Ali Bugyal and Bedni Bugyal trek

Ali Bugyal and Bedni Bugyal trek – Walking on the  Prettiest meadows in the Himalayas

• Upcoming Ali Bedni Bugyal summer treks from  treks starting from 3rd sep, 17 sep, 24 sep and every Sunday from Rishikesh (till mid of June),  following the 6 day itinerary.
• Private/customised treks for your own group/family is open as per your preferred date. TREK FEE will be same for a group of 8 to 10 persons i.e. ₹ 8950 + 5% GST per person (Lohajung to Lohajung) and will be proportianately lower or higher as number of persons in a private/customised tour.

About the trek:

Ali and Bedni “Bugyal” two adjacent alpine meadows form one of the most eye soothing and peak view rich trail, Ali Bugyal and Bedni Bugyal trek. Literally you will be spending almost 2 days on the vast expanse of the alpine meadows , locally called Bugyal. Be it summer, autumn, winters or spring you can walk on this rolling stretch of meadow, sometimes shades of green, yellow, or perhaps golden brown. During the peak winter months expect a white blanket covered with snow. Here is some photographic evidence.

You can even try this trail in monsoon, when meadows are covered with myriads of wild flowers. Meadows are greenest during monsoon or just after monsoon in September. In a nutshell, it’s truly a year-round trek.

What else you may ask, additionally if you are surrounded by high mountains, from Kumaon and Garhwal Himalayas? Straight ahead are Trishul, Nandaghunti and Mrigthuni unfolding their gigantic massifs. Aerially these are very close to you, not more than 5 Km as the crow flies!

For those who want to push a step forward, there is a climb to Bedni Bugyal Top some ~ 300 m/1000 ft . From Bedni top and Bedni Bugyal meadows, you will get panoramic views of Garhwal heartland i.e. Chaukhamba region. Stretching from Neelkanth and surrounding peaks in Badrinath valley to Kedarnath, Mandani peaks in east, magnificent Chaukhamba pillars (I,II,III, IV) are definitely the central attraction.

Weather is unpredictable on mountains, especially on Bugyals. There is a saying locally that “Mumbai  ka fashion aur Bugyal o ka mausam“, implicating that the weather keeps changing on meadows frequently. While mornings are normally clear with outstanding mountain views, afternoons are misty. Snowing naturally occurs from December to February during winters, but it may snow as late as early May as well.

Two campsites on this trek are nothing short of brilliant. Ali Bugyal Forest camp is on the fringe of the forest and grassland with high mountain views. Gahroli Patal is a sweet camping spot nestled inside Oak and conifer forest.

Brief Itinerary:

Day 1: Drive from Rishikesh (6 a.m.) to Lohajung (~2320 m/7600 ft) – 250 Km by car – 10/11 hours . Lodge accommodation (3/4 sharing).
Day 2: Trek to Didna (~2480 m/8135 ft)  – 10 Km – 5 hours. Homestay on a sharing basis.
Day 3: Trek to Abin Kharak camp beside Ali Bugyal (~ 3350 m/11000 ft) – 8 Km – 5/6 hours . Twin sharing tent.
Day 4: Climb to Bedni top and descend to Bedni Bugyal meadows – explore (Bedni Kund, Nanda Devi temple etc) – lunch – trek down to Gahroli Patal (~ 3200 m/10500 ft) – 8 Km – 6/7 hours total hike. Twin sharing Tent.
Day 5:  Descent to Wan village  – 9 Km – 4/5 hours – drive to Lohajung – 15 Km – 45 mins. Lodge (3/4 sharing).
Day 6: Drive from Lohajung to Rishikesh– 250 – 10/11 hours. Dehradun airport or Haridwar is another 1 hour from Rishikesh.

Important notes: 

• Often it is convenient to reach Rishikesh anytime on Day 0. Either you can fly to Dehradun (DED, Jolly Grant airport) which is only 1 hour drive from Rishikesh. Otherwise you can get Volvo bus services (morning and overnight) from ISBT Kashmiri Gate Delhi to Rishikesh (5/6 hours). Arrange your stay in Rishikesh accordingly.
• You may opt for a shared transportation with other group members (NOT included in the TREK FEE) from Rishikesh on Day 1 at 6 a.m. Pick up spots are ISBT, Rishikesh and Tapovan checkpost on Badrinath highway. Else you are free to reach basecamp independently.
• Cab fare is ₹ 7500 and ₹ 10500 for a Tata Sumo and Tempo Traveller one way respectively. This is shared equally by the availing team members and paid directly to the driver.
• ATM: Last ATM at Deval, 25 Km before, but very often without cash. Withdraw well in advance, either from Rishikesh, Srinagar, Gauchar, or Karnaprayag.
• Mobile connectivity: All major networks work at basecamp Lohajung and Didna village.

Altitude and distance profile graph for Bedni Bugyal trek:

Below is a pictorial representation of the trail profile. You can estimate the relative gradient for ascent or descent on each day.

Seasons & best time to visit Bedni Bugyal

As already said, you can visit Ali and Bedni Bugyal throughout the year. Every season has its uniqueness and charm. Here is a season and month wise breakup.

Summer (May – June): Bugyal starts changing to green. During morning weather remains clear for good mountain views. Afternoons are cloudy or may have occasional pm showers.

Monsoon (Jul – Aug): For people who love wild flowers and don’t mind to walk in rain or mist. Monsoon peaks during mid July to mid August. Meadows remain rich and profuse.

Post Monsoon/Autumn (Sep to Nov): Residual rain in first half of September. Bugyals are green and some flowers remain till end of September. From October grass will turn into yellow and golden. After monsoon this season offers clear views of the mountain without haze.

Winter (Dec to Feb): Clear views of the mountains. Snowing starts from late December and continues till end of February. Bugyals are yellow-golden to brownish during this time.

Spring (Mar-Apr): Residual snow normally in March, although snowfall may occur even in April. Clear mountain views. You will get some Rhododendrons on your way.

Why Ali Bedni Bugyal as a winter snow trek? When do you get snow?

Easily accessible winter treks are often crowded, typically during mid December to late January. It is hard to find respite or solace in any of the popular winter treks. No matter how small is your group, there will be many other groups trekking along and literally huddling around as campsites during winters are limited.

Many of you who are experienced trekkers or even the newbies often prefer a less crowded and moreover a serene atmosphere as one should be expecting on a hiking trail. Not being a popular winter trekking destination (doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful though!) this trail will give you a chance to get close to nature with abundance of beauty and “views”.

If your foremost priority is to get snow on this trail, then choose this trek between late December to mid of February. This area  is bordering with Kumaon region and usually snowfall starts later than the winter trekking trails located in western Garhwal. January gives you a better chance to walk on snow. Also being very close to the Brahmatal trail (basically the trails are on the opposite sides of the valley) you should get snow on either trail at any given time.

Anything more in this trek?

Apart from the scenic meadows with fascinating high peak views there are other takeaways from this trek. Your first days trek is till Didna which is picturesque village on the shoulder of a mountain ridge. You will get good amount of time in the afternoon to explore Didna and surroundings. Its a charm to meet the friendly local people, and observing their simple lifestyle. Similarly the trek ends at Wan village, a fairly large village in context to Himalaya. You may also visit Latu Devta temple, a blessed one locally.

Clothing and expected temperature in Ali Bedni Bugyal trek:

It is important to carry proper clothing in winter as the campsite temperatures are sub zero in winter.

Winter temperature (Dec to Feb):

From December to February during winter the daytime temp remains cool and nights are cold. Late night/early morning  temperatures are minimum for any place and expect following temperature range:

Lohajung: 2° to -5°C;
Didna: 0°C to -5°C
Ali Bugyal Forest camp: -5°C to -10°C
Gahroli Patal: 0°C to -8°C

Note that inside the tent temperature will be around 8° to 10°C warmer at a given place, but still the temperature inside tent can plummet to freezing.

Three layers of clothing is mandatory in the campsite while you are outside tent.

1. a) A thermal base layer (warm woolly-cot material).
   b) A heavy jacket (Double layer or Fleece jacket ) as middle layer/insulation layer.
   c) A windproof cum waterproof with hood as the outer layer.

Summer & Autumn (May to Oct):

Day time weather remains warm and pleasant. Night/early morning temperatures at camp sites  can be from 10°C (lower camps) to 2°C (higher camps)

You will not require the thermal base layer from May to September. Your mid layer jacket and a waterproof cum windproof outer layer should be good.

Access to trek base Lohajung:

We will arrange a pickup  from Rishikesh to Lohajung and return. This will be shared by the team members and you pay directly to the driver/transporter.

The fare is ₹ 7500 for a Tata Sumo, one way. This can accommodate 5 to 6 people. A Tempo Traveller charges ₹ 10500 (10 to 12 seat) one way.