Let's Go Travel: Treks of Uttarakhand "Treks From Champawat"

Treks of Uttarakhand "Treks From Champawat"

TREKKING

The hilly terrain of Uttarakhand provides plenty of opportunities for mountaineering, trekking and rock climbing. The easternmost hill district Pithoragarh, bordering Nepal

and Tibet, often dubbed as ‘Miniature Kashmir’, is abundant in natural beauty, making it the perfect base for many an exciting trek. Several interesting treks interlace the Gori Valley with some of the well-traversed trekking routes running along the Munsiyari – Martoli – Milam – Ralam Glacier. These treks are not just walks of adventure, but are also an interesting way to interact and understand the social and cultural life of the people in the Chaudans, Byans and Darma Valleys. The Bageshwar – Sunderdhunga – Pindari – Kafni Glacier trek is another highly preferred trekking route in the area.The Garhwal region also offers several thrilling treks, some of them being the Panch Kedar trek, Kedarnath – Vasuki Tal trek, Gangotri – Kedarnath trek and the Gangotri – Gaumukh – Nandanvan – Tapovan trek. The Panch Kedar trek passes through the five Kedars represented by Kedarnath, Madmaheshwar, Tungnath, Kalpeshwar and Rudranath. The fascinating routes are profusely intermingled with the widest range of flora and fauna. The Valley of Flowers and Hemkund trek start from Govindghat and lead to Badrinath. Other treks like the Kalindikhal trek, the Khatling – Sahasratal – Masartal trek, Har Ki Dun trek, Rishikesh – Pauri – Binsar trek and Roopkund trek are equally invigorating for both the eager amateur and the veteran mountaineer.

THE NEHRU INSTITUTE OF MOUNTAINEERING (NIM)

For the past 40 years, with the aim to produce trained mountaineers and mountaineering enthusiasts, NIM has trained thousands of Indians and hundreds of foreigners. The

proposal to set up such an institute was first declared by the Ministry of Defence in 1964. NIM was established on November 14, 1965 at Uttarkashi to honour the desire of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, who was passionate about mountains. Bachhendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb Mt. Everest, was trained at this Institute. The core of the training covers a high degree of technical exposure and expertise, along with safety applications to instill the correct mountaineering ethos. Although it is one of India’s youngest institutes, it has managed to get ahead of most others and has become a trusted anchor when it comes to mountaineering training. The excellent training standards, good administration, along with dedicated staff, make it one of the finest mountaineering institutes in the world.

Treks From Champawat The town of Champawat is located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. This town is a very famous tourist destination and was also once the capital of the Chand rulers. Champawat is thus steeped in history, and a visit to the town is sure to excite even the most demanding tourist. Champawat has enormous religious significance as well, as Indian mythology mentions this as the place where Lord Vishnu appeared as ‘Kurmavatar’ (incarnated as a tortoise). Champawat is a destination that attracts many pilgrims as well, due to the sheer number of temples located in the region. All these temples are beautifully constructed and carved, and some of them date back to the time of the Chand rulers. The Baleshwar temple in Champawat is an important place that you must visit during your trip to the place. Dedicated to the chief deity Lord Shiva, this temple has a structure carved entirely out of stone. You can also visit the Nagnath temple during your trip to Champawat. This is yet another ancient structure that attracts tourists in droves. A temple dedicated to Kranteshwar Mahadev, located atop a hill, is another must visit destination in Champawat. You can also visit Lohaghat during your trip to Champawat, as this ancient city is located at a distance of fourteen kilometres from the town of Champawat.

S. No.	Name of Trek Route	Distance in Kms.	Duration of Trek	Gradient of Trek
1	Lohaghat-Vanasur Kila Trek	6 Kms.	1 day	Normal
2	Lohaghat-Mayawati-Ek Hathiya Naula-Champawat Trek
Lohaghat - 5 km trek - Mayawati - 3 km trek - Ek Hathiya Naula - 5 km trek - Champawat		13 Kms.	1 day	Normal
3	Tanakpur-Vyanthura Trek
Tanakpur - 8 km motorable - Sainapani - 6 km jeepable and 6 km trek - Vyanthura		6 Kms.	1 day	Normal
4	Tanakpur-Poornagiri Trek
Tanakpur - 14 km motorable - Dhuligad - 8 km trek - poornagiri		8 Kms.	1 day	Normal
5	Champawat-Kanteshwar-Manch Trek
Champawat - 8 km trek - Kanteshwar - 7 km trek - Manch		15 Kms.	2 day	Normal
6	Lohaghat-Pancheshwar Trek
Lohaghat - 9 km trek - Kimtoli - 11 km trek - Pancheshwar		20 Kms.	2 day	Normal
7	Tanakpur-Champawat Trek
Tanakpur - 6 km - Boom - 6 km trek - Kaldhunga - 3 km trek - Chuka - 6 km trek - Tamli - 5 km trek - Manch - 5 km trek - Champawat