Here’s the travelogue on the Dayara Bugyal trek, the trek series by traveller Hritik Sharma. Discover the journey and trekking experience from the traveller himself.
On a Wednesday night, I and my 3 friends decided to go on a trek named Dayara Bugyal on 09/12/22. On the very next day, we took our bikes and left for Uttarkashi. The route we chose to reach Uttarkashi was through Mussoorie and Chinyalisaur. We had our lunch in Almas Bend, a small village 30 kms away from Mussoorie. Then, we left for Uttarkashi.
Our next stop was in Chinyalisaur, where we took a break for like half an hour, and then, we moved to Uttarkashi town. We drove until 7 PM; it was completely dark, and we didn’t have an idea of the road. One of my friends was about to hit a big stone, but somehow he managed to handle his bike. After passing Uttarkashi town, we started to search for rooms. The starting point of the trek was 45 kms away from Uttarkashi, so we thought we would take a hotel in Raithal (the starting point of the trek). So, we started driving from Uttarkashi to Raithal, but it was completely dark, and we didn’t have proper vision of the road and the road was also not so good that we could drive. That was the time when one of my friends was about to crash. However, we reached a small village named Bhatwari (31 kms away from Uttarkashi). We had our dinner there; the only shop in the place was completely dark, so randomly my friend asked the owner, “Uncle, Raithal me room mil jayega?” The shop owner said, “Room yahi bagal me hai, mai owner ko bulata hu, aap puch lo.”
After talking to the room owner, we decided to take the room because it was very late and we were not sure that we would get any rooms in Raithal. Also, we were so tired from driving that we just wanted to take some rest and sleep, so we took a room in Bhatwari. The room was really nice; the owner gave us hot water to drink. We mixed it with Old Monk; it was freezing cold, and we just needed to warm up our bodies. We got inside the blanket and were drinking and playing cards. We took 2 rooms; we were 4 people. The rooms were so budget-friendly that you won’t believe. The two rooms cost us only 600 rupees, and I must tell you the room was nice with everything provided; the room cost us less than our food bill.
Day 2: On 11/12/22, in the early morning, we woke up, and the view was amazing. As I opened the window, the Bhagirathi River was flowing beside the mountain, one of the most beautiful views of my life. We all woke up and left for Raithal to start the trek. There is a forest gate at the start of the trek where you have to pay 150-200 per person. The 18 km trek is full of lush greenery and beautiful landscapes. The trek is also known for its highest rolling meadows. During winter, you can also witness snow; the view of the ice-covered mountain from the Bugyal gives a majestic experience of the place.
The trek is very much suitable for beginners. The availability of water and food helps trekkers to visit the place more; there are small houses for people to stay and enjoy the night. If you visit the Bugyal at the correct time of the year, you can also witness stargazing. Many tourists come for night photography and polaroids. So, we started the trek around 0900 hrs, and after the 7 km hike, we reached GUI. GUI is the place where you can take a rest and fill up water for the rest of the trek. Then, we started our trek again to cover the rest of the 11 km. The trail was beautiful yet tough, with some steep trails that were really tiring. But after a lot of fun and tiredness, we reached the top. We saw the beautiful sunset and were returning to the campsite because camping or having a bonfire in the Bugyal is not allowed. So, after sitting at the top and witnessing the most beautiful sunset with a 360-degree view of snow-capped mountains, we descended to the campsite which is 2 kms from the top.
We started to pitch the tent; the cold wind coming from the mountain was making my hands numb and making us shiver. So, after a lot of work of collecting water and wood, we did everything and started the bonfire. The night sky looked amazing; I wish I had a camera to capture the moment. We had dinner after some time near the fire; we had tea, biscuits, parathas, and other packed food. After having dinner, we played music and played cards for some time. After that, we went to our tents to sleep, but the night was not so easy; it was so cold that I was shivering inside my sleeping bag. My feet got numb, and I could not sleep properly; I had only 2 to 3 hours of sleep.
When the sun rose, I woke up, got out of my tent, and saw black ice on the tent. I had kept a bottle in the tent which was frozen. But while coming out of the tent, the view I saw was amazing and beautiful, which made me forget about problems like lack of sleep, tiredness, and everything else. We all sat down under the sun to take some Vitamin D, and we had some tea; we drank it and started to pack our stuff. Around 1000 hours, we started to descend, and we also ate and drank in one of the homestays of one of the locals. After 0400 hrs, we reached GUI; because while descending, we were quicker. After taking 0100 hrs for rest, we started again, and by 0200 hrs, we were in Raithal. There we had our lunch and then took our bikes to the next destination!
Part 2: Coming soon…………
ALSO READ: 10 Best Goa Beachside Hotels You Can Book Right Away at Best Prices