Dayara Bugyal Trek

Dayara Bugyal is a very large alpine meadow on a broad shoulder above the Bhagirathi valley in Uttarkashi district, reached from the villages of Raithal or Barsu. The trek is deliberately gentle. From Raithal the trail climbs through oak, maple and rhododendron to a series of forest and meadow-edge camps at Gui and Chilapada, gaining only a few hundred metres a day over two or three kilometres, and then opens out onto rolling grass with the Gangotri group, Bandarpunch and Srikanth standing along the skyline. The one substantial day is the loop across the meadow to the high point and back, which is nine to twelve kilometres of easy-angled walking at around 3,500 to 3,700 metres. This is genuinely one of the better first Himalayan treks: nothing is exposed, nothing is technical, and the six-day version the operator sells is a full day longer than most competitors run it, which makes the acclimatisation comfortable rather than merely adequate. The meadow is not empty scenery, either. It is grazing land, and in mid-August the villages of Raithal and Barsu hold Anduri Utsav, a butter festival celebrating the cattle's return. In winter the same slopes hold deep, uncomplicated snow, which is what most people come for.

• Raithal village above the Bhagirathi, and the oak, maple and rhododendron forest the trail climbs through out of it.
• Gui and Chilapada, the forest camps, where the canopy first breaks and the meadow edge appears above.
• The Dayara meadow itself — one of the largest high meadows in Garhwal, rolling for kilometres at 3,500-3,700 m, under snow in winter and in flower from May.
• Barnala Tal, a small lake on the meadow's lower edge.
• Bakaria Top and Dayara Top at about 12,100 ft, the high points of the loop across the grassland.
• The Gangotri group, Bandarpunch and Srikanth on the skyline — a full Garhwal panorama from a trek with short walking days.
• Working shepherd country: this is a grazing bugyal, and in season you will share it with flocks and their herders.

Drink 3 to 4 litres a day. Use the short afternoons at Gui and Chilapada to walk up 100 m and come back rather than resting flat, which is the single most useful thing the extra day buys you. Avoid alcohol and sleeping tablets. Report headache when it starts. Himalayan Hikers states they run daily health checks with pulse oximeters and carry emergency oxygen; ask your operator to confirm the same. If symptoms are not improving, or there is confusion, loss of balance, breathlessness at rest or a wet cough, descend. On this route descent is unusually quick, because Raithal is only a few hours below the highest camp.

• The operator grades this Easy - Moderate; independent sources support Easy-Moderate. We list the sourced grade — see the sources below.
• Uttarakhand Forest Department, Uttarkashi Forest Division. Fees are collected and trekkers registered at the forest check post at Raithal or Barsu; no state tourism or district magistrate clearance is required for Indian nationals.
• Build for four weeks, which is less than the other treks in this batch require. A workable target is a 45 minute brisk walk with 300 m of ascent, three times a week, plus one longer walk of 10 to 12 km before you go so that the loop day is not the longest walk of your life. Add stair or hill repeats with a 5 to 8 kg pack. Because three of the four walking days are under 4 km, the limiting factor for most people is the loop day and the steep forest descent, not cardiovascular capacity. This is a reasonable trek for a fit beginner, for older trekkers with medical clearance, and for children of around 10 and up with individual assessment.
• Two realistic scenarios and one seasonal one. First, a whiteout on the bugyal: the meadow is large, rolling and almost featureless, and in fresh snow or thick cloud a group that spreads out can lose the trail and each other. This is by some distance the most likely way this trek goes wrong. Second, an unsheltered afternoon storm on the loop day, which in summer means lightning on open high ground and in winter means hypothermia. Third, the approach road in monsoon. Altitude illness is a genuine but low risk here, and it would be dishonest to present this trek as more dangerous than it is: the honest summary is that Dayara is a safe trek with one navigational hazard that people underestimate because the grade says Easy.

Nearest railhead: Dehradun (DDN), approximately 175 to 190 km from Raithal by road, 6 to 8 hours via Mussoorie, Chinyalisaur, Uttarkashi and Bhatwari. euttaranchal gives 192 km to the Barsu side.. Nearest airport: Jolly Grant, Dehradun (DED), approximately 200 to 218 km from Raithal, 7 to 9 hours by road. The airport is about 25 km from Dehradun city, so add that to any distance quoted from the railway station.. Basecamp: Raithal (roughly 7,000 to 7,400 ft / 2,140 to 2,250 m), Bhatwari block, Uttarkashi. Barsu, about 3 km further up the valley at roughly 2,215 m, is the alternative base and is used for the exit on some itineraries..

• 1 x thermal base layer set, merino or synthetic, mid weight (about 200 gsm), plus a dry set kept for sleeping
• 2 x quick-dry trekking trousers, no denim, no cotton
• 3 x quick-dry full-sleeve trekking t-shirts. Full sleeve matters on the meadow, where there is no shade at all for six hours
• 2 x fleece or synthetic mid layers, roughly 200 and 300 weight
• 1 x down or synthetic insulated jacket rated to about minus 10 C for camp and for the loop day if the wind is up
• 1 x waterproof and windproof shell jacket with a hood and taped seams. The meadow is fully exposed and offers nowhere to shelter from a squall
• 1 x waterproof overtrousers
• 1 x insulated beanie covering the ears, plus a sun cap or wide-brim hat. On a bright March day on snow-covered grass the sun is the main discomfort
• 1 to 2 x neck gaiters or buffs
• 2 x gloves: a thin liner and a waterproof insulated outer
• 4 pairs of wool or wool-blend trekking socks, plus 1 thick pair kept dry for sleeping only
• Thermal leggings for camp
• 1 x waterproof high-ankle trekking boots with a lugged sole, broken in over at least 50 km. The forest section is steep in both directions and the meadow is soft, wet ground under melting snow in spring
• Gaiters for March and April, and mandatory from December to February. Wet feet on a snow-covered meadow with a long walk back is the most common way this easy trek becomes unpleasant
• 1 x lightweight closed-toe camp shoes
• 50 to 60 litre backpack with a padded hip belt and a rain cover if you carry your own load, or a 20 to 30 litre daypack if you offload to a mule
• Sleeping bag with a comfort rating of about minus 10 C for March and April. Most operators supply one; confirm the comfort rating, not the extreme rating
• Sleeping mat with an R-value of 3 or better if you supply your own, and 4 or better if you are going in January
• 2 x trekking poles. The descent from Gui to Raithal is the steepest sustained section on the trek and is where knees complain
• Microspikes for March and April snow on the meadow, mandatory in deep winter. Himalaya Shelter describes microspikes as essential for winter conditions here; confirm whether the operator supplies them
• Headlamp with fresh batteries and a spare set
• 2 x 1 litre bottles, at least one wide-mouth or insulated so it does not freeze shut overnight. Water is available at the forest camps but there is nothing reliable out on the meadow, so fill up before the loop day
• Water purification tablets or a filter. This is grazing land and livestock use the same water
• UV400 wraparound sunglasses, category 3 or 4. Six hours on open snow-covered grass with no shade is a snow-blindness setup; carry a spare pair
• Power bank of 10,000 mAh or more. No charging above Raithal
• Dry bags or bin liners for the sleeping bag and spare clothes
• Toilet paper, a small trowel, sealable bags for waste, and a bag for your own litter. Forest rules require waste to be carried out and human waste buried well away from trails and water
• Original government photo ID (Aadhaar, voter ID, driving licence or passport) plus 2 photocopies. Registration at the Raithal or Barsu check post requires names, ID, emergency contacts, intended route and campsites, and expected return date
• 2 to 4 passport-size photographs
• Foreign nationals: passport and valid Indian visa plus copies, and expect a higher per-day forest fee
• Medical fitness certificate, which Himalayan Hikers states is mandatory on this route and which Himalaya Trekkers reports is required for trekkers over 50 even on easier routes
• Trekking or travel insurance policy number and the insurer's 24-hour emergency line. Insurance is now asked for on most Uttarakhand treks
• Cash for forest entry fees, which are collected at the check post and cannot be paid by card
• Emergency contact details on paper
• Blister kit: zinc oxide tape, hydrocolloid dressings and a needle
• Paracetamol; ibuprofen or diclofenac taken with food
• Diamox (acetazolamide) only on the advice of a doctor who knows your history and sulfa allergy status. The profile here is gentle enough that it is often not indicated; do not start it for the first time on the trail
• An anti-emetic such as ondansetron, an anti-diarrhoeal such as loperamide, and oral rehydration salts
• Personal prescription medication in original packaging at double the expected quantity, split between two bags
• Antiseptic cream, a crepe bandage, and duct tape
• SPF 50+ sunscreen and SPF lip balm, reapplied through the loop day. There is genuinely no shade on the bugyal
• Personal hygiene items and, for women, enough sanitary supplies plus sealable bags to carry them out