Dayara Bugyal Trek

Dayara Bugyal is a beautiful alpine meadow situated in the northwest part of Uttarakhand in India. It is approximately 45 km from the famous town of Uttarkashi and around 190 km from Dehradun.

To reach Dayara Bugyal, first, make your way to the base camp Raithal. It is a quaint Himalayan village. From there, trek through the beautiful oak, rhododendron and maple forest to the Dayara Bugyal.

Bugyal (pronounced boog-yaal) is a Hindi word that refers to alpine pasture lands or alpine meadows that grow above around 10,500 ft and below 13,000 ft. These alpine meadows are always found above the treeline, so they’re vast open lands, usually with great scenic views of the mountains and valleys around them.

At Raithal you will be staying in the Indiahikes Community Campus. You will be staying in Swiss tents.
Whereas on the campsite, you will be staying in tents. Two people will be sharing a tent.

The accommodation is separate for men and women unless you're a couple or a family.

Best time to visit Dayara Bugyal is almost throughout the year, except during the monsoon. So, the best season is – spring, summer, autumn and winter. And the trek looks different in all these seasons. 

In spring you will find that the snow has freshly melted and green meadows dotted with flowers have started peeping out. Rhododendrons will also be in bloom in the forest. In summer, the meadows are bright and temperatures are warm. Autumn is known for its blue skies and brilliant view of the Bandarpunch range and winter on Dayara Bugyal is magical with undulating meadows blanketed in powdery snow.

Dayara Bugyal is a perfect trek for beginners. It does not have tricky sections, but a couple of sections on the trek can get challenging. Amongst the high altitude treks on our list (treks that go over 11,000 feet), Dayara Bugyal poses the least risk.

This is why it’s a trek we recommend to many beginners, families and even those starting trekking late in their lives.

The only two challenges you'll face on the trek are these sections:

1. From the basecamp to the forest: This initial 1 km stretch is steep. And although there is a well-laid trail, this section will test your stamina. 

2. Climb to Dayara top: The final climb to Dayara top is also steep. And it gets challenging in snow during the winters. As you step out of your campsite for the summit push early in the morning, the snow is going to be hard, having frozen overnight. This snow section continues until you get to the top, getting steeper as you approach the top.

The Dayara Bugyal Trek covers around 21 km in 4 days (6 days including the drive to and from the basecamp). The altitude ranges from 7,096 ft in Raithal all the way to Dayara Top at 11,830 ft.

A trek like Dayara Bugyal requires a good fitness level. There are gradual ascends and 4-5 hours of trekking every day. As a measure of your fitness, we need you to:

Run at least 5 km in 38 minutes before your trek. Consistency of your workout also matters, so aim to jog 20 km a week or 80 km in a month. It's our minimum mandatory requirement.

OR

Alternatively, cycle for at least 22 km in 60 minutes. Aim to cycle 110 km a week or 440 km in a month. However, running is better suited for your trek preparation.

Once you get confirmed for your trek, we will diligently follow up on your fitness routine. Our team will also assist in putting you through a fitness plan. It will ultimately help you have a safe trek experience.

How to Get Fit for Your Trek

Yes you can!  

If you are above the age of 58 years, you’ll need to submit a Treadmill Test (not older than 12 months) within a week of completing your trek registration. Apart from this, you should also be able to jog 5 km in 45 minutes. 

On the Dayara Bugyal Trek, we usually take around 20- 23 trekkers in total.

Dayara Bugyal is an easy-moderate trek and requires trekkers to be physically fit. The minimum age for eligibility is 8 years. If your child meets this criterion and is physically fit, you can take her/him along.

In winter, people trek to Dayara Bugyal to experience snow. The landscape again changes colour when draped in the white snow. Soft, powdery snowflakes loosely hang from pine trees offering a tinge of Christmas-y feel. Perfect for snowball fights and an experience of snowfall if you’re lucky. However, snow raises the difficulty of the trek by a notch. So, prepare well if you are going in winter.

Dayara Bugyal is a 6 day trek. You will be staying at our campus in Raithal and in tents on other days of the trek. Each tent accommodates 2 trekkers.

The basecamp at Raithal will have concrete toilets. On Trek days, toilet tents will be set up along each campsite. 

A toilet tent will have a deep pit, where one can answer nature’s call. There will be a mound of soil and a shovel to cover it up. These are dry toilets, where you’ll have to use toilet paper. There will be a room freshener as well. It’s the most hygienic and convenient way to answer nature’s call in the wild. 

Please use plain toilet paper and refrain from using wet wipes since these are not biodegradable.

What Happens To Your Poop in the Mountains? | Green Trails | Indiahikes

Our campsites are pitched near water sources. For your day’s trek, two litres of water should be enough. On Day 4 and Day 5, you will find one water source to refill your water bottles. Your trek leader will brief you about these before starting the day’s trek. There will be no water sources on the trail on the other days of trekking.

When it comes to a mobile phone network and an internet connection, you’ll find network all across your trek. This is true at some spots on the trek including at Dayara Top! However, do not keep your work-related commitments based on this.

As for electricity, Raithal Campus is the last point with electricity. At the Indiahikes base camp in Raithal, all the rooms are equipped with plug points for trekkers to charge their electronic devices.

However, once you leave the base camp, there is no electricity. We suggest you bring additional batteries for your cameras and a power bank with more than 10,000 mAh to last you the entire trek.

Bhatwari is the last place en route to Raithal where you’ll find ATMs to make some cash withdrawals. However, it has just one ATM which is not always reliable.

Otherwise, in Uttarkashi, all major private and public sector banks have their ATMs and some even have branches in Uttarkashi. However, cash does run out quickly at the Uttarkashi ATMs. Hence, Dehradun is your best bet to make last-minute cash withdrawals.

We advise you to carry around Rs 5000 in cash to pay for your transport to the basecamp, for rental gear deposit and personal expenses en route to the basecamp.  

If you’re an Indiahikes trekker,  there is no major need for cash as once you arrive at the base camp. All meals, accommodations, permits, and related expenses are taken care of by Indiahikes.

Yes, you can keep the extra luggage at the base camp. Once the trek ends, you will be able to collect the luggage. Our team will arrange for this.

The transport takes you from Dehradun to the Base. However, you need to walk about 3 floors on foot to get from the basecamp to where you actually stay. We advise you to not bring any luggage that is bulky and heavy.   

Ensure you do not keep any valuables at the base. Laptops, mobile phones, cash or any important items cannot be kept here.

You can spend time exploring tourist attractions around Dehradun. Please note that these are suggestions and Indiahikes does not make any arrangements for visiting them.

Having more footprint through porters or mules on any 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. 

The cost of offloading on the Dayara Bugyal trek is Rs 1,600 for the trek pre-tax.

Find details about the offloading process here.

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 :)

 If you are travelling from Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai or any other city, book your air tickets either for Day Minus One, which is the day before Day 1 on the itinerary or book a flight/train as such where you will reach half an hour before the pick-up time.

There are two options for your flight booking:

1. Fly directly to Dehradun:

We recommend this. It gives you an added rest day at Dehradun. Usually, most passengers take taxis from the airport. Try to hook up with co-passengers on the flight for your taxi ride to Dehradun.

2. Flying to Delhi

Flying to Delhi may be a lot cheaper than getting to Dehradun. Make sure to book a flight that reaches Delhi by 8.00 pm. You must arrive in Delhi on Day Zero and not on Day 1. Next, book yourself on the Nanda Devi Express to Dehradun (Train No: 12401). It is a fully AC train that leaves at 23.45 hrs from Hazrat Nizamuddin and gets to Dehradun at 5.40 am. At Dehradun, wait for Indiahikes pick up at 6.30 am. Contact your driver by 6.00 am. The number of your transport coordinator will be shared with you a day or two before your departure. 

If you miss the Indiahikes pick up from Dehradun. Here is how you can get to Raithal base camp on your own. 

If you are at Dehradun, take a bus to Uttarkashi as quickly as you can. A bus generally leaves from Dehradun Railway Station to Uttarkashi at 8:00 am. It charges about Rs 250. 

Alternatively, there are local private buses and shared taxis from Lencidon chowk near parade ground to Uttarkashi. The last private bus is at 9:00 am.

From Uttarkashi, take the shared taxis to Bhatwari/Gangotri and get down at Bhatwari. The taxi stand is at a walkable distance if you get down at the bus stand. They will charge you Rs 70. From Bhatwari, Raithal is 10 km away. You can find shared taxis for Raithal from there which charge Rs 30. You will find shared taxis from Bhatwari to Raithal until 4 pm.

Except for the monsoon months, you can do the Dayara Bugyal trek all year round.

Expected temperatures in these seasons:

Spring (Mid March to April): The day time temperatures will be around 15-20 degrees. If the sun goes behind the clouds and there is a bout of rain, then the temperature can fall to around 10 degrees. Expect cold nights at your higher camps. So post sundown, temperatures can drop to around zero but generally will hover around 1-5 degrees. 

Summer (May to June): During the day, the temperature hovers around 20 degree celsius and may go up to 25. Nights may go down to 7-10 degree Celsius. The nights are cooler and even though it’s summer you will need 2-3 layers to keep you warm after sun-down.The higher camps are colder at night. Sometimes you may wake up to frosty mornings. So have your layers.

Autumn (Mid-September to November): Autumn is generally like Spring, but a few degrees colder. While trekking, in autumn, day temperatures are pleasant at around 13 – 18 degrees, but any rain or slight drizzle brings down temperature rapidly to around 8 – 12 degrees. You need to keep a pullover handy with you always.  Nights can be nippy at slightly below zero at the highest camp. As you move towards late November, it is perceptibly colder. Higher camps are 2-3 degrees below zero. Though, at the lower camps the temperature will hang slightly above zero. 

Winter (December - February): During the day when the sun is out, it is quite comfortable to trek. The temperature is a balmy 8 — 12 degrees. If you are on snow, then the snow reflects, which makes it quite warm sometimes! On your early morning summit climb, expect to start in temperatures well below zero. The day will get progressively warmer as the sun touches the ground, even though you may be on snow. Be prepared to shed off your layers as you climb. Night temperatures decrease as you climb up. But expect sub zero temperatures even at your base camps in the evening in winter. At higher camps, you will experience temperature falling below minus 7 or 8 degrees in the night. As long as you are inside your tent and in your layers it is absolutely fine.

Watch this video by our Experiential Learning team member, Prathima Chhabria, to know how you can prepare your child physically: