Route library · Camping · Camping
Delhi to Ali & Bedni Bugyal
Ali and Bedni Bugyal, above Wan village in the Nandakini valley, are among the largest alpine meadows in the Himalaya — open, rolling grass at 3,300–3,500 m that runs to the horizon, with Trishul and Nanda Ghunti filling the skyline and a small lake and shrine at Bedni. They sit on the lower Roopkund trail. This is a ride-and-trek camp: two riding days to Lohajung and Wan, bikes left at the roadhead, then a three-to-four day trek to camp on the meadows.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 950–1,050 km
- Riding time
- 2 days to Wan each way; then trek days
- Nights
- 5–6 nights
- Start point
- Delhi (via Rishikesh, Karnaprayag, Gwaldam and Lohajung)
- Highest point
- About 3,500 m at Bedni Bugyal
- Difficulty
- Challenging. Highway and hill roads to Wan, then a graded three-to-four day meadow trek with camps to ~3,500 m.
- Surface
- Sealed to Wan; the Gwaldam–Lohajung–Wan road is single-lane hill tar, patchy and slide-repaired. Beyond Wan it is a trekking path.
- Best season
- April to June for spring meadow and rhododendron, and mid-September to October for post-monsoon clarity and golden grass. Snow lingers into April and returns by November. The monsoon fogs the meadow and floods the trail.
The ride
Delhi → Rishikesh → Karnaprayag → Gwaldam → Lohajung → Wan over two days. Base a night around Lohajung (~2,300 m) to start acclimatising and secure the bikes at Wan.
Trek: Wan → Ghairoli Patal → Ali Bugyal → Bedni Bugyal (camp) and back, with an optional higher day toward Pathar Nachauni / Baguabasa for a closer Trishul view (short of Roopkund itself, which is regulated). Local guide, cook and porters; the bikes wait at Wan.
Day by day
Delhi to Gwaldam / Lohajung
Highway to Karnaprayag, then the hill road to Gwaldam or Lohajung (10–12 hours). Acclimatisation night.
Lohajung to Wan; trek to Ghairoli Patal
Short ride to Wan, secure the bikes, and trek to the first forest camp.
Trek: Ali Bugyal
Climb onto the meadows — the big open day — camp near Ali or between the two bugyals.
Trek: Bedni Bugyal
To Bedni, its lake and shrine; an optional higher walk toward Pathar Nachauni. Camp on the meadow.
Trek out to Wan
Down through the forest to the bikes.
Wan to Rishikesh
Ride back down the hill roads and highway.
To Delhi
The final highway day home.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is fine to Gwaldam / Tharali — Rishikesh, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Tharali, Gwaldam.
- Top up at Tharali or Gwaldam; Lohajung and Wan have no fuel and the roads there are short. A normal tank is fine and the bikes are parked for the trek — no spare needed.
- Lohajung and Wan have homestays and GMVN/trek-operator camps; on the trek it is tents only, run by the operator. Everything on the meadow is carried. Carry cash from Karnaprayag.
Road & conditions
Highway to Karnaprayag is sound but pilgrim-busy. The Gwaldam–Lohajung–Wan road is single-lane hill tar, patchy, slide-repaired, with drop-offs and little traffic — ride it slowly. Beyond Wan there is no road. On the meadows the danger is weather and lightning — the bugyals are completely exposed, so be off the high ground and heading to camp by early afternoon if cloud builds.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Easier with more torque and travel — a 250cc-plus or a small ADV. A confident rider can do it on a commuter.
- Fuel gap
- No fuel gap worth planning around.
- Spare fuel
- None needed for this route.
- Emergency & logistics
- Hospitals at Tharali and Karnaprayag; the meadows have no road, no signal and no vehicle evacuation — a rescue is a long stretcher carry to Wan. Camps sit at 3,300–3,500 m; the Lohajung acclimatisation night matters, and the bugyals are fully exposed to lightning.
Best time to ride
April to June for green meadow, spring flowers and the last snow patches, and mid-September to October for golden grass, firm ground and the sharpest Trishul views. Snow lingers into April and is back by November. The monsoon is the worst time — the meadow is fogbound, the forest trail is a leech run, and river crossings on the approach rise fast.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: full trekking kit and a sub-zero sleeping bag (or the operator's kit), poles, warm layers and gloves for the exposed meadow, altitude medication, a first-aid kit, a satellite messenger or the operator's comms, and cash. The bikes are parked for the trek — no spare fuel needed.
Ride this with a group
We run Ali and Bedni Bugyal as a 6–7 day ride-and-trek — two riding days to Wan, an acclimatisation night, and a three-to-four day camp on the great meadows under Trishul, with a meadow clean-up as the service action. Trek-fit riders only.