The Wandering Boot Presents VALLEY OF FLOWERS TREK

Introduction

The Valley of Flowers trek is one of ’s most popular treks in the Himalayas. People who haven’t even stepped in the Himalayas, have heard about the Valley of Flowers trek. But there is a solid reason behind Valley Of Flower’s legendary popularity – it is one of India’s oldest known treks. It’s an easy to moderate trek that offers a rare access to Himalayas that has an expanse of valley covered with flowers. It is also considered an ideal trek for the first timers even including family and kids. One also gets a chance to visit the highest pilgrimage location of Hemkund Sahib. The valley was first discovered accidentally by a group of mountaineers in 1931 who were returning from an expedition to Mount Kamet. Frank Smythe, Eric Shipton and RL Holdsworth were a part of this team. In 1980, Valley of Flowers was declared a national park and in 2000, Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve added it as the second core zone. It now comes under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme.

Trek Information

 Region :- Uttarakhand  Duration :- 6 Days  Grade :- Easy To Moderate  Max Altitude :- 14,100 Ft.  Approx Trekking Km :- 37 Kms.Stay: Camping

Short Itinerary

 Day 1 : Rishikesh to  Day 2 : Drive Joshimath to -Pulna and Trek to Ghangharia  Day 3 : Ghangaria to Valley of Flower and back to Ghangaria  Day 4 : Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib and back to Ghangaria  Day 5 : Ghangaria to Govindghat and Drive to Joshimath ( optional)  Day 6 : Joshimath to Rishikesh

Detailed Itinerary  Day 1 : Rishikesh to Joshimath You will begin your journey with us from Rishikesh. Starting the drive from Rishikesh from the appointed pickup point Rishikesh bus stand or TTH office in Tapovan, we will take the fabled Badrinath Road. The nine-hour drive to Joshimath will surely be long and arduous, but you are never going to run out of mesmerizing views. The great river running with us on parallel will get wilder and more fascinating as we trudge uphill. We will be passing by the 4 of the Panchprayag or the five holy confluence of Ganga— Devaprayag, , , and . So, keep your cameras ready and remain awake for most of the journey!.  Day 2 : Drive Joshimath to Govindghat -Pulna and Trek to Ghangharia From Joshimath to Govindghat the distance is 20km. En route, you can spot the final . We will start off on the drive in the morning after breakfast and reach Govindghat by 8 am and then 4 km drive to Pulna which is the starting point, todays travel is included in the cost. It will be a 9 km uphill route along the river, Pushpawati. The entire trail will be crowded most of the time. Many snack shops selling the beverage, hot noodles, omelets with bread, paratha, and the like can be found on this trail. So, you will never go hungry. The trek will be on a clearly defined stone-paved path, conveniently built with stairs.After 5 km walk, you will arrive at Bhyundar village. This village marks an amazing viewpoint for clear Hathi Parvat sights. Enjoy the wonderful sights as much as you can, because the strainful steep ascent will commence henceforth. You will reach Gangharia before nightfall, attaining an altitude of 10, 000 feet. The stay will be at a guest-house..  Day 3 : Ghangaria to Valley of Flower and back to Ghangaria The journey to Valley of Flowers is a distance of 4 km. The valley is 6-7 km long; the distance travelled in the valley depends on how the trekkers want to explore the valley. Another, factor to be considered is the stamina of the trekkers. Right, when you start from Ghangaria in 30 minutes forest check post arrives. The check post might not be an attraction but right before check post, there is a gushing waterfall called Laxman waterfall. Another 20 minutes into the greenery and next furious attraction comes. At this point, the Pushpavati river flows furiously below a wooden bridge. It is quite a common yet a unique and mesmerizing capture. The trail is steep and stone paved like the previous day. You can find many bridges and landslide areas when you enter the valley. The valley is thousand times stupendous than you might have imagined. It truly makes the Himalayan peaks lively and cherishing. Blue Poppy, Snake Foil, White Leaf Hog Foot, Himalayan Rose, Meadow Geranium, Dog Flower, Hooked Stick Seed are the native flowers. These astounding colorful blossoms end after 5 km stretch at a glacier. If the weather is clear the mighty Himalayan peaks of Nilgiri Parvat, Bhyundar Khal,

Rattaban, Gauri Parvat etc. in the background. Today’s journey will conclude with your coming back to Ghangaria before nightfall.  Day 4 : Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib and back to Ghangaria Get ready early in the morning to start trekking (6 Km) for "HEMKUND SAHIB". One of the most revered of all Sikh Shrines, The Hemkund Sahib, the World’s Highest Gurudwara, is situated at an altitude of 4,329 meters. There will be porters and mules if you wish to offload your load. The trail today will be similar to previous days stone paved and continuous ascend. There will be shops on the way where you can energize yourself. Watch out for the rare flower Brahmakamal that will be spotted beside pathways. The Gurudwara is placed magically beside the mirror like glacial lake Hemkund. During clear skies, one can witness the flawless reflections of the adjoining Saptrishi peaks. The lake is fed by melting glaciers of Hathi Parvat and Saptrishi peaks. Religious Laxman temple is also found near the lake. In the afternoon trek down to reach Ghangariya for an overnight stay. The evening is free for rest & relaxation.  Day 5 : Ghangaria to Govindghat and Drive to Joshimath (Badrinath optional) After your breakfast in the morning we descend to Govindghat and then drive to Joshimath. From this place Badrinath is 25 km away and take 1 hrs to reach. You can visit Badrinath only if road and weather condition permits us. Note : Govindghat to Badrinath is landslide prone area in monsoon time so if our leaders find that your safety is in risk due to weather condition/landslide or road blockage we shall skip Badrinath altogether and drive to Joshimath directly. On arrival, check into hotel. Overnight: Hotel.  Day 6 : Joshimath to Rishikesh The ride will commence at 6 am and you will reach Rishikesh around 5 - 6 pm. Your Breakfast and Lunch will be on the way at a roadside inn, exclusive of charges, after having your morning tea/coffee you can leave for your next destination. We advise you to book further travel after 7 pm. Please note that travel from Joshimath to Rishikesh is not included in the cost.  Day 7 : Extra Day(Optional Day) Every trek plan has a buffer day. This day is used in case of unfavorable conditions when the summit was not possible as the pre-planned itinerary. Using the buffer day will be a team decision. Please note that the cost of the buffer day is not included in the trek cost. In case the team decides to use the buffer day the said cost must be paid. Make sure to already discuss the buffer costs with your team. If everything goes as planned and buffer days are never used then you can utilize them to travel around in Rishikesh, , Mussorie or whatever suits you. Please remember to plan your travel dates considering the buffer days. Following are some of the activities you can do on the buffer days.

 Rishikesh is known for the White water Rafting capital of India, Bungee jumping, Cycling in Chila forest, Yoga, Ayurvedic Massage, Ram Jhula, Lakshman Jhula, Parmarth aarti, Big ashrams.  Haridwar is known for Pilgrimage, Numerous temples, Har Ki , Ganga Aarti, Jungle safari in Rajaji National Park, Ayurvedic medicines and herbal remedies.  is known for Mall Road, Shopping, Kempty Falls, Municipal Garden, Sir George Everest's house.

How to Reach ? At first you have to reach Rishikesh Options  1. Take overnight train/bus to Rishikesh  2. Take overnight train/bust to Haridwar and drive to Rishikesh (30 min drive with normal traffic)  3. Take flight to Dehradun airport (Jolly Grant Airport) and drive to Rishikesh (20 km, 20 min), if coming by flight then come one day early. After that Trek The Himalayas will take care of your travel. Our pick-up locations at Rishikesh are.  Rishikesh bus station (06:00 am) If going by yourself Options  Take early morning (5am-6am) bus or share taxi to Joshimath (Full day drive)  Book a cab for Joshimath/Govindghat Travel from Joshimath to Govindghat, Pulna and Badrinath is included in the cost Helicopter  You can take Helicopter from Govindghat to Ghangaria, at a reasonable price.  Take Helicopter from Dehradun to Govindghat, agency’s charge exorbitant rates.

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