Ali Bedni Bugyal Trek

We will start our trek from Lohajung to Didna Village early in the morning. The route passes through Kuling, which is 4 km from Lohajung. The hiking trail begins with a gentle descent for the first few kilometres. After continuing walking for a few minutes, you come across a small river. From here, the trail continues with a gradual ascent on a rugged path with small boulders and moraine.

A further hike of 2 km from Kuling will take you to Didna Village. Here, you will pass through small stepped fields and small clearings where you can rest and relax. The dense vegetation of Didna, which includes Rhododendrons and Apple trees and the simplicity of its village life, will wash away all your tiredness. Here, you will find many homestays that offer homemade food and tents to help you rest and relax for the night.

On the third day of our trek, we will cover a distance of around 12 km from Didna to reach our first destination, Ali Bugyal. This section of the trail is easy to moderate, with a gradual uphill climb along dense coniferous forests and small clearings.

After an easy hike of 2.5 km, you will reach Tolpani, a small settlement where shepherds tend to their sheep. Along the trail, herds graze on lush green clearings, bringing joy to your heart and lifting your spirit with each step. Here, you will also come across the Chaukhamba Peak viewpoint.

As you hike uphill, the scent of oak and pine fills the air, while sun rays playfully weave through the dense canopy, creating a mesmerising experience. The trail levels out as you approach Ali Bugyal, and the forests begin to thin, revealing stunning views of the surrounding peaks.

At Ali Bugyal, you will find a vast expanse of velvet grass carpeted across the ridge. The greenery tempts you to feel the grass on your toes to help you relax your feet after an exhausting journey. After walking for an hour, you can reach the top of Ali Bugyal. Here, you can catch the top view of the colourful rooftops of the huts of Didna surrounded by a thick blanket of clouds. We will conclude our day here, and camp at Abin Kharak, a depression in Ali Bugyal.

If you want to see Ali Bugyal at its best, wake up early to catch the beautiful sunrise, something you don’t want to miss. Today, we will explore the second alpine meadow, Bedni Bugyal. This trail section is short in distance but can be a test of fitness due to the terrain’s slightly steep and rugged nature.

We will ascend to the top of the ridge at Ali Bugyal from Abin Kharak, our campsite. We can easily cover the distance from Ali Bugyal to Bedni Bugyal (approx. 2.5 to 3 km). There is no habitation on this trail, so carry enough food and water for this day.

As you approach the Bedni Bugyal, you will spot a signboard indicating its location. Upon reaching, the green meadow dotted with yellow, pink, and red wildflowers and the majestic peaks of Trishul and Nanda Ghunti in full view, will leave you in awe of nature’s beauty. A slight descent at the Bugyal will take you to Bedni Kund and a small ancient temple near it. These are important religious sites for the Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra, performed every 12 years by the locals.

We will trek back to our campsite at Ali Bugyal to spend the night. The descent is easier and should take about half an hour to an hour to reach the camp, depending on your pace.

Today, we will hike back to our base camp, Lohajung via Wan Village (approx. 10 km) and visit many attractions along the way. The trail to Wan Village goes through dense coniferous forests of oak, pine, walnuts, and rhododendrons, among others. Do not forget to take short breaks on the trail to catch glimpses of the Trishul mountains from different viewpoints.

The descent is easy and will take you to the Neel Ganga River, which twists and turns at full speed through the mountains. This is a great place to rest and relax before you continue your hike across the bridge over the stream. From here, you will ascend to Ranaka Dhar through the lush forest trail filled with fallen leaves and wild grass. At Ranaka Dhar, you can get a bird-eye view of the entire valley of Wan and Lohajung.

Further, you will continue your descent to Wan Village, where you will notice tall and old Cypress Trees or Christmas Trees. Here, you can pay a visit to the famous Latu Devta Temple, another religious site for the Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra.

At Wan, you will find many local taxis to take you back to Lohajung. You can also spend a night at Wan to explore the village and continue the trek to the base camp the next day.

This marks the end of our Ali Bedni Bugyal Trek. After enjoying a hearty breakfast in Lohajung, we will drive back to Rishikesh early in the morning. The total distance between Rishikesh and Lohajung is around 249 km, which will take about 10-11 hrs to reach our final destination.

Do not forget to relish the beautiful views of the three Prayags, valleys and peaks on your way back.