The magnificence of the Garhwal Himalayas is enhanced by the numerous alpine meadows, called bugials, which lie in its vicinity. In the summer time the nomadic people who live between the Shivalik Ranges and the Greater Himalayas, mostly shepherds or Gaddis as they are called in the local language, use these meadows for grazing their cattle.

The Dayara Bugial is perhaps the more picturesque meadows in the region. This is considered to be the largest meadow of the region; it stretches along for some twenty-four square kilometers! The area is very rich in flora and there’s an enormous assortment of flowers which one sees in the season.

On the trek one comes across the Bharnala Lake and the Dodital Lake. There are folk tales associated with a number of the lakes in the area and your guide will be happy to narrate the tale of the bird which lives in its vicinity of the Bharnala Lake – one of several stories that you will get to hear during your trek!

All along the trek one can see the Bandur Punch Peak (6,313 meters) and the many other snow capped peaks.

The trek starts at Barsu, an old and beautiful village, which is the last motor able point, and ends in a place called Sangam Chat.

Suggested Program:

Day 00: Board the overnight Mussoorie Express train from Old Delhi Railway Station at approx. 2200 hrs bound for Haridwar.

Day 01: Arrive at Haridwar by 0600hrs where you will be met by a representative of The Himalayan Outback and driven to the starting point of the trek. The drive today is for approximately eight hours to Barsu (elevation 2,350 meters) which lies in the Uttarkashi province of Garhwal.

One can see many snow capped peaks from Barsu, which is a very old Garhwali village. The main occupation of the people in the village is potato farming. We will camp at Basru for the night.

Day 02: Today we start the trek from village Barsu to Dayara Bugial (elevation 3,350 meters). The trek is for approx. three hours and is roughly seven kilometers long. It takes you through some lush forests with some excellent opportunity for spotting some interesting birds and wildlife.

We reach a place called Bharnala, where the tranquility is overwhelming! There are grassy slopes just beyond the Bharnala Lake - this lake is 100 meters long and 50 meters wide and is surrounded with beautiful oak and rhododendron trees. From here the Dayara Bugial is 2 hour uphill walk where we will set up camp for the night here.

Day 03: Rather early start from Dayara Bugial to trek to Gidhyara Bugial, the trek today is a relatively long and takes approximately seven hours to reach Gidhyara Bugial. Gidhyara Bugial is one of the more picturesque areas. You will pass through enormous pastures and streams.

Day 04: We trek today from Gidhara Bugial to Palatuna. We pass through an area that is very fertile and where you come across plenty of flowers. The walk today passes through some beautiful meadows with panoramic views of the greater Himalayan Ranges. Peaks like the Bandupunch, the Black Peak and Dropati Ka Danda, Shrikanth and many more are constantly in your view during the trek. Over night we will camp at Palathuna

Day 05: We leave Palatuna for a five to six hour trek to Dodital Lake. The Dodital Lake is one of the largest alpine lakes in the region; the lake is well stocked with trout and has been a great attraction for sport fisherman.

We establish camp close to the lake and spend the night here.

Day 06: From Dodital Lake we head for Sangam Chatti, a trek that lasts for about seven hours. Our vehicles will meets us at Sangam Chatti from where we drive back to Barsu camp. In the evening you will get an opportunity to view a cultural program while enjoying a bonfire and dinner. The drive from Sangam Chatti to Barsu camp takes an hour.

Day 07: After a sumptuous breakfast at Barsu camp, we begin the drive back to Haridwar Railway station. We reach Rishikesh by approximately 1700hrs, and settle into a hotel room, where one can freshen up, and relax. You can even visit the famous evening prayer ceremony (Arti)that is held daily on the banks of the Ganges – tens of thousands of tourists come each year just to view this ceremony! After dinner we head for the Haridwar railway station to catch the Mussoorie Express train, which gets you to Delhi early the next morning.