Dayara Bugyal: Explore the most beautiful alpine meadows in India

One fine morning, on a chilly-winter day while I sat by the window sill, ?I want to go the mountains?, I thought to myself and with a backpack on my shoulder, I began. 

First up, I needed to have a plan, so I shuffled through my bucket list and picked up the Dayara Bugyal trek for its moderate distance, average height, pocket-friendly cost, easily accessible location, pleasant weather and all the other right reasons. I glanced through other necessary details, read some blogs and finally crossed my fingers for the forthcoming, exciting excursion. 

Was I nervous? Hell yes, but did I want to back off? Absolutely not! I remember feeling an amalgamation of excitement, nervousness and spikes of adrenaline rushes making peaks in me, for it was going to be my first, unplanned, solo trip to the mountains. But I also remember saying to myself, ?This is what I live for, this feeling is all that matters? and truly, I pushed myself to the top of the cliff, back then. Dayara Bugyal trek since then lies close to my heart and I have been its sincere advocate. 

The unending, vast and almost infinite appearing meadows at Dayara Bugyal are to die for! It?s a sight found nowhere else in the country. It?s a sight, unreal, magical, pleasingly romantic and there cannot be two opinions about it. The unexploited, pious beauty of the valley is graced by the presence of rich flora and fauna that add a dramatic richness to the overall experience of trekking in the valley. The place is cinematic, wild, safe and just about everything that a trekking enthusiast dreams of!

So with my hopes high and my determination pulled together, I reached Dehradun to finally being the excursion to Dayara Bugyal. I was to reach the Natin village from here. There are many public transports that can be availed to reach the campsite. It took about 9 hours for me to reach the village of Natin, the Bhagirathi River accompanied us on the drive for most part of the journey, we drove past the beautiful town of Uttarkashi to reach Raithal via Bhatwari. It was a pleasant and soothing drive through batches of forests as well as pretty landscapes. 

I began the trek from Natin to Gui, the next day. The ascend was evened out and the trail passed through interesting and vibrant landscapes with rhododendrons and oak trees. All in all, it was a fun trek and I covered a distance of 3.5 km to reach the village of Gui that rests at an altitude of 9,500 ft. There is also a little lake situated close to the campsite that is picturesque and where once can enjoy a little solitude. 

Next up on the itinerary was the trek to Chelapada. This day was the easiest of all days of the excursion. I thoroughly enjoyed the pleasant, soothing and fascinating trek to Chelapada. The route passed through the same vibrant landscapes as the previous day along with a few frozen streams. The sight of snow clad meadows was astonishingly refreshing. I took my time to gradually complete the trek in about 4 hours and reached an altitude of 9,845 ft this day. 

Buckled up and all set, I began my trek to Dayara top, next morning. As I climbed upwards, the tree lines appeared sparser and sparser by the distance. At one point, I finally left the forest behind me and entered the beautiful, breathtaking and arousing meadows of Dayara situated at a height of 11,829 ft. The view was exceptionally fascinating, so much so that I almost froze in the moment. There were mighty peaks of Mt Kala Nag and Mt Bandar Poonch that stood tall and aloof in all their glory, right before a seemingly unending patch of fresh, powdery, snow smeared meadows. And there it was, a moment that arrested me, a moment of first sight love, and a moment that I continue to cherish even today. After exploring the meadows with all my heart, I returned to Gui to camp for the night. 

The next day marked the trek from Gui to Natin. It was a long, easy and pleasant descend. Trekkers also descend to Raithal this day which is another ideal base camp for the trek to Dayara. I reached Natin in approximately 4 hours and spent the remaining day hiking and exploring the wilderness around. After spending a beautiful night here, I departed to Dehradun, early morning, the next day. 

Dayara Bugyal trek in a nutshell is an ideal trek for beginners who wish to enhance their game and improve their sport. It offers exquisite panoramic views, lies at the moderate level on the difficulty spectrum , has average temperature during various seasons, is easily accessible from cities like Delhi and is one of the most admired and desired treks of Uttarakhand. Although it remains open for most part of the year, the best time to visit Dayara Bugyal is either during peak winter that is during the months of December and January or during the months of April and May when the snow has melted and the flora in the region begin to spring.