Day trek to China Peak

It was more than a year that I had visited or seen the Himalayas up close. My friend called me up and we planned to visit Munsyari in the extended weekend. But, by looking at the route and coming to the conclusion that it would take 2 days to reach Munsyari we cancelled that idea.

We had already visited the majority of the places in Uttarakhand, And it was hard to find an easy trek for the weekend. But we remembered that we have not trekked China peak on our last visit to Nainital. We the plan changed to trek to China peak and nearby places.

My friend boarded Corbett express and reached Ramnagar in the morning. From there we went to Garjia Temple. Whenever any of my friends visit Ramnagar, I always take them or tell them to visit Garjia. For me, Garjia is a very serene and spiritual place that is full of positive energy. The calm and quite Kosi river flows through the Temple adds more flavours to the experience. Especially, if you go in the golden hours there is no rush to the Temple and you can make small chats with the panditji at the top of the temple. From Ramnagar, we took a shared auto to Garjia.

In the morning the sunrise from the temple top is worth the wait. The glorious sun comes over the hills and slowly removes the blanket of fog and mist.

Garjia Temple in the Morning

Colors of the Sunrise

From the Temple, we again got back to Ramnagar. In Ramnagar, we had a quick breakfast and headed towards Nainital. While on the bus to Nainital, I saw the reservation of our hotel in Nainital and found out that it is in Tallital. It dawned upon me that now we have to walk 11 kilometres to reach China Peak, had we took the Hotel in Mallital the distance would be only 7 kilometres one way. Nevertheless, we reached the hotel, got freshened up and walked towards Mallital to have lunch and start the trek. Near a temple, a Bhandara was going. We sat there and had our lunch. Saved time and money.

Nainital Masjid

Colored Houses in Nainital

A few boats in the Naini Lake

Food from the Langar

Buffet

There are many ways to reach the top. We took the road less travelled. A local Tea shop owner told that it will take around 4 hours to reach to the top. he also advised us to take another route via Satyanarayan Temple to reach the top. Since no shops are available on the peak. He advised us to carry eateries and drinking water. He also pointed towards the peak that was not visible in the clouds. I would be a long walk to the top we thought to ourselves.

Couple in a Boat

China Peak enshrouded in clouds

Stairs at the start

The stairs took us to the temple, we were overjoyed by the brilliant views from the temple. The actual trek starts from here. From the temple, we moved into the wilderness. The Rhododendrons, Deodar and Cypress Trees along the path felt profoundly serene in the chilly autumn winds.

First views of the lake after climb

Wild Flowers in Full Bloom

Friend Flaunting new shoes

Inquisitive Laungur looking at me during the Trek

Deodar forest

After hiking for around 4 - 4.5 hours we reached the top. From the peak, a scintillating view of the Nainital town was in front of our eyes. Naini lake with greenish water looked like a raw mango from up top. Legends say that once this peak was more high, from that altitude the Great Wall of China was visible, hence the name China Peak. But in reality, in the 1962 Indo-china war, Indian Airforce use the peak as its base to keep an eye on the enemy. From there the peak got the name of China Peak.

Fresh Trail

Mango lake from China Peak

A better view of the Naini Lake

Airforce radars seen from China Peak

Apart from the beautiful View of the city, A panoramic view of the Himalayas was also expected. But while the sun was up, the peaks were behind clouds. No major peaks were visible. We had to walk 10+ kilometres down so we started our descent. The sun was also coming down. And accidentally I looked on my left. The Himalayas were suddenly visible. The reddish tinge was glowing from the ice on the expansive peaks made the view very ecstatic. We paused for a while to appreciate the view. The Trek now felt complete.

Himalayas at sunset

Trishul Peak from China Peak

The descent was tough. It was already 8 pm and we have not yet reached the city. We saw one cab coming our way. We decide to hitchhike. But that guy was going on a different route. But he told us a shortcut. With his help, we reached our hotel pretty quickly. Reaching the hotel we sipped hot Coffee and enjoyed the view from the Hotel room.

Temple Glorified on the 4th day of Navratri

Hotel Room

View from the Hotel

Trip Cost Breakdown Per Person