Valley of Flowers Trek

Known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers. Valley of Flowers is located in the ‘Abode of God’, Uttarakhand in Chamoli District of the Garhwal region.

Be it character lovers, mountaineers or botanists, a walk for this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is an apt choice to relish the classic Himalayan valley. It is replete with abundant biodiversity and breathtaking surroundings.

While trekking to this sublime beauty!! you will pass through the off-beat trail!! isolated hamlets, deserted areas and varied species of flora and fauna!! which can be an adventure of a lifetime. Perched at an elevation of 4,389 m!! the valley is home to endangered animals, including the brown bear, blue sheep, Asiatic black bear and snow leopard.

Expertise of ‘Paradise’ before penalizing the Final Destination:

Being one of those infrequent natural botanical gardens in the country!! A trek to this floral town is known for evoking an unfathomable elation in the brain of trekkers. When one of my friends, who is an ardent trekker, asked me to accompany her into the Valley of Flowers, I quickly signed up without any second thought. We continued our journey at 4 a.m. the next day.

Traveling through Dehradun brought back so many fond travel memories for me personally. We arrived in Haridwar, which is the starting point for the Valley of Flowers trek, says the narrator. But, one can also get to the place via the winter abode of Lord Badrinath and Joshimath.

On the way, do not miss an opportunity to witness the sacred confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda Rivers that together form the River Ganges. Even though it’s a very long trip, the road is interesting when one notices the magnificent convergence of both of these rivers.

It is very likely that you may get tired, therefore. it’s suggested to take a short break and relax in a stunning apple orchard on the way.

Following some rest, it was time for us to move from the base camp Govindghat to Ghangaria. The first evening of Valley Of Flowers trek began with a 14 km slow ascent from Govindghat to Ghangaria.

The attractiveness of a number of waterfalls and lush greenery hypnotized us. Additionally, the villagers told me the world’s greatest Gurudwara and also the most revered of all Sikh Shrines, the’Hemkund Sahib’, is located nearby, in an altitude of 4,329 meters.

Ghangaria is a base camp to the Valley Of Flowers trek, and people can avail different services which have hiring a mule or utilizing a helicopter. We had booked rooms at Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, which is thought of as the best place to stay at Ghangaria.

Time to Research ‘Flowery Wonderland’:

Next day following having some glistening Aloo Paranthas. We started a trek through Ghangaria to Valley of Flowers. The toughest thing during the trek was supposed to confront heavy winds, but it was heartening to see that trekkers were helping each other to proceed comfortably. We saw thousands of blossoms in full bloom as we climbed 3,858 metres to reach the Valley of Flowers.

A wonderful and exquisite sight glazed our eyes. At the starting point of this national park, I came across the Balsam flowers that sported bright light pink, orange and blue colours, followed closely by Himalayan Slender Tape Marsh Marigold, Meadow Rue, Dwarf Globe Flower, and Vine.

It took about four hours to respect the rare and exotic beauty of the flowers spread like a blanket sheet, stretched over an expanse of 87.50 km. A unique blend of snow-capped mountains, green meadows, and white clouds created our trek a dreamlike experience.

how the Valley was discovered?

As we’d hired a guide to learn better about the area, he advised us that the charge to discover the valley goes to two British individuals i.e. mountaineer Frank Smith and botanist Joan Margaret Legge, who explored the valley together from the 1930s. Botanist Prakash Chandra Kala of India’s Wildlife Academy, on the other hand, spent a decade in the valley.

During this period, he compiled two novels known for having a list of all the flowers that blossom here, using their common and scientific names.

Travelers Require Some Notes!

The floral site is really a feast for the eyes and lends a unique experience on your own. The trail will become steeper, but the finest creations of nature is going to keep you inspired and enchanted. When the much-awaited destination is right in front of you, it appears that each ounce of energy lost in the road didn’t go in vain.

Most of the people today experience mixed emotions where excitement and relief come together to celebrate the joy of achieving something that you’ve aimed for.

You need to spend some quiet time in the lap of nature and catch some panoramic pictures on your heart. Especially, it’s a tea house trek since there are a number of tea-houses that provide you the best attributes of fragrant teas.

The ideal time to go to the valley is from July to September, as blossoms are in full blossom at that moment. However, don’t forget to take your rain gear, because it’s the monsoon season after all, and it keeps functioning here. Importantly, shoes play a important part in a trek, so one should prevent wet shoes and elect for sneakers with water resistance.

What to Eat inside the VOF?

VOF does not offer you any food center to its customers. You Have to carry food packets together.

To eat the meals outside the valley as there are no options to eat inside the park. Please don’t ruin this immaculate.

Paradise by departing wrappers and plastic bottles. Let’s not waste admirable efforts of Bhyunder Eco the Bhyundar Development Committee (EDC) works hard to keep the valley clean and green.

Accommodation Options:

Outside of the VOF, there aren’t many options for lodging. One can avail the guest houses,
Lodges and camps in Ghangaria. So far, the best Choice to remain is GMVN, Ghangaria from Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam. Many People Today prefer to stay in Govindghat, Auli or even Joshimath as the hotels available there provide better facilities.

Remember, if you book your resort or camp some of those three areas. You need to travel for around 30 minutes to get to the base camp i.e. Ghangaria.

But, its operation entirely depends upon the weather condition. During bad weather, facility of Helicopter is not provided. Travelers that are planning to trek can also buy wooden sticks or hiking Poles to facilitate their 6-8 hour travel.

Mobile Network and Internet Services:

Before you go for VOF, Remember that Ghangaria provides electricity but there is hardly any mobile Network facility for those travelers. You might come across fellow travelers becoming signs of Idea at the VOF entrance gate.

Especially, there are satellite phone booths in Ghangaria from where you can make calls.

You’re not allowed to trek after two pm from Govindghat to Ghangaria. In order to go Back to Govindghat to the exact same date from Ghangaria. You have to reach the base camp by 3 pm. Then only Horse riding is not Available after 4 pm since there’s a fear of wild creatures and landslides.

Allow your anxieties speak out loud and explore the valley to the fullest. Take photographs and let the fresh air and Pleasing scent of the flowers. Revive all your senses on this beautiful trek.

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