Surya Top Trek

We start from Dehradun early in the morning and drive up the Bhagirathi valley towards Uttarkashi and Bhatwari. Once we leave the plains behind, the road slips into classic Garhwal terrain – tight bends, pine slopes, and the river always somewhere below the window.

Past Uttarkash, the valley begins to open up, and snow peaks start appearing in gaps – Bandarpoonch, Srikanth, Jaonli, Draupadi ka Danda on a clear day. A final climb above Bhatwari brings us to Raithal, a traditional Garhwali village that also acts as the base for Dayara Bugyal.

We check into our guest house, stretch our legs after the drive, and end the day with a trek briefing, gear check, and a quick run-through of mountain safety and Leave No Trace practices.

After breakfast we drive to Barsu, a nearby village that shares this mountain flank with Raithal. The trek begins through the upper edges of the village – stone paths, small homes, terraced fields and people already at work.

Soon the trail leaves the last fields behind and dives into a thick belt of oak and rhododendron. Unlike many other Uttarakhand trails, you don’t see much pine here; it’s a deep, mixed broadleaf forest that holds snow well in winter and stays pleasantly cool in summer.

Around the Barnala clearing the forest suddenly opens up – a broad meadow that locals use as a grazing ground and day-hike spot. From here, the mountains across the valley start lining up in your field of view.

A steady climb above Barnala brings you to Pichkiya, a meadow-edge campsite with the tree line just behind you and first wide views of the ridge you’ll be walking in the days ahead.

Today is where the trail starts feeling “big”.

Within the first hour, you leave the last proper trees behind and step onto a broad ridge. On one side, the Yamunotri range runs in front of you; behind you, the Gangotri peaks keep watch. The trail itself keeps rolling – short climbs, short drops, never too sharp but enough to remind your legs that you’re no longer on a beginner meadow trek.

Streams cut across the hillside at intervals, especially in the snowmelt months. Off to your left, the full spread of Dayara meadows starts to show – long, curving slopes instead of one single bowl.

By late afternoon, you reach Siyari, a high campsite perched with clear views of the Gangotri range. This is your launchpad for summit day, so we wind up early, layer up as the temperature dips, and go over the plan for tomorrow’s push.

Summit day = early start, headlamps on, no drama.

We leave camp before sunrise, climbing back onto the ridge above Siyari and then angling up towards Surya Top. The first section is a steady pull; the last stretch to the summit is properly steep and sustained. In winter, this entire section can be hard, frozen snow – we move in a tight group, using microspikes/gaiters where needed and pacing ourselves carefully.

From the summit, the reward is clean and close:
Bandarpoonch, Kalanag, the Gangotri range, Yamunotri range all crowd the skyline. You can trace glacier basins and ridges with the naked eye; it feels less like a viewpoint and more like sitting on the balcony of the bigger climbs.

We don’t linger too long on top; weather and snow hardness dictate how much time we get. The descent back towards the ridge is careful but quick, and then the tone of the day shifts.

From here begins one of the signature sections of the trek – a long ridge walk with Gangotri on one side and Yamunotri on the other. In autumn, this ridge is lined with dried grasses and flowers; in winter, it becomes a rolling snow spine above two valleys.

By late afternoon, we drop off the ridge and reach Devkund, a campsite set right at the far end of the Dayara meadows. Behind your tent, the bugyal runs back for kilometres; in front, the big peaks take over the horizon. It’s a camp you remember.

After the aggression of summit day, today is deliberately slower.

We walk unhurried across the Dayara meadows, following easy undulations instead of sharp drops. In summer, these slopes are full of alpine flowers and bright grass; in late autumn, they turn into a warm, golden-brown carpet. The mountain backdrop stays with you all the way.

Depending on exact route choice, we aim for Chilapada, a small clearing dotted with seasonal shepherd shelters (chhanis) and surrounded by forest. It’s a shorter day, which gives enough time to rest, hydrate, and let the summit effort settle in your body.

The final trekking day is a classic forest descent.

From Chilapada a sometimes-broken trail drops down through clearings to a small rain shelter, then continues past a couple of seasonal streams. Around Gui Thatch, the forest opens briefly into meadow patches again; you can spot the igloo-shaped forest huts and old shepherd shelters nearby.

Beyond Gui, the trail steepens slightly and dives back into oak–rhododendron forest. As you lose height, the big mountain views slowly disappear behind the ridgeline and village life starts appearing again – fields, homes, hand pumps.

We reach Raithal by afternoon and close the trek here. Depending on your departure plan, you either stay the night in Raithal or move out the same evening.

After breakfast we start the drive back down the Bhagirathi valley towards Uttarkashi and Dehradun. Expect to be in Dehradun by evening; keep buffer time for onward travel.