes quite difficult in the winters as there is a lot of snow. The view from the top of the peak is snowy everywhere and the temperature is around 5 degrees C to 0 degrees C.
Churdhar Trek in November
The weather is humid and nice with the minimum temperature of around 2 degrees c and the maximum temperature can be warmest with 18 degrees C. With the humidity of 66% this can be the best time to go on theChurdhar trek.The average precipitation at this time is about 21.75 mm.
Churdhar trek in December
In December there is cold–weather with a minimum temperature is around -2 degrees C and the maximum temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C but thanks to the right amount of humidity in the air, this could be a good season to be in Churdhar. For all of us who love trekking in snow, December is the ideal month, as Churdhar peak is usually covered in a thick blanket of snow by this time of the year. Evenings can be chilly in December but the afternoons are pretty pleasant paving the way for a sight–seeing trip to the highlights of the city. The average precipitation recorded in December is about 6.98 mm.
Churdhar Trek in January
The mean temperature of 10 degrees C and slightly more humid air, makes chilly afternoons in Churdhar. At this time make sure that you carry some woolens as evenings can get cold. This time sees an average precipitation of 135 mm.
Best time for Churdhar trek
The best time to visit Churdhar peak is from May to November. But June is considered the best time to do this trek it is also a high tourist season. The temperature at this time is pleasant ranging between 20 degrees C to 25 degrees C when there is less snow although you will find snow at the top. The weather is great for outdoor activities like camping, bonfire, etc. This is the best time to explore all the points of attraction.
Churdhar can be visited through-out the year except for the monsoon season.
Things you should carry on the Churdhar trek
You must have comfortable trekking shoes with a good grip.
- Waterproof and warm jacket.
- Woolen gloves and socks.
- Sunglasses, headgear, umbrella, and water bottle.
- Sleeping bag, tent, and foam groundsheet.
- If you want to come back with the memories then you must have good photography equipment.
- Batteries and torch.
- First aid equipment and medical kit.
- Compass ad binoculars.
Churdhar trek is a short, easy, and very popular trek so, the roads are marked clearly. There is no need to engage a guide as there are many tourists and locals are trekking.