Fridays are always more fun if there’s a trip planned!

The Friday(14th, Oct 2016) night started off by boarding a Volvo to Dehradun. We reached there at 5 in the morning and got our backpacks loaded in the minibus which would take us to the base village of Barsu.

The drive from Dehradun to Barsu was a beautiful one passing through village markets along the river Bhagirathi. The roads to Dayara Bugyal branches off near Bhatwari(7.4 km from Barsu) where we had our lunch.From there, it took us another 30 minutes to reach Barsu.

On our way to Barsu(Gangotri Road)
On our way to Barsu(Gangotri Road)

Trek

Barsu at a height of 7500 ft, is a small and scenic hamlet in the district of Uttarkashi amidst scenic surroundings and this is where the trek to Dayara Bugyal commences.

The minute we started from Barsu, the beauty of the trek engrossed us in its charm. Before we knew it, we were inside the forest, on the rock-paved walkways.

The trek took us through a dense forest of oak and pine.

Barsu to Baranala trek
Barsu to Baranala trek

Barsu to Barnala Tal was a short and easy trek of 4km with gradual ascending altitude. It took us 3 hours (leisurely). It was among the places which are still in their most primitive forms; in a state of pure wilderness.

On the way to Barnala Tal
On the way to Barnala Tal

Rendezvous with The Himalayas

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods; There is a rapture on the lonely shore; There is society, where none intrudes,  By the deep sea, and music in its roar;  I love not man the less, but Nature more…  – Lord Byron

I would rephrase it- I love not man the less, but Nature more! And this was certainly the place to redeem my immense love for mountains.

snow clad mountains
Snow-Clad mountains
The Glacier and snow clad mountains seemed to come closer and closer as we kept on moving. The feeling was that of capturing the sight in my eyes forever and ever. It was alluring. It was magical. It was cryptic! Perhaps the movie Into the Wild can give you an inkling of my state of mind back then.
 
Into the Wild
Into the Wild

Just a few yards away, we could see the shelter tent. It seemed easy to make it through the meadow but nothing was as easy as it looked. The place was quite far, steep and slippery. If I missed a step, I would be rolling down a few hundred meters for sure but I didn’t (I know some of you wanted to hear the other way round :P)

Meadows of Barnala
Meadows of Barnala

The miles of lush green grass as far as the eye could see was the beautiful sight to behold. This is how the alluring meadows(Bugyal) of Barnala began spreading out in front of us.

And I was simply awed at the immenseness of it! ♥

Barnala tal on top of the meadow
Barnala tal on top of the meadow

The Moonrise

It was incredible to see the dark sky filled with an enormous glowing orb. Witnessing the moon rise from such close had sparked lots of imagination inside me. I wanted to write thousands of words in its praise but my eyes didn’t permit me 😉

The Moonrise at Barnala Taal
The Moonrise at Barnala Taal
The Moon on the hills
The Moon on the hills

Witness it once, you would definitely gonna love it more than any sunrise, mark my words 🙂

Campsite

My first encounter with the campsite was simultaneously excited and terrified. It was exactly like the place I dreamt of but at the same time, thoughts of no comfortable beds and no working toilets were making me insane!

How things go in your mind become insignificant while witnessing the immense beauty around you. I had nothing to do. I was literally free to enjoy the moment and I did. It was bizarrely refreshing!

Campsite at Barnala Taal
Campsite at Barnala Taal

Oh, and remember to leave the campsite and any other areas you visit cleaner than how you found them.

Tradition of trek-Bonfire

It was time for dinner since it had started to get dark and cold. We ate like kings and By the way, the food always tasted better in Hills 😉 After the dinner, our guiding crew arranged bonfire and we sat around it.

The Conversation started with teasing each other, followed by politics and then someone in the group said abruptly “Let’s all play Antakshari”. Initially, we started with 2 teams but ended up singing all Bollywood classics together 😀

A ripple of laughter ran through the circle and made the atmosphere more melodious. The starry night, the fire and the Moon had created an enjoyable experience to remember forever.

Bonfire tradition
Bonfire tradition

In the comfort of a sleeping bag and after the tiring journey, it didn’t take much time for me to fall asleep Zzz.

Final Words

When I was a kid, I used to draw a landscape with mountains at backdrop and a water stream flowing nearby. In Dayara, I found my drawing which had got lost over the years!!

my drawing

What more can I say about this beauteous world created by God? The picture speaks for itself. All I can say is that I had a bag load of impressions and lasting memories…

Try this place once as it’s a perfect pick for amateurs!  You will definitely come back with a whole new appreciation for the outdoors, and, in turn, Trekking!

Let us know you do you like the post by commenting below. You can also visit my follow-up on Dayara Bugyal here – Dayara part 2

“Contest entry for The Adventurer Blog Contest November 2017 by Bikat Adventures” 

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