Uttarakhand: Phulara Ridge

Date: 14th - 20th Sept, 2025

My earlier hikes in May were postponed due to the conflict between India and Pakistan, so I was planning to do the Har Ki Dun hike. Unfortunately, a couple of days ago, the hike was replaced with the Phulara Ridge, but I decided to proceed anyway. If I were to do this hike, I would have completed it in a single day, carrying as little as possible. It's 14 km one way to the ridge, and the hike is easy. The trail passes through thick vegetation and opens up to meadows at the end. Unfortunately, the weather didn't allow for good views of the various peaks. Before I go through the hike i would like to be thankful for all the people who have contributed to the photos.

Day 1: We departed from Dehradun by road in two 14-seater tempos heading to Kotgaon. Due to several delays and landslides at different locations, we arrived 2 hours late. In my opinion, sitting in the transport vehicles is the toughest part of these hikes I have done with Indian Hikes. We were greeted with welcome drinks and had dinner at the base camp, followed by a hike briefing.

On my way, I passed by the school where children were beginning their classes. It was quite nice to see. The kids were very friendly and greeted me with a "good morning" :). I've always appreciated well-behaved children.

Day 2: We hiked from Kotgaon, located at 6,455 ft, up to Akondi, which is at 9,400 ft, over a 5 km stretch. This route appears straightforward for regular hikers. It passes through numerous streams and dense mountain vegetation. As observed to the left, just 15 minutes into the hike, we encountered a massive waterfall/stream.

During our journey, we encountered a local man smoking hookah, who was selling mountain flower juice, a highlight of the trek and truly remarkable. Typically, we begin our hike each day between 8 and 9 PM, starting with breakfast, some briefing, and stretching, and we conclude in a similar manner upon reaching the next camp.

View of Kotgaon from the spot where we enjoyed a drink made from local flowers

It's possible to see many flowers along this trail. I was informed that just before summer, the mountains are covered with a lot of fauna, but I was still able to capture a few of them.

I find this photo intriguing because everyone is intently focused on what our trek leader is saying, as you can tell from their expressions. :)

From the top of the campsite, one of the great aspects of the day was the ample sunlight, allowing me to sunbathe on a large stone.

Day 3: This is another straightforward stretch, but the weather began to drizzle continuously throughout the hike. The next camp is at Bhoj Gadi, located at 11,000 feet over a 4.5 km stretch. The trail passes through even denser vegetation with numerous streams. You can see many mushrooms and some flowers along this stretch. This time, it drizzled continuously for an extended period, which was unfortunate as the Himalayan views were obscured.

one can spot wide varieties of mushroom as part of this hike, i dont know if these are edible or poisionous but they look pretty

After hiking for a few minutes, we will encounter a large pond featuring a couple of shallow grassy islands, making it an interesting spot to relax. On the way up to the ridge, this area was completely shrouded in fog, but on the return journey, it offers some clear views.

As you can observe to the left, the day was evidently quite damp with persistent light rain. We needed to wear our ponchos or raincoats for a considerable time to stay warm and dry. Upon arriving at the campsite, we stood in the tea tent enjoying hot tea, as our porters had not yet set up our tents.

The majority of our supplies, including tents, food, offloading bags, and other items, are transported by mules. The food is consistently excellent and plentiful. Typically, I eat once a day when I'm not hiking, but on hiking days, I have two meals: lunch and dinner. If breakfast seems appealing, I pack it to eat with lunch.

Group photo:

We came across a herd of sheep on our way to the campsite. They are quite curious yet shy animals.

Day 4: From Bohj Gadi, we proceed to Phulara Ridge, located at an elevation of 12,345 ft (notably sequential digits), spanning over 4 km, which is another simple hike. The journey begins through a forested area but soon opens up into meadows. You only need a one-liter bottle again since it's not a steep hike, and we return to the same camping site.

Here's a photo with my tent buddy Manoj. I used to nickname him Mission Impossible because his cool outfit gives off that vibe.

Photo of our trek guides and cooks

Throughout our hike, we had our uninvited guardian angels accompanying us from the second campsite to the peak and back. Naturally, they were hoping for some food too :)

One of the quardian is such a good poser

Guy contemplating about life:

Day 5 & Day 6: Over the next couple of days, we retrace our steps back to Kotgaon. Fortunately, it didn't rain this time, allowing us to catch some views of the Himalayan mountain ranges.

A positive aspect of the descent is the quiet period where we are encouraged to observe and connect with nature rather than speak. During this time, I captured some of the best photos of the trees.

I also attempted to capture a few shots in portrait mode of the small growths on the fallen trees.

Some more photos of the surrounds and fellow hikers

An intriguing aspect that caught my attention was the eyes of some of the fellow hikers and guides. Here they are:

Sexy eyes:

Player eyes:

Crazy girl eyes, also Freddo eyes from LOR:

Grandma Analytical eyes:

Piercing independent girl eyes:

The most beautiful woman I encountered on this hike was the local woman we saw while returning to the base camp.

The dog lay at our feet inside the tent because it was rainy and cold outside.

We met these three kids on the last day while returning to the base camp. They are cute enough to pose for our camera. Since it was holidays they are just roaming around the village care free.

On the 5th day of my return, I picked up a bell and attached it to my hiking bag. It felt like a souvenir because it made a pleasant, gentle sound while I hiked.

Some shots of the tents during the night

On the last day folks went for the village walk