Ali Bedni Bugyal Trek | Himni To Wan | May 2026 | Indian Western Himalayas Traverse Guide - Chamoli, Uttarakhand
Ali Bedni Bugyal is a Trek in Garhwal Region of Chamoli District Uttarakhand. Complete Guide, No of Days, Route with GPX file, Food Management, Elevation Gain, Trans Uttarakhand Traverse
Ali Bedni Bugyal a popular trek known to everyone from occasional hiker to seasoned Trekker, but few knows that these are two different Bugyal Ali and Bedni. This Trek starts from two different villages – Wan and Lohajung. Lohajung is also starting point for another Popular Trek which goes to Bhramatal.
As I am on a Trans Uttarakhand Traverse [ here ] which is a 560 km hike from Uttarakhand east border to west, which end at Himachal – Uttarakhand border. Yesterday I reached Himni Village from Badiyakot, You can read about this section here [ here ].
I was awake before village woke me up. It has now become a morning drill for me, i could pack my tent and bagpack even half eyes open. I thought of doing breakfast in next and last village before i enter the wilderness and reach my campsite, which is on the slope before a ridge which takes you to uninhabited valley next to Ali Bugyal Ridge. From Himni Village to Balan there is a well built road and i decided not to wear my Trekking shoes, which would hurt my feet and started walking only in sleepers.
Although there is a trail, which is a short cut till the bridge over Kumni Gadhera. In between there is a small spring, where i stopped to wash myself and clean my teeth. Filled my water bottle, it was a good feeling of being fresh. I drank choclate milk which i bought yesterday from shop and continued my walk. Then you walk for about 2 or 3 km and reach another bridge over Kail Ganga River. Between 8 or 9 AM reached Balan village. At first, I was told that dhabas are closed because villagers went to glaciers to find Keeda Jadi and now i have only one option to buy maggi and biscuits from the only shop there. I bought biscuits and drank a bottle of Mountain Dew. Suddenly a guy who owned the shop, he informed that there is one guy who is coming and can make something to eat. I had bread toast, Maggi and Tea.
Now my stomach is full of food, i continued my hike towards my campsite near Mohini Kharak. The distance was not more than 4 to 5 km and the time is just 10 AM only. So i was moving slowly, there was no hurry to reach early as soon as possible. You will get Jio/Airtel Network till Balan village only.
In between there is one huge bugyal which gives you the panoramic view of the valley, there i saw lot of cows grazing. From this bugyal the distance to Mohini Kharak is not more than 2 km. Around 12 PM reached my campsite, and it was filled with different colours of flowers. The weather was so perfect that i slept under the sky for an hour.
Then i pitched my tent and i met few shepherds, their camps were just across the empty nala. I drank all my water, and while i was asking them came to know the streams are dry and they have to go little far to get water. Two of them showed me one spring a hidden one just 500 meter away from my camp. They were going back to village i filled my bottle and came back.
After coming back to campsite, I decided to collect some wood to have a bonefire. Unfortunately, in an hour around 4 PM weather got changed and there was wind upto 30 to 40 km/h and rain. I put all the wood under the tree. In the evening around 6 PM weather got cleared and i lit up the fire. After having Pasta in a dinner, went back to my tent and called it a day.
Next morning followed same drill, packed everything. In breakfast had peanut butter and bread with flavoured milk. Started around 6:30 am. The forest was fairly dense and after you cross the ridge, you get a first view of Ali Bugyal with sun light scattered over it. It was no less than a wallpaper we used to see behind our notebooks during our childhood. If i was a good photographer, could have clicked a good picture of it. From there you hike down towards a Halkan Gadhera, I took my first break there. The whole valley was empty not a single camp. From there you hike up a steep slope, and after a km of hike. I saw a figure, it took me another look to make a clear picture of the figure that it was a shepherd. At first look my mind alerted me and get my body ready for the survival.
Once i was sure it was a man, i closed in distance and had a conversation with him. Funny part is he also had this same thought like me. He crossed the ridge 30 minutes before me and told me that he saw a bear there and had to shout at him to make him run away. I didn’t had any encounter with any wildlife during this journey except fox.
Then we walked till Ali bugyal, there i saw camps of some trekking company and group was leaving for Bedni Bugyal. I sat near the temple on Ali Bugyal and decided not to go for Bedni bugyal, i intentionally leave or skip touristic trek. Took a decision to hike down to Wan Village. From there you hike down to Nil Ganga, if you have a Knee pain issue make sure you wear knee caps which does help somewhat and use Trekking poles to come down. Both helps in minimising the shock on knee. Around 12:30 PM reached Nil Ganga and sat near it and gave my feet and knee some cold plunge therapy, which is very usefull to have. It takes away pain little bit.
From Nil Ganga you have a steep climb for a km and then from the ridge you come down towards the Wan village. Around 2 PM reached Wan and there it took some efforts to find a room as it was the Trekking season and all the rooms were filled already. It is a beautiful village to spend some time. That’s the end of this section. In the next section i will be discussing about the Wan to Ghana which is after Sitel.
Final Note for Independent Hikers
If you are interested in learning independent and solo hiking in the Indian Himalayas, you can opt for the Life On Trails Field Bootcamp in Manali – a 5-day field bootcamp, not just theory.
Where I share my knowledge from hiking 1100+ km from Uttarakhand to Leh Ladakh. I teach Navigation Techniques, Campsite & Shelter Selection, Food & Water Management, Topography and Contouring, Minimalist Gears, Season & Weather Selection, Wildlife & Safety, and Culture & Villages.
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