ALI BEDNI BUGYAL TREK

Ali Bedni Bugyal is an alpine meadow in the state of Uttarakhand. It lies directly North of popular hill stations like Nainital, Kausani, Almora and Gwaldam. You’ll see these meadows at an elevation range of around 10,000 ft – 11,000 ft. These meadows are famous for being beautiful landmarks on the Roopkund trail.

It takes two days of climbing to reach Ali and Bedni Bugyal from Lohajung. If you’re approaching Ali and Bedni Bugyal from Didna, it takes slightly longer (a rough distance of 15 km). Being just south of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, these meadows have striking views of the peaks within the sanctuary — Mt Nanda Ghunti, Mt Trishul, Maiktoli and Mrigthuni. You also see the Chaukhamba massif from these meadows.

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. 

Ali Bugyal and Bedni Bugyal are two of the most famous bugyals in our country. Dayara Bugyal and Gidara Bugyal are other examples of bugyals in India.

Ali Bedni Bugyal trek is open throughout the year except in monsoons. Spring is the best time to do the trek if what you want is clear skies and grand mountain views. Summer will give you lush greenery in the meadows and wildflowers growing in abundance. But the Ali Bedni winter trek is the one with the most beautiful snow cover in the entire country. For more detailed information, please refer to this section.

The Ali Bedni Bugyal trek covers around 30 km in 4 days. (6 days including the drive to and from the trek). The altitude ranges from 7,550 ft in Lohajung all the way to 12,550 ft.

Ali Bedni Bugyal has the grandest of mountain views among the meadow treks in our country. You witness the majesty of Mt Trishul and Mt Nanda Ghunti throughout the trek. It has vast meadows and rhododendron forests. For a more detailed guide, you can watch these Ali Bedni Bugyal trek reviews by experts.

Ali Bedni trek has slightly longer trekking day on Day 1 compared to other Easy moderate treks. So, it is rated as a Moderate trek because it requires good endurance.

Getting to the details, this 6-day trek climbs from 7,550 ft to 12,550 ft. That’s almost an altitude gain of 5,000 ft. This climb is one of the major challenges on the trek. However, The entire trail is well laid out. No special skill or help is required for navigation.

Although the prior experience of trekking in the Himalayas is not required, it helps in accustoming you to the hardship.

A Himalayan trek like Ali Bedni requires a good fitness level. The trek has long climbs and walks daily. As a measure of your fitness, we need you to:

Run at least 5 km in 35 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 a minimum mandatory requirement if you wish to trek with us

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

Ali Bedni Bugyal is a 6 day trek. The stay on Day 1 and Day 5, at Lohajung, will be in a guest house, where you will share rooms with fellow trekkers. Stay on all other days of the trek in tents. Each tent accommodates 2 trekkers. A sufficient number of toilet tents will be set up for the convenience of trekkers.

You are likely to find snow on this trail in December, January and February. Sometimes, you can get lucky and find snow well into March.

Ali Bedni Buygal is a moderate trek and requires trekkers to be physically fit. The minimum age for eligibility is 10 years. If your child meets this criterion and is physically fit, you can take her/him along.

The guest house at Lohajung will have concrete toilets. 

During the trek, toilet tents will be set up along each campsite. There will be 2 to 4 of these toilet tents depending on the size of the group. 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. This is 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 2 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.

You will get mobile signals at Lohajung for most networks. Signals will be intermittent in the mountains. So finish all your important calls at Lohajung and inform anxious family members about limited phone connectivity.

As per electricity, The last charging point would be at our basecamp in Lohajung. However, come prepared for the possibility of power cuts at Lohajung.

Rishikesh is your best bet to make last-minute cash withdrawals.

We advise you to carry around Rs 4-5k in cash to pay for your transport to the basecamp, for rental gear deposit and personal expenses en route to the basecamp. If you are planning to visit other attractions after the trek, we advise you to carry more. 

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.

Since you will be starting and returning to the guest house at Lohajung, it is possible for you to leave some luggage behind, if required. However, make sure you do not leave any valuables - Indiahikes is not responsible for loss or damage to any belongings.

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

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.

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 1,680 for the trek. You can reach out to the Experience Coordinator once you have the registration done. Find details about the offloading process here.