'Bewitching, Enchanting and Mesmerising', in case you want to experience all of this, you need to visit the 'Valley of Flowers', a UNESCO World Heritage Site located at Uttarakhand, rightfully referred to as the 'Devbhoomi of India'. It is located in North Chamoli and is spread over an area of about 38 kms. The trek begins from Govindghat, an 11-hour long drive from Hrishikesh and is one hour from Joshimath. From Govindghat it is a 13 km long trek among the mountains, uphill and downhill but along a well-defined trail to the base camp at Ghangaria.
You can take an early morning Shatabdi express to Hrishikesh from Delhi which takes approximately 6 hours. Stay overnight at Hrishikesh and then take an early morning tempo traveller if travelling in a group to Govindghat. Reach Govindghat by 7 or 8pm and rest in a decent hotel there, options are available. Start the trek to Ghangaria base camp in the morning by 7:00 to 7:30am. We conducted this trek through Renok Adventures based in Delhi and we had a very good experience thanks to them.
For all the 6 days that we there right from Hrishikesh, it used to rain incessantly every night and the mornings used to be clear and sunny as if the rain gods were smiling down at us! The trek from Govindghat to Ghangaria was pleasant and scenic with not many halts. We reached the base camp at around 4:30 pm and after a refreshing cup of tea with pakodas to go with it, we roamed around the place. To our surprise Ghangaria had a market which catered to each and every piece of material required for the trek so much so that had we gone there empty-handed we would have got all the stuff required for the trek right from hunter shoes to basic necessities like socks and clothes.
At around 6pm we were shown a short documentary on the origin of the 'Valley of Flowers' and the vast diversity of flora and fauna which helped us identify the species that were going to unfold before us. After an early dinner we retired to bed highly excited about next day. It rained heavily the entire night and anxiety took over our excitement at one point making us wonder if we would be able to step out in the morning. But it stopped raining at 6:00am and at 7:30am we were raring to go. Walking sticks are very useful and we bought them when we had started from Govindghat.
It was nice and bright as we ventured on our dream trek. The first flowers to greet us were the cobra lilies rampant throughout the valley. It was an up and down terrain, quite slippery at many patches due to the rains. As we kept climbing, the river Alaknanda gave us company in all its grandeur flowing furiously. It was difficult to hear any other sound apart from the roaring rapids! As we took in the magnificence of the river Alaknanda and kept proceeding, gradually the valley unfolded its treasure in our path.
Different species of flowers were spread out in different directions, a diverse flora with characteristics specific adapt to the particular region. Fog and mist and the bright sun kept playing hide and seek as we watched in awe the palette of colours laid out in front of us. Believe me, I could not make up my mind as to what was more mesmerising – the snow-capped mountains, the tiny rivulets of water flowing in gaiety, the bright green meadows as far as the eyes could see, the lovely waterfalls everywhere, the clear blue sky or last but not the least, the vibrant flowers. It was as if we transformed into another world, no less than heaven itself! We kept walking up and down the valley covering a vast stretch of land. Different species of flowers grew scattered among the meadows each with its own exotic colour and fragrance. We were advised not to go too close to the plants as the beauty was supposed to be enjoyed from a distance. Sky-blue coloured poppies sprang up in exotic locales and mesmerised us with their beauty. We were over-whelmed to spot the elusive 'Brahmakamal' the state flower of Uttarakhand. Brahmakamal usually grow on slopes where it is difficult to reach them so they are undisturbed by human touch. The sight of the 'Brahmakamal' made it seem that each and every drop of our sweat was well worth it. What a sight it was! The whole experience was so mind-blowing that it was with a heavy heart that we had to take the retunr journey back to our base camp. We were supposed to reach before dark as the weather is known to become very un-predictable in the evening.
The rain-gods were merciful and the Valley gave us the experience of a life-time which will be forever etched in my memory.
Blog by: Leena Mantri