• Difficulty: Moderate

• Max Elevation: 3,354 metres (Bedni)

• Duration: Five days

• Start/end point: Wan village

• Accommodation: Camping

The Bedni Bugyal, an alpine meadow in eastern Uttarakhand, is part of a triple trek that starts here. The first is the hike to Roopkund, the ‘skeleton lake,’ where ancient human remains spark mystery and eerie stories.

Bedni Bugyal itself is an easier trail, a wildflower studded high-altitude meadow that has often rewarded me with dreamy settings and photographers with enchanting shots of alpine horses grazing in the wild.

A little after the meadow, the trail branches off to the third offshoot, Bedni Bagwawasa, another alpine meadow sought especially by those in search of the elusive Brahma Kamal. The state flower of Uttarakhand that blooms at high-altitudes and usually after dark (also called Queen of the Night), is found in abundance here but in the monsoon season, when trekking conditions are difficult. The flower features in folklore and mythological stories from the region and is considered a reward by devotees who literally go the extra mile for it.

Need to know

Too much littering at Bedni Bugyal led to a ban on camping there a few years back, which is for the better; you can now expect sweeping vistas with the place restored to its original picture-postcard look. One must retreat to Gairoli Pathar, three kilometres away, to camp, or the village of Wan, 13 kilometres before it, to stay overnight at a homestay. The Roopkund trek can be thrown in as an add-on, but is for seasoned hikers as it involves crossing a high-altitude pass. Wan village is an 8.5 hour drive (250 kms) from the closest train station at Kathgodam, another six hours from the capital New Delhi.