Dayara Bugyal – Simple yet Beautiful

Dayara Bugyal – The biggest meadow of Uttarakhand

Bugyal in the local mountain dialect means “High Altitude Meadow”. Trekking to Dayara Bugyal is one of the most beautiful places in Uttaranchal, situated at an elevation ranging from 10,000 – 12,000 ft. This vast meadow is second to none in natural beauty in Uttarakhand trekking circuit. The possibility of Nordic as well as Alpine skiing are immense here, since during winter it provides one of the best ski slopes in India spread over an area of 28 sq/kms, one can combine a trek and ski during winter trekking season.

Dayara Bugyal trek starts from two places Barsu and Raithal. The road to Dayara Bugyal branches off near Bhatwari- a little township on Uttarkashi Gangotri road about 35 kms. From Uttarkashi, Vehicles can go up to the village of Raithal from where one has to trek a steep incline covering a distance of about 7 kms to reach Dayara and the other route is via village Barsu, 10 kms from Bhatwari from where one has to trek about 8kms to Dayara Bugyal.

Gray langurs or Hanuman langurs, the most widespread langurs of South Asia, are a group of Old World monkeys constituting the entirety of the genus Semnopithecus.

Monal – State Bird of Uttarakhand

This is the best time for birding as all the birds descends from high altitude to lower altitudes due to drop in temperatures.

If some one wants to do this trek here is the ideal itinerary

Day 1 Dehradun to Guest House at Barsu

Arrive at Dehradun/Haridwar in the morning, freshen up, have breakfast and leave for Barsu village Lunch on the way. Arrive at Camp by late afternoon and relax with a hot cup of tea and prepare yourself for trekking in Himalayas. The camp overlooks the Himalayan peaks of Gangotri I, II and III, Jaunli, Draupdi ka Danda and Srikanth.

Days 2 Barsu – Barnala (2700 m) 4 km / 4 hr

Have an early breakfast and get ready for a trekking to Barnala lake (2700 m) about 5 hours away. Trek through the dense forest of Pine and Oak trees. Lunch enroute. Reach Barnala by late afternoon. Explore the forest around the lake and do some bird watching. Barnala is great for bird watching, the most common birds here Whistling Thrush, Red Finch, Monal Pheasant, Koklas etc. Overnight stay in tents.

Day 3 Barnala – Dayara (3250 m) 5 km / 4 hr

Have breakfast and prepare to trek to Dayara. Hot lunch on arrival. The bugyals (meadows), spread over 28 sq kms, are grazing grounds for sheep and cattle and have a 360 degree view of the Himalayas. Spend rest of day walking around the meadows. Overnight stay in tents

Day 4 Dayara – Raithal 7 km / 4 hr

Wake up to a lovely sunrise and walk a little higher for a nice view of Bandarpoonch (6500 mtrs). After breakfast, we will start trekking to village Raithal. Reach camp by early evening. Relax with a hot cup of tea and sumptuous dinner with bonfire. Overnight stay in tents.

Days 5 Raithal – Dehradun / Haridwar

After breakfast leave for Dehradun/Haridwar. Lunch on way, arrive by late afternoon and catch train to go home..

Renok Adventures is having a fixed departure on various dates 3rd November, 10th November and 29th December. For more details please follow the link  www.renokadventures.com

 

Valley of Flowers Trek

Nestled high in the West Himalaya,India’s valley of flowers national park is renowned for its meadow of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic clack bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. The gentle landscape of the valley of flowers national park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi national park, inscribed on the world heritage list in 1988. Together they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya, praised by mountaineers and botanists for over a century and in Hindu mythology for much longer.

This hidden treasure or Nature’s beautiful secret was revealed to British mountaineers Frank S. Smythe and Mr. R L Holdsworth on 9^th July 1931, when they reached here after a successful expedition of Mount Kamet. Drawn by the irresistible lure of the place Smythe revisited in 1937. In 1938 he published a book “The Valley of Flowers” celebration the beauty of this extra ordinary Valley.

Valley of flowers trek date for 2015

DEPARTURES for Valley of Flowers Trek 2015 

• 1^st Batch   :  4th -9th July 2015
• 2^nd Batch  :   11th – 16th July 2015 
• 3^rd Batch   :   18th -23rd July 2015
• 4^th  Batch  :   1st – 6th August 2015
• 5^th  Batch   :  8th – 13th August 2015
• 6th Batch : 15th – 19th August 2015
• 7th Batch : 22nd- 26th August 2015

Pictures from Last years Trek

Potentila atrosanguinea

 

Blue Poppy

 

Fallen Gracefully

 

Peeping Out

 

In Paradise Called Valley of Flowers

 

Silver Fir

 

Breathtaking !!

 

Pro Tips for Spectacular Outdoor Photos

1. Shoot in Low Light of Sunrise and Sunrise: The low-light period around sunset and sunrise is considered one of the best times to take outdoor photos, so get up early in the morning and wait for sunset. However, shooting in low light can also be challenging for beginners. Since longer exposure times are often required in low light situations, a tripod is an essential piece of gear to bring along. Try experiment with camera’s ISO and shutter speed. Keep aperture narrow i.e. higher F number to get good depth of field.

Sunset

 2. Use Flash creatively: Use your flash outside on a sunny day, it will actually fill the shadow areas cast by a hat or umbrella, for example. Faces will also be brighter. Remember though, the flash has limited range, so you need to be within 10-12 feet to realize the benefit.

3.Add a Subject to the Landscape: By placing someone in your landscape, you can establish both a focal point and a point of reference for the composition of your image. By adding a person to the scene, the brain immediately recognizes the scale and tells you what you’re looking at. Adding someone to your landscape can also makes a photo more evocative, as viewers can more easily picture how they would fit into the scene if they were actually there.

You are in Q

4. Bad Weather is Good: Use extreme weather to create striking images with a lot of drama. Overcast days might give you flat images but you can enliven them by shooting into the light. Rays streaming through a fog or through clouds, dark, forbearing clouds, brilliant streak of light are few examples.

Parachute Restaurant at Pang

5. Capture motion with slow shutter speeds: Use slow shutter speeds to capture motion, milky way effect while shooting water fall.

Waterfall

 

Most Common Trekking Dangers

Trekking is one of the best ways to get in touch with nature and enjoy the beautiful world around you. Trekking is an adventure sports which involves some kind of risk. One need to take proper precautions or it could be fatal.

Renok's Trekking Group at Hampta Pass, Himalayas.

What are those life threatening dangers you need to take care on your next trekking adventure trip.

Dehydration

This may be the biggest danger on the trail especially high altitude trekking in Indian Himalayas. Many people underestimate the amount of water they need when engaged in a vigorous activity. At an altitude one looses more water than then at lower altitudes while breathing because the air is dry due to severe cold it extracts more water from your body. Because of lower temperatures people don’t feel like drinking cold water and end up being dehydrated. Signs of dehydration include thirst, sticky and dry mouth, reduced urine output, headache, dizziness and fatigue. Drink at least 3 liters of water for 4-5 Hours of hike, you can drink more than that but not less.

Sun

In addition to drinking plenty of water, you must protect yourself from the sun when you are on the trail. Sunburns are painful enough, but extreme sun damage can actually lead to infection, shock, and even death. Sun damage can also cause mutations in the skin that may result in skin cancer. Use sunscreen and reapply often, wear a wide-brimmed hat and wear clothing to protect your skin from the sun if possible. Bandanas and protective clothing are more effective than sunscreens.

Poisons

Whether you are talking about plants, insects or other animals are aware that poisonous living things lurk on the trail. Know how to recognize poisonous trees, plants, shrubs etc. The simplest way in Himalayas is ask the shepherds which you find everywhere or villager enroute and don’t be Gama in theland of Lamameans no experiments.

Parasites

Just as dangerous as the poisonous creatures are the parasites you may encounter on the trail. Don’t ever drink or swim in stagnant water, which can be the home of worms, bacteria and even deadly amoebas.

Weather

The weather can be extremely dangerous for a hiker. You should take care to track the weather before you hit the trail, and have a plan in case of inclement weather erupts when you are in the middle of your hike. I had a very bad experience while we were trekking in Sikkim,India. During our camping in Dzongri storm blew our tents, we couldn’t sleep; our eyes were full of dust. These conditions lead to acute AMS. When your body is acclimatizing for the change environment and you get bad weather that means your body needs to work hard….chances are high that AMS will hit you.

If you will be Trekking far away from your vehicle, make sure you have a plan in place in case bad weather sneaks up on you. Carry a weather radio if possible so that you can get updates on any storms heading your way. And make sure someone knows where you are in case the worst case scenario comes your way. Always be safe on the trail.

Be Safe!! Enjoy while trekking

 

Trekking in Indian Himalayas – Valley of Flowers

Valley of Flowers – The Paradise on Earth

Himalayas are the youngest and tallest mountains on earth. Indian Himalayas spread from northern most part of  India i.e. Jammu and Kashmir to Eastern most part Assam. The design or spread of Indian Himalayas makes them home to variety of flora and fauna. Northern most part is barren land and known as cold desert while eastern Himalayas receives highest rainfall and are kind of humid subtropical. The lower Himalayas called Shivaliks fall in the category of subtropical climatic zone.

Valley of Flowers trek is located in Chamoli Garhwal in the state of Uttarakhand, in NDBR region (Nanda Devi Bioshpere reserve). About 595 kilometres from Delhi, the altitude of valley of flowers Uttaranchal varies from 3,200 m to 6,600 m.

The stunning landscape of The Valley of Flowers National Park in northern India’s state of Uttarakhand, bordered by Nepal and Tibet, comes alive with the monsoon rain. This high-altitude Himalayan valley has around 300 different varieties of alpine flowers, which appear as a bright carpet of color against a mountainous snow capped background.

Here are the pictures from my last visit.

White Flowers

Golden Drops

Flower in Valley of Flowers

Yellow FlowersOur GroupRoute MapMaple Leaf

 

Cobra Lily

Amazing red flowers

Valley and Flowers