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| Valley
of Flowers |
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Camp
Enchanted Valley at
Ghangharia
Season:
July-Sept
Location:
Ghanghria, the Himalayas
Altitude: 3048 mts
Places
of interest: Valley of Flowers, Hemkund Sahib Lake,
NandaDevi Biosphere, Badrinath, Vasudhara
Falls, Kauri Pass
Activities:
Trekking, Camping,
Photography,
Spiritual Quest, Flora & Fauna, Culture
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The Valley of Flowers
is situated in the upper expansions of the Bhyundar
Ganga. The valley is spread over an area of 87.5sq.km and ranges from
3,250 mts to 6750 mts in altitude.
The Valley of Flowers national park appeared on the tourist map only as
early as 1931 when Frank Smith a British tourist stumbled accross this
valley when he lost his way, while returing back after sucessfully
climbing Mt. Kamet.
The Valley of Flowers national park starts from Ganghria, but one
reaches the main valley only after crossing the gorge and the stream
starting from the Nar Parvat,
3kms from Ganghria.
From the valley, right in the front one gets an amazing view of the
Ratban Parbat and to the left the Nar Parbat, which seperates Badrinath
and the valley. The right side is covered with birch forests sprinkled
with numerous waterfalls and punctuated by the Pushpawati
river. The valley begins to bloom right after the snows melt but the
peak blooming period is from mid July to September. The floral
composition changes almost on a daily basis during these 3 months. The
valley has a natural bloom of over 300 species of wild flowers like,
Anemone, Geranium, Marsh Marigold, Primula; Ptentilla etc. The
abundance of the Asamanda Fern in the valley sets it apart in the
floral annals of the Himalayas.
Apart from flowers, the valley is also the home of certain species of
butterlies, the blue sheep, Himalayan bear, the Himalayan mouse, hare
and the snow leopard.
Gangharia
Situated 35kms from Joshimath at an altitude of 3048mts Ghanghria is
the most convenient base camp to access the Valley of Flowers &
Hemkund. (10 km trek route to the Valley of Flowers and a 12 km trail
to Hemkund) The path from Ghanghria winds through glaciers, snow
bridges and alpine forests while ascending to the Valley of Flowers.
Hemkund
Lokpal
Hemkund Lokpal is one of the most picturesque & popular high
altitude lakes in the Garhwal Himalayas. It is situated 976mts above
Valley of Flowers, at an altitude of 15,200 feet, sheltered by seven
snow-covered peaks of the Hemkund Parvat. Hemkund Lokpal is not only
one of the most scenic spots in the Garhwal but also one of the most
sacred pilgrimage spots for the Sikhs, as this spot was the Sikh guru,
Govind Singh's spiritual retreat. The trek to Hemkund is quite a steep
climb as compared to that to the Valley of Flowers, and ponies may be
necessary for the elderly. The route is enchanting with the waters
Laxman Ganga in its varied moods leading the way across waterfalls
& ridges carpeted with flowers of almost every imaginable
colour & fragrance. |
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The truly enchanted valley... click on pictures for larger
image |
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