CHHATTISGARH JUNGLE TREK

The Chhattisgarh Jungle trek is inside the virgin jungles of the Guru Ghasidas National Park. The trek is almost 32 kilometres long and is done over 4 days.

No. The Chhattisgarh Jungle trek is conducted in collaboration with the Forest and Tourism Departments of Chhattisgarh. At present, you can only do the trek with Indiahikes and you will be accompanied by forest guards throughout.

Yes, the Indiahikes Chhattisgarh Jungle trek is safe. Last year 300 of our trekkers safely completed this trek. You are accompanied by a forest official for additional safety at all times. Naxalites do not operate anywhere near this forest. You can refer to this video for more information.

The jungles of Central India tend to get very hot in the summer months. This is why at Indiahikes, we conduct the trek only between November and January because this is the most pleasant time to experience the jungles of Chhattisgarh.

We have specially designed a fitness schedule for our seniors. We recommend you follow a fitness routine 5 times a week (combination of walks, stair climbing and stretching).

By the time your trek starts, you should be able to walk 5 km between 50-60 minutes comfortably. Ideally, closer to 50 minutes.

Trekking is a sport that primarily uses your lungs, your core, and your lower body.  To reach this fitness, there are just two things to work on - your cardiovascular endurance and your muscle strength. Being fit will help you enjoy the trek and will keep you safe. Follow this simple schedule and you will be trek-fit:

Weeks 1 - 4:

1. Walking

- Week 1: Keep the distance of your walk to just 2 km

- Week 2: Keep the distance of your walk to just 3 km

- Week 3: Keep the distance of your walk to just 4 km

- Week 4: Keep the distance of your walk to 5 km

1. Stair Climbing: When you climb stairs, target for at least 10 floors (20 stairs per floor), and repeat it for 2 sets.
2. Stretching: Keep stretching everyday. This video will help you with stretching: https://youtu.be/IDjWoSPV6ok

Take your rest days seriously, and rest. Your body recovers quickly when you rest.

Weeks 5 - 8:

- Once you can comfortably walk 5 km, the following weeks are focused on building speed.

- Everyday, walk 5 km with an intention to finish within 50-60 minutes. Do not worry if you are not there yet. You will get there by the end of Week 8.

- Once a week, go for 10 km walk at a stretch. This will help build your endurance. Do not worry about the time you take to cover this distance.

- Continue with stair climbing and stretching.

Important Note: If you are not a regular runner, do not start running all of a sudden.

Three things happen when you are not fit:

1. You do not enjoy the trek
2. You struggle to be a part of the team
3. You miss out on a deep transformative experience that trekking can offer

Good part is, it’s not difficult. All you need to do is start following the fitness routine 45-60 days before the trek begins. 

We are here to help you in this fitness journey. Just start slow and as long as you are committed and consistent with your routine, you are in for an unforgettable trek experience :)

No, you cannot take a bath on the trek. However, we understand that you give a lot of importance to personal hygiene. Especially while trekking in groups. Here is one video that you can watch to learn how to take a mini-bath!

Clean drinking water will be available at each of the campsites. We recommend carrying 2 litres of water at the start of each day.

Yes, we can. Please inform your designated experience coordinator of any special requests in advance. We have the facility to provide you with special food. We also cater to any food allergies that you might have.

Having too many mules on a trail isn’t good for the ecosystem. This is why, at Indiahikes, we do not encourage offloading. A trekker carries his/her own backpack in the true spirit of trekking.

But if — due to a medical condition — you are unable to carry your own backpack, you may offload your backpack. It'll cost you Rs 945 for the trek. You can reach out to the Experience Coordinator once you have the registration done.

Find details about the offloading process here.

Yes. We have a cloakroom facility available at the basecamp in Ramgarh for extra luggage. Every trekker is permitted to leave behind one piece of luggage at no charge. Anything beyond one piece of luggage is chargeable at Rs 500 per luggage.

(The luggage could be a backpack / suitcase / duffel bag or anything similar.).

The maximum recommended weight of the bag will be 6 to 7 Kilos with two filled water bottles.

Yes, items mentioned in the packing list like sun caps, sunscreen, trek poles, high/mid ankle trek shoes, dry fit pants, and t-shirts are mandatory. If you do not want to buy them, you can rent them out at our rental store here.

To reach the base of the Chhattisgarh Jungle trek, take an overnight train (Durg Ambikapur Express - Train Number 18241) from Raipur to Baikunthpur Railway station. The basecamp pickup vehicles will pick you up from the Station at 5:30 AM on Day 1 of your trek. These Taxis will drive you to the base camp. Trekkers must split the Rs 2000 one-way taxi expenses to Basecamp.

Yes, we will. Usually, the train reaching Baikunthpur Road railway station may be delayed by 30 minutes and our drivers wait for the trekkers to arrive.

Yes, you can. But you must reach Baikunthpur railway station by 5:30 am on Day 1. Then you can join your fellow trekkers on the shared taxi to the Basecamp.

On the last day, the trek ends around 5 pm at Ramgarh Check post. Indiahikes taxi drivers will drive you to Baikunthpur town for dinner and shall drop you back at the railway station at 10 pm. So if you are travelling back to your respective city from Raipur, you may book a train on the night of the 4th day at 11 pm. The same train (Durg Ambikapur Express - Train Number 18241) will take you back to Raipur. If you are flying back from Ambikapur, you may travel overnight in a private taxi.