Trek to the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes.

 And so I set to give myself a new experience of doing a monsoon trek in the Indian Himalayas by myself. While my husband Harsha and I have trekked in the Nepal Himalayas twice (Annapurna and Langtang regions) and travelled to a few nice places in the mountains such as Leh and Sikkim in India, this is the first time I was going to be trekking alone. We made a decision this year that since the kids are young (6 and 2 yrs), it would be wise to take turns while trekking. Harsha booked me on the Valley of Flowers trek as a surprise. I was initially skeptical but later realized that given the difficulty level (graded easy-medium), time taken (one week totally), and the availability of tea-houses (this trek does not involve camping) this should be a good trek to start with.  

You can view the photo album here

Getting There

Bangalore – Delhi – Flight 2.5 hours

Delhi – Haridwar – Train approx. 5 hours

Haridwar – Rishikesh – Taxi 1 Hour

Rishikesh – GovindGhat / Pandukeshwar – Taxi 9-10 Hours

After an early morning flight to Delhi, I took a train from Delhi Nizammudin railway station to Hardiwar. It was an interesting moment when the guy at the airport cab counter asked me if I was a ‘fauji’. I just managed to say no and didn’t really bring myself to tell him where I was headed. I must have been quite a sight with my imposing Kelty backpack and my trekking poles sticking out of it. Spending time in a railway station lets you experience the real India. Travelers of every strata, an implicit hierarchy of hawkers, porters, cleaners and so on all living off the same eco-system but each one assuming more importance than the other. There were continuous showers during the train ride and I started worrying about a wet trail. Browsing Facebook whenever mobile connectivity presented, I was extremely happy and excited to see a post by BMC with pictures of the Valley of Flowers trek from the previous 2 batches during the same month. I then knew, this trip was going to be worth all the effort. Got off at Haridwar station and tried to find a cab for a 25 km ride to Rishikesh. All quotes were close to a 1,000 bucks. My 5 hour ride from Delhi in an AC2 compartment costed me only 75% of this amount. The undercover economist in me refused to accept this and I tried to find an alternative. Walked across the station into the bus stop and luckily found an AC bus. Was very happy with the Rs.70 ride which also gave me a wonderful bird’s eye view of the landscape. The first glimpses of the Ganges caused a flutter in my heart.

Ganges - So ancient yet so forever..

 

Because of the monsoon, the river was flowing high and fast and one could barely see three steps at Har Ki Pauri. At Rishikesh, I found an auto-rickshaw that took to me my hotel, Green Hills Cottage. It was a pretty little room for a single person and reminded me of Noddy’s house for one.

Winding roads enroute to Govindghat

Karnaprayag

Next day morning we started our long drive of 273 km to Pandukeshwar at 7 AM. There were landslides in a couple of places, but the JCB machines were constantly working to clear the rubble. Nowhere we had to wait for more than 10 minutes. The road was continuously winding and the river below was a constant companion. After the first hour, I started feeling very nauseas and had to take an Avomine tablet. Thankfully the driver of our Bolero was extremely calm and cautious. He played calm melodies at such a low volume that you would need to keep your thoughts blank to hear the music. After crossing the famous pilgrim places of Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Joshimath we reached our starting point, Pandukeshwar by 4.30 PM. Badrinath is another 25 kms ahead on this route and it is recommended to plan one more day to visit the temple.

Here, I met Santosh from BMC and our local guide Deepak Joshi from Himalaya's Heaven. Over tea, we discussed the plan for the next couple of days. The previous two group sizes were 28 and 20. It turned out to be a big advantage for me that our group size was only three. I liked the solitude. After all, who would want to travel 2,500 km to the Himalayas to socialize?

In the evening, I took a walk around the small village – a handful of buildings mostly shops and rest houses. It started drizzling and the power went out in the hotel. Made my way back and lay down close to the window where some daylight was streaming in. Fatigue took over in a moment and I was in la la land.

Rain soaked Govindghat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Trek :

Day 01: GovindGhat 5,500 feet – Ghangaria 10,200 feet–  14 km - 7.5 hours

After breakfast and tea at 6.30 AM, we packed our backpacks and set-off for the trek. The entry point is 1km from Pandukeshwar. The guides made entry of our arrival at the office and loaded our backpacks on mules. Hemkund Sahib is the highest Gurudwara in the world at 14,300 feet and the entire region is managed by the Sikh community. We crossed a steel bridge (the earlier one got destroyed in the 2013 floods), then an arch welcoming us to the Valley of Flowers National Park. Here, we had to get registered with our details such as name, phone number, city and get photographed with a webcam to get a permit. I found out that this was a busy pilgrim route and one could take a mule or even a helicopter to reach the basecamp.

Steel bridge at the entrance to Valley of Flowers trek

We started our 14 km journey. The path was very well laid with stone and concerete. It was overcast and perfect weather – neither sunny nor cold. We left Alaknanda river behind and soon it was river Laxman Ganga with us. The roar of the river was so loud that it drowned all noises including the ones in my head about my first solo trek.

 

I was suddenly in my most natural and happy state, being amidst pristine Himalayan beauty. The tall blue and green mountains towering over us. Clouds atop them like thick balls of cotton. Waterfalls from such majestic heights that you had to crane your neck to trace their path from start to end. The white gushing river and a wide river bed filled with stones. It was picture perfect and I was in it!

Though the path was well laid, it was a steep ascent. The hitherto unused muscles started protesting. My preparation of the past one month was being put to test. We did not know if we were making good time but kept moving on without too many stops. We were surprised to know that we had made it to the half-way / lunch point by 10.00 AM instead of the expected 11.30 AM. We packed our lunch after a stop for tea. We kept climbing up and down and soon joined the river. I was ecstatic at this point. We could see the river come down with a thundering force and had to cross a bridge. There was a beautiful panaroma around me and I lost count of the pictures that I took. For the first time, the group was far ahead of me as I took my time clicking pictures and taking in the beautiful sights.

We walked up another hour and stopped for lunch at 12.00 noon. Surprisingly our packed lunch of fried rice and salad was still warm and we enjoyed it with a view of the river gushing down boulders. We took some extra time relaxing and I tried to catch a nap à la Harsha style using my hat and goggles to give me enough shade.

We started climbing again and the ascent was very demanding. Especially the last three kilometers. Had to push, stretch, and call out the names of our Gurus to gives the strength. We reached Ghangaria and saw the Helipad. There were rows of Swiss cottages neatly laid out with their private toilet tents. As we walked the final 600 mts, it started to drizzle. I quickened my pace using my hat as a shield. We reached Deepak hotel at 2.30 PM in record time. The previous two groups reached at 4.30 and 5.30 PM given the large group size and assortment of age groups.  Our pace turned out to be a great advantage today. It poured relentlessly since the time we reached the hotel. After a quick wipe and change we were desperate for hot food. Piping hot maggi noodles and masala chai were more than welcome. The rooms were luxurious with thick rajai, attached bathroom with western closet and tiles. A huge upgrade compared to the tea-house treks we had done in Nepal which had bare rooms and common Indian toilets maintained very poorly.

Helipad at Ghangaria

Entrance to Ghangaria with rows of Swiss cottages

Ghangaria is a small village with shops and hotels laid very closely along narrow lanes. At the entrance, there is an information centre run by the Eco Development Centre. The EDC is an NGO that does the waste management in the region. They also have a video show about the Valley of Flowers. It was very informative and gave me a good base for my next days’ trek to the valley.

Day 02 : Ghangaria 10,200 feet – Valley of Flowers 11,800 feet – 3 km to enter the valley and 4.5 km walk within the valley.  Total Distance 15 km, Time – 7 hours

Even before we left our hotel in the morning we were told that it was going to be a beautiful clear day and a great opportunity to view the snow-capped mountains surrounding the valley. We started on the Raison d'être of our trip, our trek to the Valley of Flowers or Phoolun ki Ghati (in Hindi). After walking a kilometer and crossing a small bridge, we came to the check post. Our guides obtained permits. The path was narrow, laden with stones and dark as the sun had not risen high enough yet. Already the path was filled with flowers. The Balsam in pink was predominant dotted with Geraniums in purple. Our photoshoot started right there much before we entered the valley. After another kilometer, we crossed a bridge and the roaring Pushpavati river made an impressive sight tumbling down boulders as it came down the valley.

Bridge across river Pushpavati.
Valley visible right above.



At the checkpost, each zone of the National Park
 has different varieties of flowers

 

Once we crossed the bridge, the steep ascent started. We gained about a 1,000 feet walking on steep switchbacks. The path was essentially a bed of rocks of different shapes, sizes and strengths. In about 2 hours time we entered the valley. It was clear, bright and amazingly beautiful. The 360 degree panaroma surrounding was breathtaking. We could see the snow- capped mountains including Tipra glacier which feeds the Pushpavati river that flows through the valley. The guides were also very excited and took lots of pictures. In their month long stay here, they were seeing these sights for the first time which are otherwise covered with monsoon clouds.

Have you had a dream in which you run down lush green meadows filled with beautiful flowers and happiness in your heart? This is a place where dreams meet reality. This is indeed a one of a kind place. The valley is filled with flowers and plants of such variety that one has to see it to believe it. While the Balsam and Geranium where most visible, there were innumerable flowers of different shapes, sizes and hues all over. Photos and videos do not do enough justice. One has to see it, feel it and breathe it. Nevertheless, I tried to capture as many unique flowers as I could. But the true beauty of the valley is in the totality of the scenery. Numerous waterfalls pouring down the high mountains creating streams that run into the valley, lush green plants dotted with flowers of different hues and when the breeze makes these flowers sway and dance, it is a sight to behold. Yes, there is paradise on earth. This is God’s garden.

 

History – British mountaineers Frank.S.Smyth and R.L.Holdsworth accidently discovered the valley in 1931 when they lost their way after successfully completing an expedition of Mount Kamet. Fascinated by its beauty and grandeur they revisited in 1937 and published a book “The valley of flowers”.

In 1939, Joan Margrett Legge from the British Royal Botanic Gardens visited the valley to collect plants. Unfortunately, she fell off a cliff and died. Her tomb lies there with the scripture “I will lift mine eyes unto the Himalaya from whence cometh my help.”

In 1982, The U.P government declared it a national park as part of the Nanda Devi Bio-reserve and in 2005, UNESCO declared this a world heritage site for its unique bio-diversity. It is said to be home to more than 300 species of wild flowers.

We continued deeper into the valley and crossed two streams with very rickety bridges. Deepak plucked me some fresh blueberries which tasted crunchy and sweet. We stopped for packed lunch at 11 AM near a stream. By this time the sun was high up and very bright. I applied another round of sunscreen and covered myself with hat, scarf and dark glasses. After lunch, we walked for another hour and saw Legge’s grave. Up until this time I met very few people, enjoying my solitary sojourn. I met a lot of trekkers and tourists from all over the country entering the valley around 11.30 AM while we were on our way back. The sharp sun and no tree cover would have made it a difficult experience for them. The way back was tough as we had to negotiate our way down over sharp and steep stones that hurt our toes. When I reached the bridge and looked back I was surprised at the quantum of height we had climbed up and down. As I neared the bridge, the winds caused the river water to spray on me and I let out a cry ‘woo hoo’ in sheer happiness and excitement. I bid adieu to this wonderfully unique place ‘until next time’.

Day 03 – Ghangaria 10,200 feet – Hemkund Sahib 14,300 feet – 12 km – 7.5 hours

This was to be the toughest part of the trip. It was going to be 5,000 feet ascend and descend in a single day. I was a bit nervous but confident. Most people take ponies. However, like any other pilgrimage place in India there are people with different abilities both physical and financial. I saw women and men in simple salwar kameez / Kurta pyjama with rubber chappals doing the same walk which I was doing with technical shoes, climalite clothing and trekking poles. And then there were the more affluent people with fancy jackets and Nike shoes but still choosing to sit on a mule.

We started our ambitious walk after a heavy breakfast of Aloo parathas. I knew I would need every bit of energy. The path was again very well laid but extremely steep. As we ascended, the village of Ghangaria became smaller and smaller and soon no more a spec. There were a lot of flowers on this route too, mostly yellow and red compared to the pink and purple hue at the Valley the previous day.

Well paved path to Hemkund

Ghangaria barely visible below after 5,000 feet climb

After the first 30 mins, my guide asked me if I was doing o.k, I told him with a smile, “aaram se hojeyaga”. I kept climbing at a steady pace taking care to conserve my energy. Also, whenever possible, the guides would take me off the mule path, through the mountain letting me experience some “real trekking”. I stopped for just one break for about 10 mins after 2 hours when I replenished myself with energy bar and water mixed with electrolytes. After crossing the half way point, one can hear the soulful prayers and music from the Gurudwara giving the whole place a beautiful aura. Also, the travelers on mules would constantly chant ‘wahe guru’ and other Sikh prayers mostly out of fear of the mules which go dangerously close to the steep cliffs.

We crossed a bridge, and soon had two paths in front of us. One was a path of steps – steep but promising to cut a kilometer of the distance. The other one was the regular mule path that we had been walking on which was gradual but winding. I chose to go with the steps. My guide Santosh advised me to take short breaks after every 30 steps or so. At this point, I felt like something else had taken control of my mind and body. I just kept climbing in a trance like state. It was steep, the fog made the visibility very poor and it became a bit scary. It felt like the stairway to heaven.

Enjoying the challenging ascend

800+ steps at the top to enter Hemkund

Before I could realize, I entered Hemkund at 14k feet at 10.AM in just 3 hours! The numbers were unbelievable – 5,000 feet – 6 km- 3 hours. Deepak showed me a thumbs up and I smiled. Frankly I felt a bit disappointed that it was over. Later, I was surprised to know that we had climbed 800+ steps over a couple of 1,000 feet and it’s not everybody’s cup of tea.

I quickly covered myself with a fleece jacket and woolen cap and went in search of the lake. The lake was small but pristine and holy. I removed my shoes and went as far towards the lake as I could. One faithful was taking a dip. I waited for the ripples to subside so I could capture the reflection of the Gurudwara on the lake.

Serene and holy Hemkund lake

Barefoot at 14,300 feet!
Shoes not allowed near the lake.

World's highest Gurudwara

Few clicks later, I went into the temple. This was my first visit to any Gurudwara. The inside was warm and grand with golden decorations and silver sword, kirpan. I sat for 10 minutes closing my eyes thanking the lord for my safe journey until now and praying to go back the family soon. When I came out, the fog had completely enveloped the region and the lake was not visible at all.  Behind, there was a Lakshman temple and a small Shivling.

Towards Lakshman temple

 After offering my prayers, I made my way to the Langar. Hot khichdi and tea were offered to everyone. What an amazing service to humanity under such difficult conditions. After filling myself up, we started our descent. We avoided the steps and choose the mule path.

More flowers on the descend

The way down was a lot of work on the knees but much easier on the lungs. Crossed the half way path and stopped for a break. After crossing the 4 km milestone, I slipped on a stone and fell. My right ankle had an impact and felt some pain. I propped myself up using my poles and slowly stretched my ankle. Thankfully the high ankle shoe had saved the leg from sprain or crack. The final two kilometers were slow and painful. On reaching the hotel I dipped my legs in warm water and applied a crepe bandage to ease the pain.

Day 04 – Ghangaria 10,200 feet – Govindghat 5,500 feet – Rishikesh 1,745 feet

Magically, my leg felt better the next morning and we started at 5.30 AM. on our final trek of 14 km down to Govindghat. We could see the snow-capped Bhyundar Valley.

Early morning view of the Bhyundar valley during final trek to end point

After a yummy breakfast of Parathas on the way, we reached the final point by 10.AM. On our way, we saw a group of trekkers starting their trek at 9.30 AM. I was wondering what kind of a leader will let people waste 3 hours of early morning time when the weather is usually clear and have people start their walk so late risking sun and rain in later parts of the day. I was happy with the way BMC had arranged everything, starting early everyday so we could finish our day’s activity before monsoon played havoc.

We then transferred into a taxi to take us back to Rishikesh after an extremely uncomfortable and scary drive of 9 hours because this time the driver was completely the opposite kind. I treated myself to some dinner at Divine Cafe and connected to the world using their Wi-Fi. After a series of travel by taxi, train and flight later I reached home the next day evening, in time to celebrate Harsha’s birthday.

Final Thoughts

I completely enjoyed every bit of the trip – the landscape, the climate, the solitude and the overall experience. Thankfully I did not miss the kids too much and made the most of my ‘me time’. As a single woman traveler, I did not shy away but tried to make conversations with the people I came across. Inspired some and got inspired by some others.