ALI BEDNI BUGYAL TREK

India's grandest twin alpine meadows

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TREK DIFFICULTY

Moderate

TREK DURATION

6 days

HIGHEST ALTITUDE

12,550 ft

India's grandest twin alpine meadows

Out of the other meadow treks in our country — Dayara Bugyal, Gidara Bugyal, and Bhrigu Lake trek — Ali Bedni Bugyal has the grandest of mountain views. That’s because of one thing —  the sight of Mt. Trishul and Mt. Nanda Ghunti jutting right out of the meadows.

Jutting out doesn’t mean you see the tops of these mountains, you see the entire face — almost 6000-7000 feet of it — rising right in front of you.

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Ali Bedni Bugyal is a favourite trek for most of us at Indiahikes. Watch this video to know why.

During Spring, the mountain views are at their sharpest and clearest, as the air is still crisp and clean from the winter months. The blue sky seems to stretch on forever. The landscape is unmarred by the haze and smog that can often plague the plains. The snow-capped peaks glisten in the sunlight. Soon, green meadows will start peeping out from under the snow.

By summer, you see meadows carpeted with fresh grass.

The surprise of finding yourself in Ali Bugyal after trekking through dense forests is unbeatable. The moment you get out of the shades of the forest cover, you see acres and acres of green carpet sprawled out in front of you. Mt Trishul, stands tall against the blue skies, making for a formidable backdrop. Horses and their foals tear themselves across the turf in an uninhibited abandon while the cattle graze lazily on this bounty.

The walk to Bedni Bugyal from here is exhilarating! It is a walk that tempts you to take off your shoes and feel this carpet for yourselves. The Bedni Bugyal is another stop in this meadow country – a strip of vibrant green, overlooking the western valley.  Popping right out of this meadow-like sentient, silent guards are the mountains of Trishul and Nanda Ghunti. If you climb the Bedni Top, other high risers of the imposing Chaukhamba range open up before you. These incredible settings make these twin meadows a must-do on the trekker’s bucket list.

Out of the other meadow treks in our country — Dayara Bugyal, Gidara Bugyal, and Bhrigu Lake trek — Ali Bedni Bugyal has the grandest of mountain views. That’s because of one thing —  the sight of Mt. Trishul and Mt. Nanda Ghunti jutting right out of the meadows.

Jutting out doesn’t mean you see the tops of these mountains, you see the entire face — almost 6000-7000 feet of it — rising right in front of you.

heart picture

Ali Bedni Bugyal is a favourite trek for most of us at Indiahikes. Watch this video to know why.

Indiahikes Founder Arjun Majumdar shares how his love affair with meadows began at the Ali Bedni Bugyal trek

Ali Bedni Bugyal Videos

Recommended Videos Before Going For The Trek

Ali Bedni Bugyal - Complete Trek Information

We have always wanted trekkers to be well-informed before they go on a Himalayan trek. Knowledge is the difference between a safe trek and a dangerous one. It’s also the difference between a wholesome experience and a superficial experience.

Use this section to learn about the Ali Bedni Bugyal trek. It has in-depth information about each day of the trek, what to expect, and how you need to prepare for it. Many years of expertise have gone into this content. Trekkers find that extremely useful.

Expert Speak

Arjun Majumdar, Founder, CEO

Arjun Majumdar, Founder, CEO

Here is Arjun Majumdar, Founder and CEO of Indiahikes talking about Ali Bedni Bugyal. Arjun is an entrepreneur by profession and a trekker by passion, Arjun started Indiahikes in 2008 with a vision to explore and document new trails, solve problems in the mountains and implement sustainable ways of trekking.

What I Like About the Ali Bedni Bugyal Trek

What I Like About the Ali Bedni Bugyal Trek

Arjun Majumdar, Founder, CEO

Here is Arjun Majumdar, Founder and CEO of Indiahikes talking about Ali Bedni Bugyal. Arjun is an entrepreneur by profession and a trekker by passion, Arjun started Indiahikes in 2008 with a vision to explore and document new trails, solve problems in the mountains and implement sustainable ways of trekking.

1. Grand Mountain Views From The Most Beautiful Meadows Of Our Country

You see Mt Trishul and Mt Nanda Ghunti in their grandest of views. They are jutting out. By jutting out I mean you see their full face, like the entire 6,000-7,000 feet of Mt Trishul right in front of you. Imagine the grandiosity with the sun setting on it. 

You haven’t seen such grand views on any trek. Forget about any meadow trek. 

To add to it, you are at around 11,500 feet with the evening rays on Mt Trishul, especially from Bedni Bugyal. It is a powerful sight. I have seen trekkers standing in these meadows with tears in their eyes. 

And I want you to watch this.

The views of Mt Trishul and Mt Nanda Ghunti on the Ali Bedni Bugyal trek are incomparable to any other trek. Picture by Dhaval Jajal.

2. Unforgettable sunrises and sunsets while camping at Abin Kharak

You may not know this, but we have an extra camp near Ali Bugyal called Abin Kharak. This is just off the meadows. You can get in and out of the meadows quickly from here. 

Watch out for this campsite. You won’t get a more rewarding experience on a trek. Now you have the opportunity to not just see the sunsets but also the sunrise from these meadows.

Early morning rays touching Mt. Trishul Photo by Sudarshan Jaganathan.

3. A unique experience of trekking through ancient and dense forests

The oak and rhododendron forest on the Ali-Bedni Bugyal trek are the densest I have trekked in. Perhaps, they are also the rarest because most of these trees are easily a thousand years old.

They are so grand and so old. And you are meandering through these trees with their roots all over the ground. It’s not something you will experience on most treks. 

Especially if you do it early in the morning, as we are going to be doing it. 

In many places, you see sunlight falling from spectacular angles. It’s a photographer’s delight to catch these sun rays falling through the leaves at charming angles. It creates lovely lighting.

Evening light in the forests of Gheroli Patal. Picture by Arvind Kumar

Trek Trivia

Things Nobody Tells You About Ali Bedni Bugyal

The Unheard Pahadi Myths of Shiva and Parvati

The Ali Bedni Bugyal trek has seeped into the Shiva-Parvati mythology. While such mythological stories find their way into every household as bedtime stories, theaw pahadi stories are rarely heard of.

The entire trail of Ali Bedni marks the journey of Shiva and Parvati and their children between Kumaon valley, Parvati’s home, and Kailash Manasarovar, where Shiva and Parvati lived after their marriage. The entire route does exist and covers an aerial distance of around 155 km. 

It is said that all of them carried out this journey every four years to visit Parvati's maternal home and then return to Manasarovar. 

The peaks of Nanda Ghunti, Trishul, Bethartoli and Bethartoli south symbolise Shiva, Parvati and their children. Today, when the sky clears and these four peaks can be seen, the Pahadis believe the four of them to have reached back to their home. 

Nanda Devi Raat Jaag Yatra (pilgrimage), which occurs roughly every 12 years, is carried out on the same path in remembrance and honour of this grand journey. One of the biggest Pahadi festivals, it has a participation of 1.5 Lakh people, who hike together barefoot through this trail.

The Myths and Facts around Laatu Devta

The temple of Laatu Devta in Wan is one of the most sacred temples. No one except one chosen priest is allowed to step inside it. The priest too, cannot go into the inner sanctum of the temple, except for a specific day and time. It is said that Laatu Devta still resides in the temple, and hence these rules. 

Surrounding this temple are huge coniferous trees which are said to be a thousand years old. Their trunks are so massive that it would take 7 to 8 people to hug one of them. 

This Devta and its temple play into the story of Shiva and Parvati's journey from Kumaon valley to Kailash Manasarovar and the Yatra (pilgrimage) along with it today. A four-horned goat, called Khaadu, symbolising Laatu Devta, not only walks along the trail covering this pilgrimage but leads it too. So, whenever a four-horned goat is born, it is raised to one day lead the Yatra. 

On the trail, all the pilgrims end their journey at Homkund lake. The Khaadu, however, walks ahead on its own, towards Manasarovar, and disappears into the mountains.

5 Reasons Why Indiahikes

We are India’s safest trekking organisation

When we brought out new trails in Indian trekking, safety came with us. Back in 2012, we were the first to introduce microspikes, and two years later, pulse oximeters became standard thanks to us. Nobody does safe treks like Indiahikes. In the mountains, emergencies don't care who you're with – everyone knows that when trouble hits, you look for the yellow tents of Indiahikes.

We are pioneers of treks in India

We are pioneers in trekking. Since 2007, we have brought out treks that have become India's most famous treks: Roopkund, Rupin Pass, Buran Ghati, Kedarkantha, Kashmir Great Lakes, Tarsar Marsar, Brahmatal, Phulara Ridge—the list goes on. In 2023 alone, we brought out five new treks in Indian trekking. We know treks better than anyone. This comes directly from the reason why Indiahikes was born: to bring out trek information and enable trekkers to trek on their own.

We are India’s largest trekking organisation

More than 25,000 people trek with us every year. We are the largest trekking organisation in India. 24% of our trekkers come back to trek with us every year. Over 4,000 students from the top educational institutions trek with us every year. Aside from this, families with children choose to trek with Indiahikes knowing that our treks are the safest. We have taken over 8000 children trekking so far, and the number continues to grow.

Our treks are transformative

We focus on designing transformative experiences. Our trek leaders conduct thought-provoking exercises that help you reflect and contemplate. This impact stays with you for a long time. Trekkers return feeling energised, more confident, or developing abilities to deal with difficulties. Many have changed careers, rethought their core values, become more humble, shown gratitude to others, or started a new fitness journey.

We are India's most sustainable trekking organisation

Since 2012, we have pioneered sustainable practices that have become standard in trekking. Using eco-bags, our trekkers have cleared over 120 tonnes of litter from the mountains. We do not carry packaged foods; instead, we serve freshly made food. We do not light campfires; we carry coal to light angethis to keep you warm. Our bio-toilets not only keep our toilets odour-free but also enrich the soil. When you trek with us, you leave mountains better.

Indiahikes Features

You’re guarded with our trek again philosophy

If you are unable to complete a trek, or if you love a trek, you can repeat it with us anytime. You don’t have to pay us for it. See our thoughts behind this here.

Get expert guidance even before you start the trek

Get personalised support from our expert Experience Coordinators. From registration to departure, they'll prepare you every step of the way.

Join any group, they are all women-friendly groups 

With around 30% of our trekkers being women, all women, including those travelling solo are comfortable to join any of our groups.

Meet like-minded trekkers

Indiahikes carries with it a strong spirit of trekking, one that comes with fitness, minimalism, mindfulness and a deep love for nature.

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