Dayara to Dodital - 2

Dayara to Dodital 1

The day dawns clear and cold. Our guide believes that we may be able to obtain rice from another group that has camped on the route we will take today. If that does not work out, we will have to manage without our staple for 2 days.

Dayara Bugyal (3350 - 3600 m)

After a three-hour climb, we reach another cluster of empty stone walled huts near the approach to a meadow known as Dayara Bugyal. We find the perfect chaini – with waterproof roofing, a door, and a wooden floored sleeping area – and quickly lay claim to it. Procuring rice is our next priority and we venture out to find out if we locate other campers. When the expanse of the bugyal comes into view, it is mainly a study in white – the white of the thin layer of snow covering the bugyal, the white of the snow clad Himalayan peaks in the background and the white of the thick clouds gathering over them. Climbing a hump, we see the camp – colorful tents in red, blue, and yellow standing up on a white carpet.

 Our guide is quick to spot the man in charge and strike up a conversation with him. Around us, boys and girls in colorful dresses are making their way unhurriedly across the snow towards the campsite. We learn that these are the eighth class students from a well-known residential public school, on a camping trip. I sheepishly tell the group leader about our “forgetting” to get rice, and he immediately agrees to help. Lighthearted after collecting a generous quantity of rice that will keep us going for the next two days, we explore the snow bound upper reaches and the clear lower reaches of the bugyal, unmindful of the gathering dark clouds.

Banderpoonch Range

The next day promises to be a tough trek. We have to climb a few hundred meters to the northern extremity of the bugyal before making the descent to a camping site below the snow line.

We make an early start under clear skies. The ridge of the Banderpoonch range rising 3 km above us, stands glistening in the sun. Behind it, is visible the unmistakable profile of the even taller Kala Nag peak. 

As we gain altitude, we encounter more snow on the ground, smoothening over the uneven ground. We march in single file, each one following the man in front, matching step to step. We come across a steep hill that must be climbed before the descent begins. I would have easily scrambled up this hill but for the snow cover and the 12kg weight of the haversack on my back. A slip on this slope would take me down perhaps 20 ms and would leave me bruised if not worse. The guide is sitting

Descent from Dayara

at the top of the hill maintaining a watch. If I fall, he will come to pick up the pieces. My legs feel drained of strength and I would feel much better with the weight off my shoulders, but pride stands in the way of my asking the guide for help. There is nothing to hold onto, no alternative except to I inch my way up with long pauses to steady myself and plan the next step. After what seems like an interminable length of time, I reach the top.

Descent from Dayara

The real test is yet to begin. Our guide points to the route down from the bugyal. It is a steep snow covered boulder strewn slope. There is no trace of any path. Sur Veer takes the lead, sure footed despite the heavy load he carries. I make my way down the gully behind the others through foot deep snow, using a long stick to arrest my downward slide.


The gully leads to an open slope and we take a zigzag route through the snow. The traverse is not difficult, but requires total concentration. Before each step, I plunge the stick into the upward slope to get a strong purchase. I match each step to the imprint left in the snow by the others. A misplaced footfall could mean sinking in the snow up to the knees or worse; a slip could mean an uncontrolled slide down the slope a few hundred meters. (J's amazing video of the descent from Dayara)

Ghola Top, part of the ridge dividing the watersheds

Eventually we reach relatively level ground and the first trees, rhododendron and bhojpatra (birch), make their appearance. 


We take a break for tea that Sur Veer prepares in the open. Our shoes are wet and the socks drenched, but there is nothing to be done until we reach the campsite. For the first time, we can see the mountains that divide the Yamuna watershed from the Bhagirathi watershed, now engulfed in angry clouds. It is another three hours before we reach the camping site of Morapla, set in a beautiful mixed forest. Sur Veer immediately finds a suitable chaini, gets water from a stream nearby, and gets the kitchen up and running. We decide to sleep in our tent for the first time in this trip.

An old man and his son who are taking their khacchars down come and share tea with us. It begins to rain and we all settle around the fire in amiable companionship watching Sur Veer cook. The old man maintains that this rain will not last and that it will clear up before evening. He has several tips to offer Sur Veer on how to make a better dal with the limited ingredients we have and how to prevent the cooker from spilling the dal. For us, he has a puzzle. How can we make three log fires with three logs, with two logs available to each fire? 

The rain stops, and father and son resume their journey politely declining our offer to eat with us. The weather clears up.


Continued .....Dayara to Dodital 3