Grass Is Greener

High up in the Garhwal Himalaya, the meadows or bugyals of Ali and Bedni prove that glimpsing Himalayan alpine scenery doesn’t always require breaking into a heavy sweat.

- Parikshit Rao

Much as trekkers and bikers overrun the valleys and mountain passes in Himachal Pradesh, the neighbouring hill state of Uttarakhand is known to beckon those who like their roads less travelled. Unreliable public transport and limited tourist infrastructure turn travelling here into an intense spiritual experience—one that starts with a prayer and ends with sheer physical strength. It comes as no surprise then, that pilgrims and serious trekkers throng Uttarakhand’s untamed corners.

Being the second largest district of Uttarakhand has conferred certain bragging rights upon Chamoli. Covered in hulking mountains, steep valleys, raging rivers and deep gorges, the northern district is wild country. Apart from the temple of Badrinath, the Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib and the gorgeous Valley of Flowers sanctuary lying to the north, many of Chamoli’s unrestrained wonders lie to its south-east. This region is home to high-altitude meadows called bugyals, mysterious glacial lakes, and more than 50 six-thousanders! Out of these natural wonders, the bugyals intrigued me for the longest time. The thought of vast high-altitude grasslands hemmed in by snowy mountains was tremendous motivation to get going.

Green Road

Bugi is a special Garhwali word for the special kind of grass that grows in Uttarakhand. This variety requires an altitude above 10,000 feet to flourish and the grassy spread remains naturally restricted to a height of about four inches. The best example of this phenomenon is found at Ali and Bedni Bugyal—Asia’s largest alpine meadows. Among the twin highland pastures, Bedni is the larger one but Ali has its own charm as well. These meadows are on the way to Roopkund—a remote glacial lake where the discovery of numerous well-preserved skeletal remains in 1942 continues to be a source of mystery and local folklore.