According to legends, Lord Ganesha chose Dodital as his abode. There is a temple devoted to the Lord Ganesha here. Another name for Dodital Lake is ‘Dhundital’ meaning “Ganesh ka tal” or Lake of Ganesha. Dodital is a freshwater lake in Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, India, situated at a height of 3,078 meters (10,100 ft.) and the Darwa Pass Top is at 4,150 meters (13,615 ft.). Assi Ganga rises from Dodital and joins Bhagirathi. The confluence is at Gangori.
The Trek to Dodital is one of the picturesque in the Himalayan region of Garhwal. The captivating natural atmosphere surrounding the serene Lake is ideal for camping overnight. There is an opportunity to explore the Valley of Assi Ganga. The Dodital Trek, which is also one of the winter treks in the region of the Indian Himalayas, which is untouched beauty by trekkers starts from Sangamchatti and heads to Aghora village situated at a height of 2,256 meters. The trail goes through the river Assi Ganga and is followed by gentle ascends and descends and goes through a detached town, Bebra. From Aghora, the trail passes through the beautiful forest of Rhododendron leads to Manjhi, which is tucked at a mighty height. It offers such an environment that forms a sanctuary for trekkers to camp overnight. The trek from Manjhi to Dodital Lake is approximately 6 Km which takes about 2-3 hours to reach there and is located at a height of 3,078 meters. The sprawling natural beauty, reviving atmosphere and peaceful water of the freshwater lake make outdoors here a flat out ecstasy. Further, a trail of 5 kilometers to Darwa Pass Top that passes through narrow gorges, birch forest, rocky colonies, and involves a series of rivulet takes you to the stunning Bandarpunch peak and Swargarohini range.
Best Time to Visit: Dodital Trek is best for all the year to visit. Best seasons include December to March, Expect hiking on the snow in the mid of December. During winters, Dodital covered in the thick blanket of snow ideal for skiers. Best time in summer to experience Dodital includes April to June.
The drive from Dehradun to Kuflon passes through Mussoorie and Uttarkashi which takes about 6-7 hours to reach there with stunning views of mountain terrain. After reaching to Kuflon which will be our base camp for Dodital Trek, stay will be in Trekkaro luxury campsite on sharing basis. Kuflon is a very peaceful village with having very limited number of population. Transport will be arranged at an additional cost from Dehradun Railway Station at 06:30 AM. Cost of the Cab is Rs. 5,500/- per vehicle.
Early morning after having breakfast, drive from Kuflon to Sangamchatti in a Taxi which takes approximately 30 mins. In Sangamchatti, you can roam around the village which was earlier very well constructed but in 2012, there was a massive flood which washed the most of the major areas of village. It is the starting point of the trek to Bebra through the Assi Ganga Stream, small villages and paddy field; this trail is around 4 hours long, ascending gradually. Overnight stay at Bebra will be organized in tents surrounded by oak trees.
Today’s trek is quite long but easy which includes 16 km distance and takes about 5-6 hours to reach Dodital Lake through the rhododendron, pine and oak trees. We would carry packed lunch box during the trek and would stop for having it at Manjhi which is a beautiful small village. From here, it would take 2 hours to reach Dodital Lake which is famous for the Lord Ganesha abode, beauty and Himalayan Trout fish. There is a temple devoted to the Lord Ganesha here. Another name for Dodital Lake is ‘Dhundital’ meaning “Ganesh ka tal” or Lake of Ganesha. After a great day, spend the night in camp near the Dodital Lake.
Today is the most visually mesmerizing day of the entire trek. Get up comfortably by 07:00 AM, have breakfast and get ready to climb to the top of Darwa Pass Top. The trek to the top of Darwa Pass requires around 2½ hours of steep climb. It begins adjacent to the stream which nourishes Dodital Lake. Following couple of hours, the course bifurcates into two, the left one take you to Darwa Pass top and the other one leads to basecamp of Bandarpunch Peak. As you reach the Darwa Pass top, you will see a 360° of the snowy peaks around of Bandarpunch and Swargarohini ranges. In winter, the trails can consist of knee deep snow. Spend some time here and descend to the camp at Dodital Lake.
Today you would be leaving this abode chosen by Lord Ganesha. After breakfast, start walking to Bebra from Dodital Lake followed by some easy descending trail. It takes 5-6 hours to trek down to Bebra through oak, pine and rhododendron forests once again. Tomorrow, we will be back in civilization. Spend your precious time with the new found friends, sharing stories and making memories with them. This is the last campsite of the Dodital Trek. Overnight stay in tents.
Get up comfortably by 07:00 AM. The descending path from Bebra to Sangamchatti will be quite gentle which takes about 2 hours. Drive to Kuflon from Sangamchatti and then depart from Kuflon to Dehradun Railway Station preferably by 11:30 AM since the journey takes 6-7 hours. Expected to reach Dehradun by 07:00 PM. Transport will be arranged at an additional cost from Kuflon at 11:30 AM. Cost of the cab – Rs. 5,500 per vehicle.
