Overview
Valley of Flowers & Hemkund Sahib
Trek, Uttarakhand
Valley of Flowers - High in the Himalayan range of Garwhal, in Uttarakhand, is some of the most beautiful alpine countryside to be found anywhere in India. The Valley of Flowers is a beautiful alpine meadow located at an altitude of 3660m, watered generously by the Pushpavati, a tributary of the Alaknanda river.
Over a thousand varieties of flowers, shrubs, orchids, and plants in different colors and textures paint a natural collage never to be forgotten. Himalayan wildflowers including ferns, dwarf iris, dwarf larkspur, dwarf rhododendrons, primula, blue poppies, fritillaria, asters, potentillas, and inula Grandifloras all grow wild in the valley, and the valley floor becomes carpeted in a riot of color each year after the monsoon rains.
The Valley was introduced to the world as the Valley of Flowers by Frank S. Smith - mountaineer, explorer, the botanist who camped here for several weeks in the monsoon of 1937 and did valuable exploratory work, He authored a book called " The Valley of Flowers " Which unveiled the beauty and floral splendors of the valley and thus threw open the doors of this verdant jewel to nature - enthusiasts all over the world.
Hemkund Sahib: Another steeper trek route from Ghangaria, this leads to the high-altitude Lokpal lake, known as Hemkund (4329 m), and takes about 4-6 hours. Encircled by seven snow-clad peaks and their associated glaciers, the lake reflects its surroundings enchantingly in its serene crystal-clear waters. The glaciers of Hathi Parvat and Sapt Sharing peaks feed the lake and a small stream, the Him Ganga, flows from the lake. There are a Sikh gurudwara and a Lakshman temple on the bank of the lake.
Maximum Altitude: 14,200 feet
Best Season: June-October
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Best Time
(Season) to Visit Valley of Flowers
If you are going to travel to the Valley of Flowers, then it is very important for you to know what is the best time to visit Valley of Flowers? The season starts from July to August is considered the best time as in these months the flowers start blooming in the valley, and the whole valley is filled with beautiful flowers. The peak season to visit the Valley of Flowers is monsoon and flowers keep changing their color in each season.
Summer Season - As the summer approaches, all the flowers like beautiful golden lilies and orchids start blooming in the valley. This gives a perfect blend of freshness and a soothing smell. If you are coming to visit the Valley of Flowers, then you should take special care that the monsoon months are the best dates to travel to the valley of flowers from July to August.
Monsoon Season - The Valley of Flowers spans 8 km. During the monsoon season, the beauty of the valley increases manifold, all the flowers start blooming. The valley is a hidden jewel of the state of Uttarakhand. The trek to the valley will undoubtedly be a memorable trip as its picturesque vista will leave you spellbound. Rainfall occurs in the valley from late July to September, you can experience a green environment with vibrant green flowers here these days.
Highlights
- Valley Of flowers offers beautiful meadows and exotic rare species of flowers during this trek.
- Hathi Parvat (Elephant mountain), Ghodi Parvat (Horse Mountain) and Saptrishi peaks are the main attractions throughout this trek.
- Purify your soul by taking a dip in the holy waters of the Hemkund Sahib lake
- Gorson Bugyal at 3049 M, just 3 km trek from Auli is a huge green alpine meadow surrounded by coniferous forest and oak trees
Region
|
Garhwal
Himalayas, Uttarakhand
|
Trek
|
Valley
of Flowers
|
Base
|
Govind
Ghat
|
Grade
|
Moderate
trek
|
Max.
Altitude
|
4326
m
|
Best
Season
|
July,
August & September
|