In the vicinity of Nanda Devi (7817 m), the second highest peak in India, is situated the Nanda Devi National Park, which has some of the most unique high altitude Flora and Fauna in the World. The spectacular views, sylvan environment, and richness of biosphere make it quite different from the other wildlife sanctuaries of India. The park has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO and in its vicinity are the Valley of Flowers, Badrinath Temple, and Hemkund Sahib.

Though the park was notified only in 1982, it has a long history. W.W. Garden was the first person to reach this region in 1883, but his expedition to the Nanda Devi peak failed to create any impact. In 1936, Tilman and N.E. Odell scaled the Nanda Devi and opened its vista for others to follow. This led to the region becoming a game sanctuary in 1939. The area of the park remained undisturbed until 1950's when organized expeditions for Nanda Devi started. To save the park from these disturbances, the Government of India declared the region a National Park in 1982 and later it was given the special status of a biosphere reserve.

Grade            : Moderate - Tough
Duration        : 11 Nights & 12 Days
Best Season : June to October
The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve
Day	Drive (KM)	Trek (KM)	Altitude (MTS)	From	To	Accommodation
1	225		335 MTS	Delhi	Rishikesh	Camp
2	250		1875 MTS	Rishikesh	Joshimath	Hotel
3	28			Joshimath	Auli-Joshimath	Hotel
4	31	3	2317 MTS	Joshimath	Suaithota-Tolma	Camp
5		4	2700 MTS	Tolma	Himtoli	Camp
6		13	3689 MTS	Tolma	Jhandidhar	Camp
7		5	4250 MTS	Jhandidhar	Dharansi Pass	Camp
8		4.5+4.5	3500 MTS	Dharansi Pass	Debrugheta - Dharansi Pass	Camp
9		6	4250 MTS	Dharansi Pass	Lata Kharak	Camp
10	11	10	2461 MTS	Lata Kharak	Lata - Tapowan	Camp
11	250		335 MTS	Tapowan	Rishikesh	Camp
12	225			Rishikesh	Delhi

Location The Nanda Devi national park is located in the Indian state of Uttaranchal in the upper Himalayan ranges. A part of the Garhwal Himalayas, the park extends from the latitude 30?24' in the north to the longitude 79?53' in the east. The entry to the park is from Lata village around 23 km from Joshimath. Mountain peaks surround it from all sides except the west where it is bounded by an inaccessible Gorge.

Climate Being in the high altitudes, Nanda Devi national park has a distinct climate. For six months of the year, the region remains under a snow cover. For the rest of the year, the region has a dry climate with heavy rainfall from June to August. April to june is the months when the temperature increases a bit and they are the months when one can visit this place.

Flora The forest cover in this park is mainly restricted to the Rishi gorge and the main vegetation consists of Fir, Birch, Rhododendron, and Juniper. In the inner sanctuary, conditions are drier and near the Nanda Devi glacier, there is almost no vegetation. From Ramani, the vegetation changes to Alpine and only Juniper scrubs are the dominating vegetation. The juniper scrubs gradually give way to grasses, prone mosses, and lichens. In total, 312 Floral species have been found here of which around 17 are considered rare.

Fauna Animal population, of species like Bharal, Himalayan Tahr, Serow, Goral, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Black Bear, Brown Bear, Leopard, common Langur and Himalayan Musk Deer dominate the park area. Warblers, gresbreaks, rose finches, and ruby throat represent avifauna here. Approximately 80 species have been spotted in this park.

"The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve" is spread over area of about 2000 sq. km with altitudes ranging from between 1500 m to 5600 m. It is situated in the Chamoli district of the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttaranchal. The Eastern and Southern rims of the biosphere form the border of Chamoli district with Pithoragarh and Almora districts.

The basic objectives of biosphere reserves are to conserve the diversity and integrity of plant and animal communities within natural ecosystems. This will safeguard the genetic diversity on which their evolution depends and provide area and facilities for ecological and environmental research, education and training.

Suraithota is situated 28 kms from Joshimath. It is the road head from where the trek begins. The first 2.5 km trek leads to the Tolma village.

Tolma is a beautiful village surrounded by dense forest. Here accommodation is restricted to staying with villagers in their traditional homes refurbished to maintain the rustic charm with basic amenities. Ethnic cuisine and folk art make the stay an unforgettable experience. The chances of Wild Life sighting are high en-route to Jandhidhar. Tolma is a tribal village whose inhabitants specialize in cultivating herbs. Food and herbs both are grown organically here. They have a herbal garden which is open to visitors.

Jhandidhar a ridge at an altitude of 3689 meters is the base for the next camp. This is final boundary to the National park and biosphere reserve.

Dharansi is a pass, which passes through the core zone of the Nanda Devi National Park. Situated at an altitude of 4250 meters with luscious grasslands covering the gentle slopes it provides an unimaginable view of the Nanda Devi Range. This is the last camping site. Camping is not permitted beyond this point.

Debrugeta: This area is further and deeper into the core area and is open only for day visits. This place abounds in bhojpatra trees, mountain goats and ibexes.

Lata Kharak is an amazing view point from where one gets a panoramic and extensive view of the Himalayan Range.

Lata Village houses the oldest temple dedicated to Godess Nanda Devi

Tapowan is the final road head situated on the banks of the of Dhauli ganga. There are refreshing sulfur spring baths here

Season: The Park will remain open from 1st June and close on 31 October every year for a period of 5 months.

Visitor Numbers and Movement:Only Groups with a maximum of 5 people will be permitted into the park. Not more than 2 groups in a day and more than 4 in a week will be permitted.

After the snows melt, over 300 species of flowers bloom, from mid July to September, changing almost daily. Apart from flowers, the valley is also the home of certain species of butterflies, the blue sheep, Himalayan bear, the Himalayan mouse hare and the snow leopard.

Itinerary        : VOF 1
Grade             : Moderate
Duration        : 8 Nights & 9 Days
Best Season : July to September
The Valley of Flowers
Day	Drive (KM)	Trek (KM)	Altitude (MTS)	From	To	Accommodation
1	225		335 MTS	Delhi	Rishikesh	Hotel
2	250		1875 MTS	Rishikesh	Joshimath	Hotel/Rest House
3	24	14	3048 MTS	Joshimath	Ghanghria	Tents
4		5+5	3658 MTS	Ghanghria	Valley of Flowers	Tents
Overnight at Ghangharia
5		6+6	4329 MTS	Ghanghria	Hemkund	Tents
Overnight at Ghangharia
6	24	14	1875 MTS	Ghanghria	Joshimath	Hotel
7	250		335 MTS	Joshimath	Rishikesh	Hotel
8	25		335 MTS	Rishikesh		Hotel
9	225			Rishikesh	Delhi

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 national park starts from Ghanghria, 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.

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.

Gangotri houses the temple dedicated to Godess Ganga. It is situated on the left bank of the Bhagirathi at an altitude of 3042 mts. The mouth of the river Ganga is known as Gaumukh and is situated 18 kms from the Gangotri temple. The route from Gangotri to Gaumukh, passes through woods of coniferous and pine trees at Chirbhasa and Birch trees at Bhojbhasa. From Gaumukh one has to traverse the Gangotri and the Chaturangini glaciers to reach the Tapovan and Nandanvan Valleys.

Itinerary        : GGT 3
Grade             : Moderate
Duration        : 8 Nights & 9 Days
Best Season : June to Mid October
The Source of the Ganges - Gangotri Glacier, Gaumukh and Tapovan
Day	Drive (KM)	Trek (KM)	Altitude (MTS)	From	To	Accommodation
1	225		335 MTS	Delhi	Rishikesh	Hotel
2	250		3048 MTS	Rishikesh	Gangotri	Tourist Rest House
3		14	3792 MTS	Gangotri	Bhojbhasa	Tents
4		4	3892 MTS	Bhojbhasa	Gaumukh	Tents
5		5+5	4463 MTS	Gaumukh	Tapovan	Over Night at Gaumukh
6	22	18	3892 MTS	Gaumukh	Gangotri - Harsil	Tents
7	30		2800 MTS	Gangotri	Harsil	Tents
8	235		335 MTS	Harsil	Rishikesh	Hotel
9	225			Rishikesh	Delhi	Hotel

The route from Gangotri to Gaumukh- the source of the Ganga, passes through orchids of coniferous pine trees at Chirbhasa and birch trees at Bhojbhasa. From Gangotri one has to traverse the Gangotri and the Chaturangini glaciers to reach the lush green meadows of Tapovan surrounded by the many named and un named peaks of the Garhwal Himalayas. En route to Tapovan from Nandanvan one gets an excellent view of the Shivling, the Bhagirathi, the Kedar dome, Sudershan and the Thelu peaks.

Deoria Tal is one of the most beautiful high altitude lakes in the Garhwal Himalayas. Situated at an altitude of 2,440 mts on the Chopta-Ukhimath highway, 3 km from the village of sari, it is an excellent spot for angling and bird watching. It is most famous for the reflection of the surrounding peaks of Chaukhamba and Kedarnath on its surface at dawn.

Itinerary        : DTAL-TN-CS 6
Grade             : Easy
Duration        : 5 Nights & 6 Days
Best Season : October to June
Deoria Tal Lake, Tungnath and Chandrashila
Day	Drive (KM)	Trek (KM)	Altitude (MTS)	From	To	Accommodation
1	225		335 MTS	Delhi	Rishikesh	Hotel
2	210		2780MTS	Rishikesh	Chopta	Tents
3	25	3+3	3289MTS	Chopta	Deoriatal	Chopta Tents
4		5+5	3650MTS	Chopta	Tungnath	Chopta Tents
5	210		356MTS	Chopta	Rishikesh	Camp / Hotel
6	225			Rishikesh	Delhi	Departure

Dodital is an angler's paradise and is famous for Trout and Mahseer fishing. It is a fresh water lake and a tempting trout pool. There is a circular path by the side of the Dodi Lake. The path takes you to where the feeder stream meets the lake. You can easily spot the Shining red spotted Himalayan Golden Trout in the crystal clear waters.

Itinerary       : DOD-DP 4A
Grade             : Moderate
Duration        :  8 Nights & 9 Days
Best Season : April to Mid October
The Dodital and Darwa Top
Day	Drive (KM)	Trek (KM)	Altitude (MTS)	From	To	Accommodation
1	262		2004 MTS	Delhi	Mussoorie	Hotel
2	185		1829 MTS	Mussoorie	Sangamchatti	Tents
3		7	2228 MTS	Sangamchatti	Beora	Tents
4		14	3307 MTS	Beora	Dodital	Tents
5		5+5	3307 MTS	Dodital - Darwatop - Dodital		Tents
6		14	2228 MTS	Dodital	Beora	Tents
7		7	1829 MTS	Beora	Sangamchatti	Tents
8	185		335 MTS	Sangamchatti	Rishikesh	Hotel/Tents
9	225			Rishikesh	Delhi

Itinerary        : DOD-DP-HC 4B
Grade             : Moderate
Duration        : 8 Nights & 9 Days
Best Season : April to Mid October
The Dodital to Hanumanchatti
Day	Drive (KM)	Trek (KM)	Altitude (MTS)	From	To	Accommodation
1	262		2004 MTS	Delhi	Mussoorie	Hotel
2	185		1829 MTS	Mussoorie	Sangamchatti	Tents
3		7	2228 MTS	Sangamchatti	Beora	Tents
4		14	3307 MTS	Beora	Dodital	Tents
5		5+5	3307 MTS	Dodital	Dodital	Tents
6		12	4300 MTS	Dodital	Seema Top	Tents
7		18	2400 MTS	Seema Top	Hanumanchatti	Tents
8	225		335 MTS	Hanumanchati	Rishikesh	Hotel/Lodge
9	225			Rishikesh	Delhi

Itinerary        : CNDR TAL 7
Grade             : Moderate
Duration        : 9 Nights & 10 Days
Best Season : June to October
Jeep Safari - Lahaul, Spiti and Chandratal Lake
Day	Drive (HRS)	Trek (KM)	Altitude (MTS)	From	To	Accommodation
1	12		1829 MTS	Delhi	Manali	Hotel
2			1829 MTS	Manali	Manali	Hotel
3	10		3600 MTS	Manali	Kaza	Hotel
4	3		4116/4205 MTS	Kaza	Kee- Kibar - Kaza	Hotel
5	5		3050 MTS	Kaza	Tabo - Kaza	Hotel
6	5		3890 MTS	Kaza	Dankar - Lalung-Kaza	Hotel
7	2	4+4	3600 MTS	Kaza	Komic - Kaza	Hotel
8	5	2 Hrs	4270 MTS	Kaza	Chandratal	Camp
9	5	2 Hrs	1829 MTS	Chandratal	Manali	Hotel
10	250		335 MTS	Manali	Departure

Lahaul is marked by a central mass of uniformly high mountains and massive glaciers. The two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise on either side of the Baralacha La, flow through the narrow Chandra and Bhaga valleys. Lahaul is a land of fascinating Buddhist art and culture. The monasteries of Lahaul-Spiti are rich repositories of ancient murals, thankas, woodcarving and golden images of Padmasambhava. The valley lies at a height of 2745 meters above sea level. Summer in this valley is cool and pleasant with green grass and alpine flowers. There is little monsoon in both these valleys and this enables climbers & trekkers to enjoy a long and unbroken season in perpetual sunshine to explore the wilderness and grandeur of the inner Himalaya. This unique feature makes Lahul-Spiti as an ideal destination for tourists and trekkers in the month of July, August and September. Keylong is 115 kms from Manali and is the District Headquarters of Lahul-Spiti Dist.

Spiti is the sub division of Lahaul & Spiti district with its head quarters at Kaza. It is called "Little Tibet" because it has almost the same terrain, vegetation & climate. Spiti also means "Middle Country". It lies between Tibet, Ladakh, Kinnaur, Lahaul & Kulu. There is a motorable road from Shimla via Kinnaur that remains open up to Kaza for 8 to 9 months.

KAZA(3800 m): Situated at an altitude of 3050 meters 224 kms from Manali, 197kms from Keylong and 425kms from Shimla, Kaza is the Sub Divisional Head quarter of Spiti Valley. It is situated at the foot of the steep ridges on the left bank of Spiti river.

KYE MONASTERY: It is situated 12 kms north of Kaza and serves the western population of Spiti. It is the oldest and biggest monastery of the valley and located at (4116 m) above Kye village. It houses beautiful scriptures and paintings of Budha and other goddesses. Lamas practice dance, sing and play on pipes and horns. Many Lamas get religious training here. It has murals and books of high aesthetic value.

KIBBER(4205 m): It is locally known as Khyipur, one of the highest villages in the world at an altitude of 4205 m above sea level in a narrow valley surrounded by mountains. Situated at an altitude of 4270 m at a short distance away from Kaza, the Gette village is considered one of the highest villages in the world

TABO MONASTERY: Dates back to the tenth century and is located 50 kms from kaza. It is a famous and important Gompa next only to the Tholing Gompa in Tibet. It has about 60 Lamas and a large collection of Scriptures, wall paintings etc. Murals of this gompa have a great similarity to that of the Ajanta paintings.

DHANKAR MONASTERY: Is situated about 25 kms east of Kaza and serves eastern part of central Spiti. Dhankar is a big village and erstwhile capital of Spiti Kingdom. On top of a hill there is a fort that uses to be the prison in ancient times. The Monastery has about 100 Lamas and is in position of Budhist scriptures in Bhoti language. Principal figure is a Statue of?Vairochana" (Dhayan Budha) consisting of 4 complete figures seated back to back. It has relics in the shape of paintings and sculptures.

CHANDRATAL LAKE: Is situated at an altitude of 4300 metres, 6 k.m from the Kunzum Pass. Surrounded by snow covered peaks and glaciers this lake is the source of the river Chandra.