Welcome to Dehradun – The Adventure Begins
Towards the end of March 2026, we had the opportunity to host a lively bunch of eleven on the trail to Dodital Lake in the Garhwal Range of the Himalayas. Despite being the birthplace of Lord Ganesha, Dodital is not as popular a destination as the ‘Dhams’ or ‘Kedars’ of Uttarakhand.
The trail, roughly 15 kilometers, begins from the village of Agoda, near Uttarkashi. Agoda itself is nearly 7 hours away from Dehradun by road. A long, bumpy and twisting journey that was bound to induce nausea for at least some of the group, including myself. I’d resigned myself to this fact years ago – writing it off as a sort of tax I had to pay to be granted passage to these unique corners of the mountains!
Umang and I arrived a day prior to the start of the trek. Sitting in the back of our cab from Jolly Grant Airport to the main city of Dehradun, we could spot Mussoorie covered in mist as raindrops on the windows obscured what was left of the view. The weather had been relatively bad with constant downpour over the last week. A lot more was expected over the coming days – and we were hoping against hope that our fortunes were not in stone.
Last minute shopping followed as we ventured into the streets when the torrential rain slowed to a drizzle. A simple dinner and a few phone calls later, we were set. All that was left to do – was begin!
Doon to Agoda – Into the Heart of the Garhwal
We met the group at their hotel near Rajpur Road – a well-known hotspot of the city – and also a gateway to the famous and colorful hill station of Mussoorie! The eleven trekkers along for the ride were a diverse bunch. A family of 4 whose twin boys were classmates with a father-son duo who’d trekked with us to Baleni Pass just the year prior, a solo 16 year old at the end of his summer vacation and a group of 4 ladies who, coincidentally, lived just 5 minutes away from my home back in Pune!
Most of them had either not trekked before in the Himalayas or were trekking after a decade plus. Some would be tasting thinner air for the very first time. We were super excited and were crossing our fingers that the unexpected sunshine received that morning would remain for the next 6 days. If only we knew what lay in store.
Gear was loaded and we set course by 9 AM. The aim was to arrive by late afternoon and catch sunset high up in the Assi Ganga Valley. Named after the river that originates from and around Dodital, it was the valley that the village of Agoda called home!
A few hours passed in introductions and breaking the ice. Ice that truly has a way of melting faster than usual when you’re on a trek. A chai pit-stop at Suwakholi and we were soon in the Tehri Garhwal region which houses India’s tallest dam (at 261m). The bends of tarmac carried us along the turquoise waters of the Tehri Dam before we eventually arrived at Uttarkashi for lunch.
Hidden in the folds of the mountains just ahead was the final stretch. A dirt road that snaked along, passing village after village. Winding around endless hills and even taking us miles in the opposite direction before finally crossing over to the side where Agoda awaited us.
We’d arrived closer to dusk and the last glimmers of light were beginning to fade.
Tight backs and sore muscles were stretched as we made our way through the alleyways of Agoda before finally stopping at the edge of the village. A beautiful homestay from where we’d begin hiking the next morning was our abode.
The final hours of the day were spent bring the group up to speed about the trek and helping everyone pack only the “essentials”. Read Khakras and Chikkis.
The kids ran around asking countless questions. A trend that would remain constant.
But we could sense the butterflies and were itching to let our feet loose!
The Forests Await – Hues of the Himalaya
A decade or more ago, when the road connectivity to Agoda was limited, the trek began from lower down the valley. Sangamchatti was the road-head back then and the first campsite on the trail used to be a settlement called Bhebra. Starting from our homestay in Agoda, Bhebra was all of 45-60 minutes away. A large chunk of that hour was also a descent. One that lulls you into a false sense of belief that the rest of the day too would be just as simple.
Having snapped a picture to commemorate our departure, we were at Bhebra in no time. Chirping, laughing and breathing in the crisp air with blue skies in the background. Bhebra lies on the banks of a small stream that flows into the Assi Ganga further below and is a collection of homes built amidst terraced fields. It’s where the farmers of Agoda spent a large portion of their year.
The major produce cultivated is Ramdana (a local cereal), Rajma & Mandua and as you begin to slowly inch up around the fields, you can see the locals toiling away in the heat of the Himalayan sunshine.
For us, the toiling was about to begin as well. From Bhebra, nearly 7 kilometers with around 600m of ascent remained. And while we were made to work for every meter gained, the beauty of the forests of this section of the trail cannot be overstated. Pine, Oak and Deodar spread across miles on end. And to top it all of – it was Rhodo season. ‘Buransh’ or Rhododendrons as they’re known worldwide were in full blood. Deep shades of red and crimson popping out of the foliage – like buoys in a sea of green and yellow!
We took our next break at the ‘Chattri’. A small gazebo which feels like a checkpoint to catch your breath after 75 minutes of grueling ascent. It’s also built where a small break in the jungle allows stunning views of the parallel range. Famous locations like Bakriya Top & Dayara Bugyal (not visible) lie right across the valley. We stayed here longer than anticipated as it’s also the only spot after Agoda where one gets mobile coverage.
Welcome to the Jungle – Snow welcomes us to Manjhi!
Finally, we were truly disconnected from civilization and the next hour was spent tackling long, drawn out switchbacks that traverse the south-eastern face of the hillside. The exposed but relatively low-risk switchbacks fall below you and path is reclaimed by the jungle. A glance down the valley also had us absolutely gawking at the effortless flight of the Himalayan Griffons that soared in packs all around.
We stopped for lunch in a cozy nook of the jungle as a stream trickled down nearby. The last few hours of the day’s hike remained and we had now begun to find traces of residual snowfall from last week’s spell of bad weather. As afternoon rolled around, so did the clouds – a common occurrence in the high mountains.
The kids were excited and a little worn out in equal measure. 9.5 kilometers on day one of your first Himalayan trek is no easy feat, but they conquered their aches like warriors. To keep them distracted and of course to prevent what would have been countless slips on a snowy, slushy trail, Umang and I were joined at the hip with the two twins. By the time the tops of the shepherd huts of Manjhi finally came into view, we had made new besties!
A school group had left Agoda along with us and planned to halt at Manjhi as well. As they headed to the old wooden huts along the spur, our steps diverged a couple hundred meters to their left, where a stone hut stood lonesome in a natural clearing of the woods. Snow lined the forest floor as the sky reflected the same shade of white. It was nearly 5 PM and the chill of dusk had begun to quietly make itself felt.
Akin to the stone shelter that now housed our kitchen, it was time to nestle into our homes away from home. A few audible shivers were numbed by the warmth of coffee and tea. The nervous excitement was palpable as everyone now proudly donned their puffy, colorful down jackets. We were soon plunged into darkness Not even the stars twinkled overhead. The sounds of a sumptuous dinner mingled oddly with the groans of sore muscles and it was only apt to call it an early night.
