Dayara Bugyal Trek

Day 1 of the Dayara trek is set aside for participants to travel to our homestay in Raithal, Uttarkashi. If you have arranged to drive from Dehradun to Raithal through HOT, the day begins early; please make sure you arrive at the meeting point by 7 AM. If you intend to travel independently to Raithal village, you may find this article useful for organizing your travel schedule.

We adjust to the alpine climate route to the basecamp, settle in with other hikers, and take in the breathtaking scenery along the way—which includes vivid yellow mustard fields, shifting hues of hilltops, the serene flow of the Bhagirathi river, and the picturesque Tehri Dam Falls. The route via Dhanaulti brings us to Chinyalisour, where we drive through charming Uttarakhand towns and villages before passing the busy town of Uttarkashi and on to Maneri.
After this lengthy drive and some downtime, we hold a briefing about our itinerary, our experience, fundamental dos and don'ts, and environmental conservation practices. Since we are a learning organization, we also hold a briefing about the necessities of trekking, including a demonstration of how to pack one's backpack and sleeping bags and a briefing on how to arrange for all the basic equipment one may need for a successful trek. In order to make sure that our hike is hassle-free for everyone, the forest permits, associated paperwork, and clearances are also finished on the first day.

After a hearty breakfast, we set out from Raithal village to our camp near Gui Lake. The trail starts off as an alley surrounded by terraced farms and golden paddy fields with a native stream running alongside them. After an hour, we enter a dense section of forest with pinewood and oak trees, known locally as Mohru and Pangar, and this continues all the way to an open area with shepherd shielings.The trees create a thick canopy over us, giving us the impression that we are in the middle of nowhere, far from the bustle of the big city. The view of Mt. Srikanth, Mt. Bandarpoonch, and DraupadikaDaanda peaks is captivating, and on a clear day, the entire Garhwal Himalayan range, from Gangotri to Mt. Jaonli, is visible from these expansive grounds. Today, we gain approximately 848 meters in elevation.

After stopping for a snack and a nap in the middle of the journey, we head for Gui Campsite, which is only four hours from Raithal. We arrive there early in the afternoon, where we pitch our own tents with other hikers following a demonstration by the trek leaders. After lunch, we prepare to explore the jade-colored Gui Lake, which is completely frozen during the winter months.
We explore the lake and adjacent clearings for a while before returning to the campsite—the sunset views from this location are a must-see—and spend the remainder of the evening with warming snacks and an early dinner.

Today, we rise early, around 7 AM. After a hearty breakfast and morning tea, we pack our tents and begin our journey to Chilapada. After navigating the thatch patches near Gui, we make our way to the forest patch covered in Golden Oaks and Maple trees. The trail is a little more challenging than it was yesterday because of a steep 30-minute climb that leads to the campsite at Chilapada.

Two seasonal, semi-frozen water bodies are visible after crossing a small boulder zone. A spot around a dry grass thatch, just before the top, leads to the partially-frozen Barnala Lake. The campsite is three kilometers away from Gui Lake.
After setting up camp and getting some fresh air, we hike to Barnala Lake. This trail takes us through a dense alpine forest and soft snowy high grounds that gradually lead to the lake.We spend the day at the lake and the nearby temple before hiking through the woods to return to the Chilapada campsite. Winter evenings in Chilapada can be cool, so dress warmly. After a hearty dinner, we call it a day to rejuvenate for the next day.

Today, after a hearty breakfast, we set out to reach Dayara Top, the highest point of the trek. The trail through the opaque forest patch is adorned with powdered snow, leading uphill towards the high grounds, from where we can see a panoramic view of the Garhwal Himalayas as we approach the last shieling, or a 'Garhwali Chaani,' and the snowy meadows of DayaraBugyal. Walk through these meadows and enjoy the panoramic view of the prominent Garhwal Himalayas, including Bakariya Top, Black Peak, Bandarpoonch, Mt. Srikanth, Draupadika Daanda, and Mt. Jaunli. As you progress, the beauty and grandeur of these mountains seem to beckon you. Wide grounds shimmering with silver white snow can be seen in all their glory.
The walk through the Bugyal gives way to a more steep and ascending snowy path that leads to Dayara Top. The expansive and undulating snow grounds sparkle with snow in all directions. The views from DayaraBugyal to Dayara Top are truly remarkable and well worth the climb. Today's elevation gain from Chilapada to Dayara Top is approximately 656 meters.

After enjoying the breathtaking view for a while at the summit and refueling with some snacks, we head back to the final shieling and head towards the snow section in the southwest to begin our descent. The next few hours at this elevation will be spent on a snow walk in a meadow with a whistling cold breeze; while this could be challenging, it will undoubtedly be exciting and provide an adrenaline rush.The trail route via Barnala Tal leads us towards Nayata. After crossing back over the high meadows, we walk through oakwoods with glimpses of Mt. Bandarpoonch and Gangotri in the background. The 3 km trail is a moderate descent from the lake and is lined with maple trees and dry, sparse vegetation all the way to the campsite, which offers breathtaking views of the sun setting over the mountains. We spend the remaining time at Nayata remembering and sharing our experiences under the stars before calling it a night.

Now that we have completed the trek to Dayara Top, we can all proudly say that it was an adventure of a lifetime! Today, we descend from Nayata back towards the village of Raithal. It is about 4 km down through maple and oakwood trees; the forest turns fairly steep. Rhododendrons can be found in abundance on this path. We have our packed lunch halfway through our stride down to Raithal. Within an hour into the trail, the village landscape appears in the foreground from the forest. The trail ends near the GMVN cottage next to a Raithal village cafe, marking the completion of the trek.
While there is minimal network coverage around Raithal village, a few points in Chilapada camp do receive minimal coverage. The drive back to the closest city, Dehradun, takes about eight hours. If you have scheduled your trip back to Dehradun with HOT, we leave by 1 pm to reach the city by evening. Kindly book your accommodations and travel ahead accordingly. Should you require any assistance with the same, please feel free to get in touch.