Trek to Valley of Flowers / Hemkund Sahib with TreksandTrails

The valley of flowers is a world heritage site and is part of the famous Nanda Devi Biosphere. This national park in the far interiors of Garhwal Himalayas (Uttarakhand) is spread over 87.5 sq. Kms. This hidden jewel is a truly unique habitat, home to many endemic varieties of alpine flowers and plants. This valley is at an altitude of 3250 m and above. Over the years many nature lovers from across the globe have been visiting the valley only to be left spell bound by its beauty. This region also plays home to many rare & endangered species of animals like Asiatic black bear, brown bear, snow leopard, blue sheep and more We offer a very special & flexible itinerary not seen before where people are going to get the option of spending many more extra hours inside and around the valley instead of just a couple of hours, if they were to take the regular itinerary. Our trip will have you walking large parts of the valley and climb up to a beautiful vantage point to observe the colossal beauty of this natural wonder. We will also explore higher reaches around the valley and retrace the steps of Frank Smythe, the legendary mountaineer who discovered this valley by chance while coming down after a successful summit of Mt. Kamet IN 1931. Not many people have walked this route.

A great feature of this itinerary is the flexibility to do your own thing in spite of being in a small group. You will get to decide how much you want to explore the valley and also if you want to trek to Hemkund Sahib, which from a trekkers point of view is not an ideal trail because of the number of people on it. We will give you other very exciting options. Also as part of the itinerary you get to stay in a spectacularly located lodge at Auli and also visit the revered Badrinath temple. To make this trek comfortable for a wider audience we have set up a beautiful & very comfortable campsite at Ghangria, away from the crammed Ghangria market. This will be your base for explorations into the valley he trek is undertaken during June to September months as this is the time when the valley is accessible. The bloom starts immediately after the melting of snow. Different flowers bloom in different months but the peak blooming period is from mid July to mid August. Almost 300 species of wild flowers bloom here unhindered by mankind. The prominent species are Brahmakamal, Blue Poppy, Cobra Lily Anemone, Geranium, Marsh Marigold & Prinula. Also the valley has to offer much more than flowers. There are waterfalls, glaciers, towering mountains, big rivers and quaint villages. These myriad shades of the valley will ensure that you have a most memorable trip in the mountains.

NATURE OF TRIP: TREKKING

LOCATION: GARHWAL HIMALAYAS UTTARAKHAND

DURATION OF THE PROGRAM: 6 Days (HARIDWAR - HARIDWAR)

ACTUAL TREKKING DAYS: 4 Days

MAXIMUM ALTITUDE: VALLEY OF FLOWER (3600m)

GRADE: MODERATE

GROUP SIZE: 10 – 12 PERSONS ONLY

REPORTING PLACE: HARIDWAR

For travel to Haridwar and back one can choose between air, rail & road.

For air travel, the closest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport (30 kms) in Dehradun and is well connected to Delhi and other parts of the country by Air India, Jet Airways & Spicejet.

Train travel is highly recommended with enough options being there. For train details, you could log on to www.indianrail.gov.in and for online railway ticket bookings you could log on to www.irctc.co.in.

There are frequent Public Transport buses including Volvos available from Delhi to Haridwar that cost about Rs. 200-500 per person. These buses depart from Delhi ISBT every 30 mins. or so and take about 4/5 hrs. to cover the distance.

The same is also applicable on the return journey.

In case you are unable to join this trip you will get 50% of the programme fees as refund, provided your request is received directly at least 15 days in advance from the date of your joining. Any unforeseen event / strike or natural calamity will not be considered as a cause of cancellation. Refund will be given after completion of the programs.

This expedition is open to people who are 15 years above and physically fit. This condition will be strictly adhered to. Under age will not be considered in any case.

FOOD & WATER SUPPLIES: Simple and nutritious meals will be provided.

Woolen Thermals or inners, Cotton Shirts, Slacks, Cotton Pants, Woolen sweaters or Jackets, Gloves, Sun Cap, Shoes, Socks, Enameled or Steel Mug / tumbler, Plate, Spoon, Water purifying tablets, Pen knife, Needle, Thread, Spare buttons, Goggles, Cold Cream / Vaseline, Soap, Toilet Paper, Towel, medicines which you normally use at home, Camera and Sunscreen SPF 40 or above as recommended by your doctor.

• Carry regular medicines for headaches, travel sickness, vomiting, stomach upset, etc.

• Please ensure that you carry specific medication that you are currently consuming (if any).

• Consult your physician for general tips on high altitude travel.

• Consumption of water should be minimum 3 to 3.5 liters per day.

Extensive and pain taking preparations have gone into the planning the route for your safety. Our field staff and experienced guides have been visiting the area to check all details. While every care has been taken to ensure safety, the Treks and Trails, India cannot be held responsible for any accident, illness and such other unforeseen eventualities.

The season for this trek is June to September. In the initial days of the season there will be snow on the higher reaches which generally melts by mid-June. Post mid-June it could rain anytime and for any duration. In the higher mountains it normally drizzles and doesn’t pour the way it does in the plains. You will have lot of mist. Day temperatures could fall to 10-15 °C. There is possibility of sunny days also and in this case your day temperatures could go up to 20-23 °C. Evenings and nights are going to be moderately cold with temperatures around 6-14 °C.

Please keep in mind that the above information is not exact and does not account for sudden changes. Whatever the temperatures and conditions will be, you can be rest assured we will be prepared to handle it with ease as we use equipment of very high specifications.

We conduct all our treks following the principles of ‘Leave No Trace’ policy and try to keep our impact minimal. We will request you to participate in this initiative by first knowing more about it and finally contributing by adhering to the tenets of this policy. You are sure to enjoy this kind of mountain travel where you don’t compromise on any personal comforts and yet help nurture & preserve a habitat which is beautiful and a source of joy, happiness & life to many.

Unique trekking style: We absolutely love the mountains and care for them and have pledged to do our bit to take care of them. We know you love them too; else you wouldn’t be reading this right? To further our pledge, we have adopted the ‘Leave No Trace’ philosophy in all our trips. You are sure to love our style of trekking where you don’t compromise on anything and yet help nurture and preserve nature. We believe in an inclusive style of running our programs where the guests are encouraged to contribute with their bit to run the trek whether it is in camp set up, wrap up kitchen and so on. This builds camaraderie within the trekking group and adds to the overall experience of the trip.

Great pricing: We offer high quality trips at a great value. Our all-inclusive prices (on our fixed departures) include cost of good quality transport also. We are not the cheapest but if one were to do a fair comparison one will see that the little extra that we charge is for the extra services which we believe will surely enhance the whole experience. We urge you to get more informed by asking questions and knowing fully what you’re getting for the price charged.

High quality Camping equipment: Absolutely clean & washed sleeping bags (something you never get easily), inflatable trekking mattresses (not sure if anyone else offering these!) & high end high quality 3-season imported tents (cost 3-4 times the normal tents).

Our Team & Pedigree: They are a strong team with 90% people represented from different parts of the Himalayas. They were born & raised in the mountains and they understand & appreciate wilderness and travel very well. Our entire team is trained and certified from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) and basic first aid. Apart from this, there is enormous emphasis on internal training and constant enhancement of skills and each guide is hand-picked for attitude & love for the mountains as much as sheer trekking excellence.

 Day 01 ‐ Haridwar – Auli (2450m) Drive/280 kms/8-9 hrs

Our coordinators will be at Haridwar Railway Station to pick you up at 7:00 am and from here board a vehicle (arranged by us) and you will be driven up to Auli. This is a long but interesting drive, as you will be travelling along the Ganga & Alaknanda rivers most of the time. En route you will be crossing the holy towns of Rishikesh, Dev Prayag & Rudra Prayag. Evening relax at the beautiful lodge set up in an apple orchard. Overnight in Hotel at Auli.

Early morning drive for about an hour or so to reach Govindghat, our starting point for the trek. We start the trek by crossing the river Alaknanda over a bridge at Govindghat and from there walking towards the Bhyundar valley through forest area and a few villages. There are numerous waterfalls and absolutely lush green landscape all around. The gradient of the trail is moderate. The 14 kms trek to reach Ghangria takes about 4-5 hrs, one can also hire a mule or use the helicopter service to reach Ghangria. Overnight in Camp Valley of Flowers, Ghangharia.

It's a delightful and short ascent to the valley. Gradient is moderate and the landscape extremely soothing to the eye. It will take about a couple of hours to reach the valley. The beauty of this world renowned valley totally lives up to its reputation. There are unending meadows laden with varieties of alpine flowers, network of streams and big mountains all around. At the entrance of the Valley stands the snow-clad peak of Ratban Parvat, towards the left is Nar Parvat, which separates the Badrinath valley from this valley, and to the right is dense Birch forest on the hillsides. We will spend 3-4 hrs exploring different corners & vantage points of the valley and towards late afternoon head back to the camp at Ghangria.

Option 1: Ghangaria (3050m) – Hemkund Sahib (4329m) – Ghangaria (3050m) Trek/6-7 hrs

Today's climb to Hemkund Sahib is steep at places and will take about 3 - 4 hrs. Hemkund Sahib is a popular Sikh Shrine built next to the beautiful lake. The lake is surrounded by wild flowers with Brahmkamal being the most popular. Pilgrims take a dip in the freezing cold waters of the lake, not an easy task. The hot tea served in the Gurudwara (shrine) is divine to say the least. We will also visit the Laxman mandir next to the Gurudwara. Towards afternoon head back to Ghangria. Overnight in the camp at Ghangharia.

Option 2: Ghangaria (3050m) – Valley of Flowers (3600m) – Ghangaria (3050 m) Trek/4-5 hrs

You can do a leisurely hike today and spend more time taking pictures and documenting the flower species. Towards afternoon head back to Ghangria. Overnight in the camp at Ghangharia.

Today we trek back to Govindghat and from there drive for about an hour to reach the beautiful temple town of Badrinath. Situated on the banks of holy Alaknanda and with the backdrop of Neelkanth peak, an ancient temple with hot sulphur water pools and crisp and clean air, Badrinath is a wonderful destination to visit. For the spiritually inclined, there can be no better place. Later in the evening we return to Hotel, Auli where a hot shower followed by a sumptuous meal awaits us. Overnight in hotel.

After breakfast drive down to Haridwar and our Trip ends here.

For additional details, please contact us on the below details: