Adventurous hike via the famous Castlerock to Anmod | Goa Trek – Day 6

Day six of Goa's trek organized by YHAI was more of a hike in the forest crossing a few streams and dry grassland via the famous Castlerock. Despite the fact that this was a Goa trip, we spent the entire day in Karnataka. We traveled from one hamlet to a little town called Castlerock, then back into the woods to another community called Anmod. We had traveled roughly 17 kilometers in total. On the previous day, we had covered from Dudhsagar camp to Kuveshi.

Kuveshi Campsite

The campground at Kuveshi was the highest point of our whole Goa Trek, and it was reached via a dirt road/jeep track. We spent the night in a rice field, which was well notorious for its venomous snakes. We visited with the people in the morning, and after a little warm-up activity and breakfast, we packed our bags and were ready to go on the climb.

The first kilometer was a jeep track that we followed, and as you climb along the route, you can witness village life. After that, we turned left and entered the forest. As we approached the jungle, we came upon a man-built bridge constructed of wooden sticks. As we continued walking, we came across a couple of additional bridges of this type.

We kept on till we came to a brook that we had to cross. It was deep, but there was a man-made concrete bridge to cross it. A great spot for some selfies. We went on till we arrived at the grassland, where we spent some time taking shots.

We entered the jungle and began our ascent. Our entire trek was in the center of the Western Ghats forest, which is constructed entirely of volcanic igneous rock. We ascended the not-too-steep slopes and continued our journey through meadows and wooded areas until we came to a school that popped out of nowhere.

On the other side of the school, there was a well-kept rubber road that led us to the little town of Castlerock. We came to a halt in front of the Castlerock post office and entered someone's home, where they were selling buttermilk and other cold beverages. We ate our packed lunch here and bought some toffees before continuing on our way. There were three or four stores close to Castlerock station.

We proceeded on our trek till we arrived at Castlerock railway station and crossed the overbridge. This location is well-known for its railway station and training facilities for railway employees. The area appears to be desolate as if we had visited some historic places containing only antique structures (concrete buildings here). Castlerock is located within the Dandeli Tiger Reserve, but according to our guide, there are no tigers in the jungle during our hike. We proceeded on the tar road path for approximately a kilometer before turning left into the dirt road.

We returned to the woodland area, and despite the fact that it was late in the day, it was excessively dark in the forest, making it look as if it was already 7 p.m. We eventually made it out of the jungle and into an area with rice fields and a few human dwellings. We spent some time speaking with the villagers before continuing our journey till we came to a brook. We had a swim here and then went inside the palm plantation.

Our Almond campground was on the other side of the plantation. We could use our cell phones to contact home from this camping. In the evening, we spent time around the campsite, particularly on the land behind our tent and also near the creek. It was a lot of fun.

Castlerock Karnataka to Dudhsagar train timings

There are multiple trains and the latest updates can be found on the IRCTC website. Another alternative to find trains is - here.

Can we trek from Castlerock to Dudhsagar?

The railway station at Castlerock Karnataka represents the beginning of the Braganza Ghats, a mountainous portion that stretches between Goa and Karnataka. Castlerock is the closest railway station to the four-tiered cascade known as Dudhsagar Falls or the Sea of Milk. The Waterfalls are one of the highest Indian waterfalls and are located on the Mandovi River in Goa. It is 100 feet wide on average and 1017 feet tall.

Ravindra Joisa at Castlerock, Karnataka crossing the overpass bridge at the railway station.

The trekking length from Castlerock to Dudhsagar Falls is particularly appealing to individuals who enjoy the adventure. A sequence of rail tunnels may be found over this 11-kilometer journey. Tunnel 2 is the longest rail tunnel, lasting over 2.4 kilometers.

Check the complete details of 10 days' Goa trekking expedition. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Buy me a coffee to support my work or you can go to my store to buy some of my images. Also, do not forget to join my FriendZone by signing up for my newsletter. Consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

Asia's largest and heavenly alpine meadows above 10,000 feet | Ali Bedni Bugyal

You may have encountered meadows (bugyals) on your hiking trail, but did you know that India has the most beautiful, picturesque, biggest alpine meadows? The Bugyal (Auli bugyal, Bedni bugyal) in Uttarakhand, India, is Asia's biggest high-altitude meadow. If you walk via Didina village on your Roopkund or Bedni Bugyal hike, you will be able to glimpse beautiful high-altitude meadows. Check out my earlier postings about the Roopkund trek via Didina village to learn more about it. The Auli, Bedni, Dayara, Tungnath, and Gorson bugyals are among the prominent alpine meadows. The majority of these bugyals are above 10,000 feet tall.

Auli Bugyal Meadows, Uttarakhand, India

Where is Bedni Bugyal located?

Ali Bedni Bugyal's magnificent swirling meadows are among Uttarakhand's most picturesque alpine meadows. It's in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, on the boundary of Garhwal and Kumaon. There is no direct access to this location. This walk takes two days and maybe started from either Lohajung or Wan. To go to Roopkund this is the common point whether you start from Wan or Lohajung via Didina village.

The fascinating hikes lead you through beautiful valleys, quiet hamlets, and coniferous and oak woods. One of India's most beautiful meadows is Bedni Bugyal. The Trishul peak is visible from Bedni Bugyal, and one cannot not but capture the gorgeous snow-covered peak with their camera. Bedni Bugyal provides several options for wildlife and nature photographers to capture nature at its finest.

Why are these bugyals significant?

The treacherous walk to Bedni Bugyal and Ali Bugyal winds through velvety grasslands and heavy coniferous woodland clinging to the steep slopes and peaks. The villagers revere Bedni Kund in Bedni Bugyal for its sacred significance. Even an old temple and a few religious artifacts may be seen in the centre of Bedni Kund (pond).

Auli bugyal is considered the most beautiful meadows in Uttarakhand, India by National Geographic and Bedni bugyal is the most beautiful campsite on the entire trail. This place is like paradise for trekkers and looks more like a golf course.

The landscape is just too good and cannot be described in words, you need to be there to get a feel of it. Also, this is the last place where you get something to buy. There is a small hut serving local buns, maggie, egg, biscuits, hot tea, snacks, etc. Try this food if you are sick of the food provided by the trekking group. Most of us just entered this place while coming back from Roopkund.

From Auli bugyal, you get to see the snow-covered Himalayan mountain range. The view is just too good. You get to see government-built bunkers soon after you leave Auli bugyal and enter the Bedni bugyal. You can camp there or at Bedni Bugyal. There is an old man-made structure, old temples, and a huge pond. Sunset is spectacular and the sunrise is, even more, making the snow-covered mountains change their color to bright orange and Mt. Trishul's plume high above is the god of all mountains in this region.

Camping in Ali Bedni Bugyal

On the hike to Roopkund, Ali Bedni Bugyal, one of the largest and most beautiful meadows, is met. Camping on meadows is not permitted at a height of more than 3,000 metres, thus locating a guest home or lodge is impossible. Previously, trekkers would camp on the meadow, but today they must camp in the forest or in adjacent communities such as Didina or Pattar Nachauni. It is recommended that you pack or hire a tent before beginning your walk.

Exploring around the lake

We continued to explore the place around the campsite. We climbed the ridge which was to the right of our camp. It was approx one hour climb and was steep, but was worth the climb. We could see the top view of Tarsar lake and also, the other side of the pass. This was the highest point in the entire trek.

Don't forget to capture the panoramic shot from this place. Spend some time on top and enjoy the view. If you continue further, it will take you to Sundarsar lake. You can also see the trail from Tarsar to the pass on the other side of the lake. From that point, you can see Marsar lake far away which is another half-day trek from that place.

View from the ridge next to Tarsar lake. The lake is almost 2 km long.

In the evening we spent time going around the campsite and the lake. You are not allowed to take bath or clean your cloth or vessels at Tarsar. You may use the water that goes out as a stream for cooking. We hardly spent time inside the tent and at night it is an ideal place to do some astrophotography. I managed to get some timelapse of the galaxy and a few galaxy shots. If you have plans to do timelapse then don't forget to carry some additional batteries.

An award-winning shot of mine at Tarsar lake

The next day morning was a perfect one. The sunrise behind the Kolahoi peak, the shadow of the nearby mountain, the sun rays, the clear sky, etc made it the perfect day to start our hike back from Tarsar to Jadsar. Follow my blog to know more about what we did on day 6. Check out the video below.

Where is Tarsar Lake and how to reach Tarsar Lake?

Tarsar Lake is located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, in the western Himalayas. It is situated in the Aru Valley of the Anantnag district. Tarsar Lake is at an altitude of 2,400m/7,950ft.

• Pick-up location - Tourist Reception Center, Get into a bus or shared taxi.
• Drive:- 4 hrs, Srinagar to Aru via Apple valley.
• Srinagar to Pahalgam 100 km to Aru 12 km.
• Aru is on the bank of the Lidder River.

If you have not gone through my previous four days of the Tarsar trek, then check the following links:

Tarsar Trek – Day 1 – Srinagar to Aru drive
Tarsar Trek – Day 2 – Aru to Lidderwat
Tarsar Trek – Day 3 – Lidderwat to Shekwas
Tarsar Trek - Day 4 - Shekwas to Tarsar

Tarsar lake camp is ideal for galaxy photoshoots as there is hardly any light pollution and is away from the city. Hope you liked this incredible hike to Tarasar Lake, if you have liked this post then consider subscribing to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram - @ravindrajoisa.