Lohajung: the gateway to the Ali and Bedni meadows
Lohajung is a small village at around 2,300 metres in Chamoli district, sitting on a saddle where the roads from Tharali and Dewal meet. For trekkers it is one of the most important trailheads in Uttarakhand, because it is the starting point for the routes into Ali Bugyal and Bedni Bugyal, two of the largest and most beautiful high-altitude meadows in the Indian Himalaya, and historically the approach to Roopkund. Uttarakhand Tourism lists Lohajung as the base for the Ali Bedni Bugyal route.
This trek uses Lohajung as its base for a three-to-four-day loop through forest, traditional villages and the open bugyals, with camps set among the meadows and views of Trishul and Nanda Ghunti filling the skyline. The route does not involve technical climbing, but it has long uphill sections and real changes in altitude. For the higher, harder continuation to the glacial lake, see our Roopkund trek page, and for a winter trek from the same village, the Brahmatal guide.
Why the bugyals are worth the trip
Bugyal is the Garhwali word for a high-altitude meadow, and Ali and Bedni are the definitive examples. Ali Bugyal is a vast rolling grassland at around 3,400 metres; from it a ridgeline walk leads to Bedni Bugyal at roughly 3,600 metres, where a small temple stands beside the Bedni Kund pond. On a clear evening the reflection of Mount Trishul in the still water is one of the classic images of Indian trekking. Shepherds bring their flocks up here through the summer, living in stone huts, and the meadows have a worked, lived-in quality rather than pure wilderness. Compared with a summit trek, the appeal here is space and openness: you spend hours walking across turf under a huge sky rather than grinding up to a single high point.
Best time for the Lohajung trek
The two windows are May to June and September to October. Late spring brings green meadows returning after the winter, wildflowers, rhododendron in the forest below, and patches of old snow on the higher ground, with long, mild days. Autumn brings the clearest air of the year, sharp views of Trishul and Nanda Ghunti, golden grass and cold, star-filled nights. The monsoon, July to mid-September, turns the meadows to bog, brings out leeches in the forest, and keeps the peaks hidden; it is best avoided. From December to March the route becomes a snow trek, quiet and beautiful but much colder, and this is when the Brahmatal route from the same base comes into its own.
How hard is it?
The Lohajung to Ali and Bedni Bugyal route is best described as moderate. There is no technical ground, no exposure and no need for ropes or crampons in the normal seasons, but the trail is genuinely uphill for long stretches — the climb out of the Neel Ganga valley to Didna, and then from Didna up to Ali Bugyal, are both sustained efforts — and you gain well over a kilometre of altitude from the roadhead. The higher sections around Bedni can feel tiring for first-time trekkers, and the weather can change quickly.
You should be comfortable walking uphill for four to six hours a day with a light daypack, and covering multiple kilometres over rough ground. Previous high-altitude experience is not essential for this route, but a few weeks of walking, jogging or cardio beforehand makes a large difference. Altitude is a mild consideration because you camp above 3,000 metres; drink plenty of water, pace yourself on the climbs, and tell your guide about any persistent headache or nausea.
The route, day by day
Day 1 — Dehradun or Rishikesh to Lohajung
A long drive of around 250 kilometres and ten to twelve hours via Devprayag, Karnaprayag, Tharali and Dewal, following the Alaknanda and then the Pindar. You arrive at Lohajung in the evening and stay in a guesthouse, with a briefing for the trek.
Day 2 — Lohajung to Didna village
The trail descends to the Neel Ganga, crosses the river, and climbs steeply through oak and rhododendron forest to Didna, a small farming village at around 2,500 metres with homestay-style accommodation and terraced fields.
Day 3 — Didna to Ali Bugyal and Bedni Bugyal
A long, rewarding day: a steady climb out of the forest onto the open expanse of Ali Bugyal, then a high ridgeline walk with mountain views on both sides to the camp at Bedni Bugyal, beside the pond and the small shrine.
Day 4 — Bedni Bugyal to Wan or Lohajung and departure
Descend from the meadows, either back the way you came or out via Ghairoli Patal and the village of Wan, where a vehicle meets you for the drive back toward Lohajung and onward to the plains. Groups with an extra day sometimes add a night at Ghairoli Patal or a short detour to the Latu Devta temple at Wan before driving out.
Getting to Lohajung
Lohajung is roughly 250 kilometres from both Rishikesh and Dehradun, a full day of ten to twelve hours on the road. The route runs along the Char Dham highway to Karnaprayag, then follows the quieter Pindar valley road through Tharali and Dewal. The nearest airport is Dehradun's Jolly Grant; the nearest railheads are Rishikesh, Haridwar and Kathgodam, with Kathgodam sometimes the quicker option if you are coming from Delhi by overnight train. The last stretch of road is narrow and slow, and prone to landslide delays in the monsoon, so most operators plan a buffer and an early start, and some break the drive with a night at Karnaprayag or Deval. If you have spare days near the plains, see our guide to adventure activities around Dehradun.
Where you stay
The trek combines guesthouse and village nights with camping. Lohajung has basic guesthouses; Didna has simple village rooms and homestays; and the nights at Ali or Bedni Bugyal are in tents pitched at designated campsites, subject to the meadow-camping rules currently in force. Camp accommodation is two- or three-person tents with sleeping bags and mattresses, with a separate dining tent and toilet tent. Food is simple, hot and vegetarian, cooked by the trek team. Power and mobile signal are limited to non-existent above Lohajung, so plan to be offline.
What to pack
Pack for cold nights and changeable weather. The core kit is waterproof, broken-in trekking boots, gaiters, thermal base layers, a fleece and a light down jacket, a windproof and waterproof shell and trousers, a warm hat, gloves, and thick socks. Add sunglasses, sunscreen, a headtorch with spare batteries, a one-litre water bottle, a small personal medical kit, quick-dry trekking trousers, and trekking poles for the long descents. A 45 to 55 litre backpack is enough; keep a daypack with water, snacks, a warm layer and rain gear on you even if a mule carries your main bag. A rain cover for the pack is essential in spring and autumn, when afternoon showers are common.
The villages: Didna and Wan
Part of what makes the Lohajung trek different from a pure wilderness route is that it passes through living villages. Didna, reached on the first trekking day, is a cluster of stone-and-slate houses on a shelf of terraced fields, with no road — everything arrives on foot or by mule — and a handful of families who host trekkers in simple rooms. Wan, on the exit side, is larger and road-connected, with an old temple to Latu Devta, a deity closely tied to the Nanda Devi Raj Jat pilgrimage. Spending a night in Didna in particular gives you a unglossed look at how people live in this part of Garhwal: subsistence farming, long winters, and a slow shift as younger people leave for the towns. Buy tea and snacks from village households where you can; that income matters more here than the tip jar at a city cafe.
Fitness and preparation
Four to six weeks of preparation is enough for most people. Focus on aerobic endurance: build up to a comfortable five-kilometre jog or an hour of brisk uphill walking with a loaded daypack, three or four times a week, and add stair climbing or hill repeats to train the sustained climbs to Didna and Ali Bugyal. A long weekend walk of 12 to 15 kilometres on hilly ground in the weeks before you travel is the best single test of readiness. Break in your boots on those walks. If you have a desk job, prioritise legs and cardio over upper-body work, and arrive rested rather than straight off a stretch of late nights.
Photography on the trek
The Lohajung trek is a gift for a camera. The set-piece shot is Trishul reflected in Bedni Kund at dawn or dusk, when the water is still, but the meadows themselves photograph well in almost any light — the scale of Ali Bugyal only really lands when there is a person or a flock in the frame for scale. The forest sections are best in the soft light of morning, especially when the rhododendron is out in May. Autumn afternoons give long golden light across the grass. Carry spare batteries because the cold drains them, keep gear in a dry-bag for the afternoon showers, and get up for at least one sunrise even if it means leaving a warm sleeping bag.
Who this trek suits
The Lohajung to Ali Bedni Bugyal trek is a strong choice for trekkers who have done a weekend trek or two and want their first proper multi-day Himalayan trip with camping, for people who prefer open meadow walking to a hard summit grind, and for anyone drawn to the mix of village life and high country. It is a common second or third trek after Nag Tibba or Kedarkantha. It is less suited to complete beginners who have never walked uphill for hours, or to trekkers specifically chasing altitude and technical challenge, who should look at the Roopkund or Kundalini Peak routes instead.
The Roopkund connection
Historically, the Lohajung trek and the Roopkund trek were the same route for the first several days, with Roopkund trekkers continuing above Bedni Bugyal to the glacial lake at 5,029 metres. Since the 2018 Uttarakhand High Court restrictions on tourism and camping in the state's high meadows, the full Roopkund route has been curtailed and its status varies year to year. The Ali Bedni Bugyal trek from Lohajung is now often run as a complete trip in its own right, turning around at the meadows. If you are set on reaching the lake, check the current legal position with a registered operator and the forest department first, and read our Roopkund trek guide for the background.
Other treks from this region
Lohajung is a hub. The Brahmatal trek starts here and is the best winter option, reaching two frozen lakes and a ridge with Trishul views. Dayara Bugyal near Uttarkashi is another large-meadow trek in a similar style. For a first Himalayan summit with snow and camping, Kedarkantha is the standard choice, and the gentle meadow walk on our Auli Alpine Trek is an easier introduction to the bugyal landscape. The wider picture is in our Uttarakhand trekking guide, and everything we run is on the treks page.
Permits, guides and responsible trekking
The route passes through reserve forest, so a forest entry permit, a registered local guide and camping fees are required, and a good operator arranges all of it. The Ali and Bedni meadows are exactly the terrain the court restrictions are meant to protect: thin soil, a short growing season, and visible damage from years of heavy camping, mule traffic, campfires and litter. Trek responsibly — carry out all waste including food scraps and toilet waste, camp only at designated sites, never light open fires, walk on the existing trail across the turf rather than spreading out, and keep your group small. Pick your operator on their safety and environmental record; our guide on choosing a trekking operator covers what to ask, and the travel insurance guide explains why trekking cover matters even on a moderate route.
