The highest point in the trek is the Dev Kyara Bugyal (meadow) which is worshiped by the locals. This campsite is the highlight of the trek and it’s very rewarding to camp here an extra night. One can also cross the pass on the ridge on the left bank of Obra and enter into the beautiful Har Ki Dun valley. However, the trek will be longer in duration.
We start the journey early from Dehradun and drive initially to the famous hill station of Mussoorie. After just over 100 km, we pass close to the temple of Lakhamandal. According to locals, Duryodhana of the epic Mahabharata conspired to burn the Lakshagriha house of the Pandavas in this area. Damta, Purola, Mori and Netwar are some of the other villages on the route. We follow the river Yamuna Naugaon and accompanies us till Purola. Purola is the last big settlement on the route with a large market. So, it is recommended that the trekkers can buy anything they might have missed out by Purola itself. It also is the last village where most of the mobile networks work.
The drive after Purola is through a beautiful forest of pine trees. In some distance, on top of a hill we can see the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya overlooking the valley. From near the village of Mori, the river Netwar. The fall in temperature can be felt from here. We officially enter Govind Pashu Vihar Wildlife Sanctuary after we cross a check post at Netwar. It can be considered the southern gateway to the sanctuary as most of the treks across the region are accessed from here onwards. The northern border of the sanctuary merges into Himachal Pradesh. Close to here, the rivers of Rupin and Supin merge to form Tons, which is the largest tributary of Yamuna and in fact larger than Yamuna itself, in terms of volume of flow. The peak of Kedarkantha can be seen from various points along the way from here.
We reach Sankri by early evening. It is a small village with a central market lined with a few shops. The village has numerous apple orchards which are harvested starting from late summer. The market area is new compared to the old village area, a part of which is known as ‘Saud’. The village also produces peach, apricots and potatoes. One can see the Swargarohini peak from here on a clear day. We rest at night in a guest house or in camps.
We Start the day early as we head towards the Obra Thatch campsite with the trek being rather easy on this day. We follow the river with pleasant views and resting spots along the way. Reaching the campsite well in the afternoon hours we have plenty of time post the camp setup to rest, or hike around the campsite. On a good summer day it can be pleasing to find a spot along the stream for a quick dip into the river, as long as the sun shines overhead.On reaching Sikolta, set your bags down and take an excursion to Juda ka Talab, a well-known lake among the trekking community.
The second trekking day is going to be the longest trekking day with significant altitude gain during the journey. After the initial ascend through the dense pine forest the landscape gradually transcends into a magnificent open valley with unparalleled views of huge snow capped mountain tops. The destination for the day is Bhawa Waterfall, cutting across a mountain face, that marks the campsite. Be sure to pick on the wild strawberries that you would come across today should you happen to undertake this trek in the summer months.The walk through islands of rhododendrons opens to a meadow of plain green grass of Bhoj Gadi. Set against a backdrop of purple-grey hued and snow-capped mountains, this is one of the most beautiful campsites on any Himalayan trail you will witness. Roam around the area, pose with a fascinating arrangement of stones and a log, or just sit and let serenity wash over you.
This day is the highlight of the trek. About an hour from Bhoj Gadi, we descend to the iconic ridge – the Phulara Ridge. A ridge is a chain of mountains that form a continuous crest for some distance. Its narrow edges drop into valleys on either side. This grants you an unobstructed view of some of the most majestic Garhwal Himalayan mountain ranges – including Swargarohini and Bandarpoonch, in 3 directions. You would be awestruck, to say the least.
Once the ridge ends, you descend into the vast, undulating Pushtara bugyal i.e. Pushtara meadows. Post the exhilaration of the ridge walk, you feel a sense of liberation as you marvel at the expanse around you.
The day today can be really rewarding as we start heading up further into the valley & we care welcomed by the sight of one waterfall after another, all up to the campsite of Dev Kyara, which brings us significantly close to Mount Ranglana (5,554 meters). The last stretch of the trek is over boulders and rocks and can be a bit tiring. However the alpine flowers that are visible here are very refreshing. Once the valley opens up a bit, the views of the majestic Ranglana Peak are amazing towards the head of the valley. This is not a peak frequently attempted by mountaineers due to its technical challenges. We camp at Dev Lyara and can rest for a day to explore the valley or climb any nearby rocky outcrops.
We can start the day today after our bags are packed, by proceeding further up the trail for a short day hike to explore the further reaches of the alpine meadows. After returning to the Dev Kyara campsite we can continue after taking our backpacks to the Bhawa Waterfall Campsite. It may sound a repeat journey but those who frequent the mountains know it is not really the same going uphill as it is downhill. The views will be different as we focus towards the descending valley into the far away forest trails with more panoramic views. We get to enjoy these even more as we are not struggling anymore with the altitude, as its a gradual descend. We get to rest again at the beautiful campsite.
Early in the morning, we leave the campsite and trek till Jakhol. The walk is downhill and hence takes lesser time than before. We walk alongside the River until we finally arrive at the place where we started the trekking Journey, from where a vehicle takes us back to Sankri. We retire for the day in camp alongside the river or in a guest house in Sankri.
The trek to Har ki Dun concludes today as we leave Sankri and reach Dehradun by late afternoon.
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