Best things come in small packages. So was my recent trip to Dayara Bugyal. The term bugyal means ‘high altitude meadow’. It was my first trek and after my experience, I suggest you to carry only necessary and limited items. Raincoat is a must if you are travelling in monsoon season which is best season to see the greenery of Dayara Bugyal. Less you carry, best for you.
View of first day campsite in upper Raithal village. Enroute Dayara Bugyal.
It was an office trip so all the arrangements were done by office and team of Rise on Himalayas. Journey to Dayara began from Delhi in night around 11 pm and by 6 am in next morning our Tempo Traveller reached Dehradun. There we picked up our Dehradun staff members. For breakfast, we decided to stop at Rautu ki Beli village in Dhanaulti.
From there it took another 4-5 hours to reach Raithal. The view of Bhagirathi river, Tehri Dam and mountains covered in cloud looks amazingly picturesque and is a rare encounter on the way to Uttarkashi. We reached Uttarkashi around 3pm and had some snacks before finally embarking on our 1.5 km trekking from Raithal village. We had group gathering after dinner which started with individual introduction but eventually turned us into good friends.
The coveted sun rays on a freezing morning.
You are probably having the best time of your life if you’re holding a cup of hot tea in a chilly dawn while your eyes savour the view of Himalayas. The beauty of place magnifies even more once the sun rays fall on dewy grass showered by the previous night rain. We started our 8 km trek to Dayara Bugyal after breakfast. It was tiring yet a memorable experience. You will find natural fresh water resources which taste so heavenly that they always remain imprinted in your memory. By noon while trekking we could see clouds covering us and after some time, it started raining. We somehow completed our second day trek even when we were short of raincoats.
Once I crossed the shepherd huts, I was swayed by the beauty of Dayara meadows and water stream flowing and in the middle of this beautiful meadows were our tents. The green lush beauty of Dayara became more and more alluring due to rain. Cows and buffaloes were grazing on nearby mountains and sound of bells around their neck can be heard from far away.
Most of the group members played cricket and Frisbee once the weather cleared and enjoyed hot soup in chilling weather of Dayara. The delicious dinner cooked by the team of Rise on Himalayas was worth appreciation. As previous night of our trekking, that day also all members had jam session, a perfect closing for a day full of fun and adventure.
Motherly love in the lap of nature- on our way to Bakaria top.
On the third day of trekking, we finally head to the top of Dayara and Bakaria Bugyal. One can see from far small huts in the meadows, various beautiful flowers blooming on the way and herd of sheep, cows, and buffaloes grazing. The amazing attractions of Dayara for sure astonish you. After crossing Dayara, we head toward Bakaria Bugyal. The weather was changing every moment: one moment we were surrounded by clouds and a minute later it was clear sunshine that made our welcome to Bakaria.
The downhill trails.
On our way back to our camp, it again started to rain. In hustle bustle, we finally reached our camps but we thank our stars to be compensated and rewarded first with tea and then with lunch, Chawal with Rajma and Curry, what else do you want to treat your taste buds. I thought that I was living the best moments but I was wrong as the best was yet to come: Bon fire. Yay! bonfire along with ‘rewarding’ games and dazzling songs with both eUttaranchal and Rise on Himalayas team. We discovered captivating baritone of Jagveer Bhaiya who was the team member of Rise on Himalayas. He sang some Garhwali and classic Bollywood songs for us. First time in our three days trekking, weather was clear and we eventually got the rare and precious opportunity to embrace clear sky above us full of stars and sleep to the lullaby of water stream flowing in an attempt to bag us moments that we could take back with us the next morning.
Team eUttaranchal with camping Staff of ‘Rise on Himalayas’
We bid adieu to our new friends we made from team of Rise on Himalayas and left for Barnala Lake. It’s a small lake, so we decided to stay there for some time and enjoy the company of the sparkling sun over us. From there we walked toward Barsu village from where we departed for Dehradun around 12 pm in our Tempo Traveller.
A view of Barsu Lake.
The journey to Dayara Bugyal would have been incomplete without the team members of eUttaranchal. The team of Rise on Himalayas which provided for our trekking and made wonderful arrangements including food and firewood was the cherry on top of this experience. The mesmerizing Garhwali songs and the flute is still playing at the back of my mind. This would be a perfect escape from the monotonous life we all live.