Locals have named Churdhar peak after deity Shri Shirgul Maharaj or Chureshwar Maharaj who used to live here in ancient times.
Churdhar at 3655 metres is the highest peak in outer Himalayas.
A beautiful trek near Chandigarh, trail moves through dense forests, meadows and finally to the Churdhar Peak. Panoramic views from the Churdhar top are unbelievable. On a clear day, one can see peaks like Shrikhand Mahadev, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Kinnaur(or Kinner) Kailash to name a few.
In 1834, George Everest who was the Surveyour General of India recorded many astronomical readings and sighted some of the higher Himalayan peaks from Churdhar. Mount Everest, highest peak of the world is also named after George Everest.
Trek from Solan side starts from Nauradhar and is approximately 15 kms to the top. There are 3 more starting points for this trek. One of these starts from Sarahan in Shimla district, which is a steep incline of 7 kms.
Nauradhar is located at 133 kms (3-4 hours) from Chandigarh and 383 kms (7-8 hours) from Delhi. One needs to take a diversion from Kumarhatti towards Rajgarh road. Kumarhatti is 55 kms from Chandigarh on Chandigarh – Shimla road. Once you reach Nauradhar, all the tiredness of journey would vanish the moment you see the trail snaking upwards through the forest towards the destination.
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Day 1
133 kms drive from Chandigarh to Nauradhar (2175 metres) and 7 kms easy trek from Nauradhar to Jam Nallah (2855 metres)
We arrange pickup from Chandigarh Sector 17 Bus Stand at 5:30 AM (In case you opt for back and forth transportation from Chandigarh, otherwise pickup point is Nauradhar at 10 AM). After providing a meal box, we start by 6 AM towards Nauradhar, starting point of trek. We expect to reach Nauradhar by 10 AM.
We use Traveller, or Innova, or Sedans for back and forth travel from Chandigarh
There are many shops in Nauradhar where one can purchase essentials. Trek starts right from centre of this town.
Initial 1 km of trek is a bit steep through the muddy terrain. After that, it is a gradual incline through forest of pine trees until Jam Nallah, our first day camping site.
It is a total of 7 kms trek which usually takes 4-5 hours. We reach Jam Nallah at around 3 PM. We camp just ahead of Jam Nallah. Our campsite is in forest area and surrounded by pine and cedar trees. Availability of water nearby makes it an apt location to camp.
Please note that if you have opted for back and forth transportation from Chandigarh and are reaching late at Chandigarh on Day 1, i.e. beyond buffer time of 1 hour, you will have to reach Nauradhar at your own expenses. However, we will assist you fully in booking of cabs. On the other hand, if you have opted for Nauradhar as pickup point and reacg there beyond 11 AM, you trek will be canceled without any refund.
Day 2
9 kms moderate trek from Jam Nallah to Churdhar Peak (3655 metres) and 9 kms easy trek from Churdhar Peak to Jamnallah
As this is a long and exhausting day, trek starts early at 6:30 AM.
Trail from Jam Nallah to Teesri (3250 metres) is a gradual climb of 5 kms which takes around 2.5 – 3 hours. It is the easiest part of entire trek. This section is also through forest. The silence of surroundings, fresh fragrance of forests and mud gives a touch of calmness to surroundings.
Teesri, a little place with few teashops is along the ridge of mountain is the windiest place on entire trek. It is 2 kms of trek from Teesri to Temple. As we cross Teesri, trees slowly start to diminish because we cross tree line (a geographical term that signifies a hypothetical line above which trees cannot grow).
We reach Chureshwar temple by 12:30 and have lunch here. It takes 1 hour for 1 km of this steep section to reach Churdhar summit from temple. Views from the route and the top are breath taking.
One gets 360 degrees view of various Himalayan ranges like Srikhand Mahadev, Kinnaur (or Kinner) Kailash, Kedarnath, Badrinath. After that, we start descend towards campsite and expect to reach there by 6 PM.
Day 3
7 kms easy trek from Jam Nallah to Nauradhar and 130 kms drive from Nauradhar to Chandigarh
It is the last day of trek and starts with tea at 6 AM. After that, if weather permits, we try to have brief yoga and meditation sessions. Trek starts by 9 AM towards Nauradhar. We follow same route as we did on first day.
It takes 3-4 hours to reach Nauradhar from Jam Nallah.
After that, we take everyone to Chandigarh in pre-arranged shared cabs. Considering buffer time, we expect to reach Chandigarh by maximum 8 PM (If you have opted for back and forth transportation from Chandigarh)
