garwhal – Soul Mountain Expeditions

garwhal, medium trek, trek, trekking, uttarakhand

Har Ki Dun Trek

TRIP INTRODUCTION :

Har ki Dun trek is a popular trek in Uttarakhand which covers some amazing places including Govind National Park which is well known for it’s various plants, wild flowers and birds species. This trek offers you amazing view of Himalayas, whole forests covered by wild flowers and beautiful forests all around. This trek route and places nearby like Banderpoonch Range and some glaciers are very popular for trekking and camping. For this trek, we usually follow the trekking trail alongside Tons river from Netwar village through some remote villages in Gangad. Along the way, we stop at some camping grounds as well as a forest department guest house if available.

TREK SUMMARY :

Day 01 : DEHRADUN TO SANKARI. 210 km – 8 hours drive
Day 02 : SANKRI TO TALUKA/DAATMIR. (2200 m) – 15km (5hours)
Day 03 : TALUKA/DAATMIR TO SEEMA/OSLA. – 11 km (5hours)
Day 04 : SEEMA/OSLA TO HAR-KI-DUN. (3510m) – 12 km
Day 05 : HAR-KI-DUN TO OSLA – 12 kms
Day 06 : OSLA TO SANKRI – 26kms
Day 07 : SANKARI TO DEHRADUN – 210 kms

DURATION: 7 days, 6 nights.
BEST SEASON: April till June. September till November,
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Medium
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 3600 m at Har Ki dun
WEATHER: Cold nights and sometimes warm days.

COST : INR 12400 per person.

TREK ITINERARY :

Day 01 : DEHRADUN – SANKARI 210 km
Early morning drive from Dehradun towards Sankari which will take around 8 hours. Rest stops for rest and refreshments. Last 22 km drive through Govind National Park is bumpy but extremely scenic.

Day 02 : SANKRI – TALUKA 2200m – 15 km
After an early breakfast, we start walking towards Taluka long a trekking route besides Tons river. We will pass through beautiful forests, fruit orchards and farms all along the way. Our rest stop for night can be near village Taluka or Datmir.

Day 03 : TALUKA – SEEMA or OSLA – 11kms
Next day, we keep on walking the same trek route along Tons river which makes for an amazing nature experience. On the way, we will have to cross a number of small streams which are tributaries for Tons river. We can either stop in Seema village which has a few dhabas and a guest house or a more scenic camping site at Osla village.

Day 04 : SEEMA or OSLA TO HAR-KI-DUN (3510m) – 12 km
As we start walking, we will start climbing to higher altitude. We will cross the Tons river from near Seema village and progress further to see some awesome views of Ruinsara valley and Banderpoonch mountain range. There are some small farms along the way and we will walk through them to reach a valley for our campsite for the day. There is a glacier called Jamdar which keeps on increasing or decreasing in size.

Day 05 : HAR-KI-DUN to OSLA – 12 km
After having breakfast, we we will undertake short hikes to explore the surrounding area,The trekkers can enjoy beautiful views of landmarks like Jamdar glacier and Swarharohini Peak. According to Hindu mythology, this peak is considered to be the gateway to heaven. Later on, we walk back to Osla village.

Day 06 : OSLA – SANKRI – 26 kms
We start early morning and reach Taluka village by late afternoon. Even though the distance is long, terrain is pretty easy. It is also possible to take a keep back for last 10-12 km.
Day 07 : SANKRI – DEHRADUN – 210 kms
Drive back towards Dehradun. and drop there.

PACKING LIST

Small backpack to hold the day walk necessities.
Luggage in rucksack/soft bags suitable to be carried by self or porters.
Warm clothes, wind-cheater, scarf, hat, sun-glasses, sunscreen.
Comfortable hiking shoes with thick socks.
Personal medical kit, water bottle, snacks, water filer or tablets.
Toilet paper, wet wipes.
A bag to collect own trash.

GENERAL NOTIFICATIONS:

Travel programs in the Himalayas not necessarily would always run exactly as scheduled. Allow for unplanned long days or early camps due to weather disruptions or similar causes.
There are places with limited communication possibility and/or medical facilities nearby on this route.
Participants should be prepared for cold conditions with strong winds and high wind chill factor.
Any additional expenses which might occur due to delays, weather disruptions, medical evacuation etc. would need to be borne by the participants. All overstay due to weather disruption, road blocks and similar which are not under our control would be charged as per tour cost for planned days.
All participants are recommended to have a travel insurance that covers trekking and wilderness travel.

INCLUSIONS

Pickup and drop from Dehradun in a private or shared taxi.
Accommodation in campsites with possibility of stay in a guest house for 1-2 nights if asked for in advance and available.
Meals, tea and non-bottled water in campsite, Bottled water available for purchase.
Tents, sleeping bag, ground mats. Hiking sticks if needed.
Porters or mules available for hire.

BySoul Mountain Expeditions

garwhal, medium trek, trek, trekking, uttarakhand

Trek to Dodi Taal

TRIP INTRODUCTION:

Dodi Taal is a beautiful lake in the Himalayan mountain range of western Garwhal in Uttarakhand. It has 2 major approach routes from Barsu as well as Dyara Bugyal and both are equally popular with trekkers. There is a fairly large number of Himalaysn Trout fish (called Mahaseer locally) in the lake among a few other species. The whole region is full of dense beautiful forests inhabited by numerous species of flora and fauna. There is a short hiking route leading to Darwa Top which goes on further in to Yamuna valley ending at Hanuman Chatti. Darwa Top offers magnificent views of a number of snow covered Himalayan mountain peaks.

Trek Summary:

DAY 01: RISHIKESH – UTTARKASHI – BHEWRA (180kms) – 7 hours drive and 2 hours trek
DAY 02: BHEWRA – DODI TAAL( 8 hours trek)
DAY 03: DODI TAAL – DARWA TOP AND BACK ( 4-5 hours)
DAY 04: DODI TAAL – BHEWRA VILLAGE ( 8-9 hours trek)
DAY 05: BHEWRA VILAGE – RISHIKESH ( 2 hours trek and 8 hours drive)

Duration: 5 Days, 4 Nights
Best Season: April till November
Difficulty Level: Medium
Total Distance: 40 km
Maximum Elevation: Darwa Top at 3100 m
Weather: Cold nights and days during winter. Pleasant days during summer.
Getting From/To: Rishikesh is about 5 hours drive from Delhi and 1 hour drive from Haridwar railway station.

Cost: INR 12000 per person.

TREK ITINERARY

Day 01: RISHIKESH – UTTARKASHI – BHEWRA (180kms) – 7 hours drive and 2 hours trek
Early morning pickup from Rishikesh (or Haridwar) and drive towards Bhewra village will passing through Uttarkashi leading to Sangam Chatti. First campsite is situated on bank of Assi Ganga river and it takes about 2 hours to trek from Sangam CHatti to reach there.

Day 02: BHEWRA – DODI TAAL ( 8 hours trek)
We will start the trek towards Manhi village, a small settlement on the mountains. Most people make their living by farming on terraced farms on mountain slopes. We will trek through beautiful oak, deodar and pine tree forest to reach Dodi Taal lake.

Day 03: DODITA TO DARWA TOP AND BACK ( 4-5 hours)
We will climb up to Darwa top and spend some time in the area enjoying the views mentioned in trip introduction above. We can spend th evening there or near the lake as per preference and weather conditions.

Day 04: DODI TAAL – BHEWRA VILLAGE ( 8-9 hours trek)
We will walk back the same route taken previously to Bhewra village. It’s all downhill and comparitively easier. Night stay in village.

Day 05: BHEWRA VILAGE – RISHIKESH/HARIDWAR ( 2 hours trek and 8 hours drive)
Starting early morning, we will first trek for about 2 hours before taking the car back to Rishikesh or Haridwar.

PACKING LIST:

Small backpack to hold the day walk supplies.
Luggage in rucksack/soft bags suitable to be carried by self or porters.
Warm clothes, wind-cheater, scarf, hat, sun-glasses, sunscreen, comfortable walking shoes.
Personal medical kit, water bottle, snacks.
Toilet paper, wet wipes.
A bag to collect own trash.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Travel itineraries in the mountains don not necessarily run exactly as scheduled. Keep a buffer for delays due to weather, road conditions etc.
Any additional expenses caused by delays, medical condition, road blocks and other causes will be borne by the guests.
We recommend a comprehensive travel insurance and a medical checkup before the visit.
This tour covers some remote destinations in Spiti which have very limited phone coverage, unpredictable weather and high altitude.

INCLUSIONS:

Pickup drop from Haridwar or Rishikesh in a private or shared taxi.
Accommodation in campsites and guest houses mentioned.
Meals, tea and non-bottled water in campsite, Bottled water available for purchase.

EXCLUSIONS :

Hotel stay and meals at Rishikesh or Haridwar before and after the trip.
Personal expenses, refreshments during road journey, alcohol.
Anything not mentioned explicitly in the above program.

BySoul Mountain Expeditions

easy trek, garwhal, trek, trekking, uttarakhand

Dayara Bugyal Trek

INTRODUCTION

Bugyal is the local word for a grass covered highland pasture region and this region of Uttarkhand boasts of many scenic Bugyals. Dayara Bugyal is famous for it’s scenic beauty, gentle slopes suitable for skiing. It’s a popular skiing destination during winter season of January to March. For rest of the year, Dyara Bugyal offers an easy yet highly reqarding trek for nature lovers. The trekkers get to see clear panoramic views of the important Gangotri range, origin of river Ganga. The trek route passes through scenic forests full of trees, plants, animals and birds of hundreds of different species and offers magnificent views of snow covered Himalayan mountain peaks all around. The trek gives you the opportunity to visit one of the best bugyals in Uttarakhand.

TREK SUMMARY:

DAY 01 : Dehradun – Barsu (Drive 5-6 hours) – Barsu Campsite (1 hour Trek)
DAY 02 : Barsu – Dayara Bugyal (4-5 hours Trek)
DAY 03 : Rest and local sightseeing
DAY 04 : Dayara Bugyal – Barsu hike(3 hours) – Dehraun (Drive 5-6 hours)

Duration: 3 Days | 2 Nights
Best Season: April till October.
Difficulty Level: Easy
Maximum Elevation: 3048 m at Dayara Bugyal
Weather: Cold nights and days during winter. Pleasant days during summer
Getting from/To: Rishikesh is about 5 hours drive from Delhi and 1 hour drive from Haridwar railway station.