• This photo feature shares the joy and experience of this 5-day trek to Dayara Bugyal in Garwhal along with pictures of mountains, meadows and smiles.

My daughter decided to celebrate her birthday with a trek and she invited me to join her. I was apprehensive as I had never been on a trek before and at 58 years I was not sure if I had the fitness levels to do the trek. We did our research and opted for the trek to Dayara Bugyal which was classified as an “Easy to moderate” trek. 

It was a 6 day trek beginning from 30^th March to 4^th April. The period was post winter and beginning of spring. So we were looking forward to seeing the best of both. As it was my first trek - it was important to follow all the fitness prep guidelines listed by India hikes. I am so glad that I took the fitness requirements seriously as this really helps in enjoying the trek.  It turned out to be the best experience of my life and easily the best birthday celebration for my daughter in the midst of the awesome splendor of the mountain ranges and the wonderful camaraderie of our trek group.

Here is a day wise program of this awesome trek which has made a transformative mark on my life!

Day  1 - Travel from Dehradun to Raithal Base Camp 7142 feet

The pick-up point is Dehradun from where it is a 185 km drive to Raithal. We pass through very picturesque hilly terrains of Mussoorie, Uttarkashi and then onwards to Raithal.

Between Mussoorie and Uttarkashi we were able to see the majestic Garhwal mountain ranges – Gangotri ranges to Mt Bandarpoonch!  

Majestic view enroute to Raithal, set the tone for the trek. 

It was close to sunset when we reached Raithal and settled into our spacious tents in the base camp. It was time to go to the shop at the base camp to rent our gears and equipment for the trek. It is advisable to rent all accessories and gear from the Crosstrek shop. You are assured of the quality and it is also cost effective.  We were a diverse group of 22 persons from age 16 to 67.

Basecamp at Raithal. 

Indiahikes did a debriefing session in the evening which was very informative, fun and the group also got to know each other.

At Raithal basecamp.

Day 2 - Raithal to Gui Camp 9630 feet

The 4.5 km trek took around five hours with an altitude gain of 2488 ft.

Valley views. 

The climb was relentless and did test our endurance and stamina. The energy of our group was very infectious and this helped. We passed though forest trails with some great views. There was always time to take a pause, rest and soak in the views and take pics of the blooming rhododendrons. There was a very welcome refreshing tea break at a grassy patch in the trail. It was time to rest, sing songs, recharge and enjoy the snacks which some of our group members had brought along to share!

We were ready to march to Gui camp which was a hour away. While the day temperature was warm, it became very cold after sunset at Gui. The twin sleeping bags were a boon and it is very important to use all the layers recommended for the hike since temperature at night was -5 Celsius night.

Reached Gui Camp. Oaks in the background. 

Our camp site at Gui.

Post dinner was time to share our experiences and stargaze at the brilliant clear skies.

Gui Camp – under the stars 

Day 3 - Gui camp to Chilapada camp 10515 feet

Daily morning instruction ritual. 

We took app 3.5 hours to trek 2.5 kms. It was a relatively easy day of trekking.

Somewhere along the way. 

Lovely trek through forest trail with 1st close views of Gangotri 1, 2, 3 ranges and Mt Bandarpoonch.

The Gangotri Range and spring bloom. 

The trek was less steep than the previous day. We passed through some streams and then reached a very welcome rain shelter. It was time to rest, take pics and soak in the vibes. Camp Chilapada was close by and after another 45 mins we were in Chilapada camp in time for a steaming hot lunch!

Camp Chilapada.

All smiles.  

There were snow-capped mountains next to the camp and a few adventurous few climbed the peak and also fought a few snow ball battles!

Day 4 - Summit day to Dayara Bugyal (11800 feet) and descent to Nayata Camp

This was the longest trek day! Over eight hours we trekked 9.5 kms.

Easily the best day!  The climb to the summit was steep in a few places. The trail passed through snow covered meadows and mountains.

The awesome Dayara Meadows (Bugyal). 

The sight of the summit was inspiring and infused new energy into our tired bodies. The early morning view of Dayara Bugyal made it worth the effort. “Dayara meadows are a sight to behold. From Dayara, you can see the Greater Himalayan range in all its beauty. The majestic summits of the Gangotri range, including Bandarpoonch, Kala Nag, Srikanth, Jaonli, and Draupadi Ka Danda, are so close that you can almost touch them.”

The meadows stretch endlessly, rolling over hillocks in a seamless carpet of green.” The snow on the undulating meadows was a sight which will remain etched in memory forever.

The final climb to the summit was an emotional experience! Reaching there was an emotion of triumph and accomplishment esp. for those who were on their first trek. Tears of pure joy and happiness.

At the summit.

It was time to also reflect over our journey and begin our decent to Nayata. An hour of descent brought us back to Chilapada

After a short rest it was time to begin our decent to Nayata camp. We reached Nayata camp around 3pm. The descent was tricky in some places as one had to watchful of not stepping on loose rocks.

Trekking through snow. 

Day 5 - Descent from Nayata camp to   Base camp at Raithal

The day began with a birthday celebration! A special breakfast of hot puris and laddos. A group celebration of song and dance was unforgettable.

It was a steep descent of around five hours with a welcome break in between. Time to be watchful in descending but also stopping frequently to soak in the views of the majestic mountain ranges. We had a few melodious singers in our group and this helped in managing some tricky parts of the descent. It is always better to sit and descend in some steep places.

Chai break. 

We wound up an incredible trek with each of us recounting our most significant takeaways during the trip debrief at Raithal Base Camp.

What an incredible experience bolstered even further by lovely team members to share it with.

Author is a Delhi based professional.