Valley of Flowers is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002, which has made it immensely popular. The best time to visit is during the monsoon season in July and August, when the peak flower bloom happens. I did this trek from Aug 6 - 11, 2024 with Trek the Himalayas (TTH). This was the second trek of my intense three weeks in the Himalayas and immediately followed the Kashmir Great Lakes trek.
During the trek it rained almost every day, but that did not dampen the beautiful experience. In addition to hiking in the Valley of Flowers, got to explore Rishikesh, Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara during this trip.
Day 0: August 5, 2024.
The starting point for the trek is Rishikesh. Took a morning flight from Srinagar to Delhi and after a brief stop, a second flight from Delhi to Dehradun. The prepaid taxi from the airport to Rishikesh worked out well. Driving through the Rajaji National Forest was a bonus during the quick 30-minute ride. Reached Hotel Shiv Vilas around 6pm. The hotel is quite decent and very conveniently located right in front of the pickup spot for TTH next morning.
Walked across Ram Jhula in the evening to watch the Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Ashram. The setting sun and the clouds provided a beautiful backdrop. Enjoyed the peaceful, spiritual experience - this is a must do activity when in Rishikesh.
After the Ganga Aarti was finished, walked through the busy market past the ashrams, gift shops and the restaurants. The Jalebis with Rabri and the Masala Noodles being offered by the street vendors looked very tempting but reluctantly decided to be safe and skip them.
Day 1: August 6, 2024:
Got up early and after a quick shower, packed my bags, checked out of the hotel and walked across the street at 6am towards theTempo Traveller and Bolero Jeep waiting for our group of 19 trekkers. It is a long 9-hour drive to Pipalkoti, which is the TTH basecamp at 4500 ft and our night stay in a guest house.
The drive to Pipalkoti is very scenic, right along the Ganga River and gradually gaining elevation. Pipalkoti is on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway, and we go past 4 of the Panchprayag (holy confluences of river Ganga) - Devaprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag and Nandprayag. It is a bumpy ride sitting in the back of the Bolero Jeep, but time flies by listening to interesting music playlists and talking to new friends. After stops for breakfast and lunch, we reach the Pipalkoti guest house late afternoon.
The view from the Pipalkoti guest house was very scenic. We were welcomed with the sight of dark clouds and rain followed in the evening. Just before dinner, we got a briefing about the upcoming trek. Both the trek leads were women, which was a first for me on any trek.
Day 2: August 7, 2024:
Crossing the fancy new pedestrian bridge over Laxman Ganga River. The first day of hiking in this trek was from Pulna at 7000 ft to Ghangaria at 10200 ft.
After several hours of hiking in the rain and climbing 3000 ft, we reached Ghangaria, our destination for today's hike. We are staying at a guesthouse for 3 nights in this small village at 10000 ft. The guest house is very busy with multiple trek groups staying there. We checked into our basic room, put out our wet ponchos and clothes to dry, and then enjoyed Chai and Samosas during our quick briefing.
Day 3: August 8, 2024:
A relatively easy hike today from Ghangaria village at 10000 ft to Valley of Flowers at 11500 ft. As we left Ghangaria, we were transfixed by this amazing view of multiple waterfalls cascading down the mountains amidst low hanging clouds.
Our group of 19 trekkers brought together by our trek provider, Trek the Himalayas. A diverse group of 11 women and 8 men, most of them in their 30s and 40s.
The trail along the fast-flowing Pushpawati River, leading up to the narrow bridge across it was a sight to behold!
Entering the Valley of Flowers at 11500 ft. The dark clouds added to the mystique, but the rain made it hard to fully explore the valley. However, it did not prevent me from taking photos of some of the flowers on display.
A sampling of the beautiful flowering plants in the Valley of Flowers. The peak flowering season is July/August.
Rain cascading down the mountain sides in small streams into the valley. We got back to the guest house, wet and cold, but very happy with the memory of the beautiful valley and flowers firmly etched in our mind.
Day 4: August 9, 2024:
The hardest day of hikinng of the trek - from Ghangaria at 10200 ft to Hemkund Sahib at 14000 ft and back.
This is a very popular pilgrimage destination for Sikhs. Various options are available for people who want to skip the hike - Palkis, Pithoos, Horses. A few folks in our group decided to rent horses for the steep ascent. In retrospect, most of them said that the descent on the horses was uncomfortable and nerve wracking, and they probably would not do it again.
Hathi Parvat Glacier peeking through the clouds, enroute to Hemkund Sahib
The rare Blue Poppy made its presence felt around 13500 ft. It is found only in the high altitudes of the Himalayas. It is also the state flower of Bhutan.
Hemkund Sahib is the highest Gurdwara in the world at 14200 ft. Sitting inside the Gurdwara, wrapped in a blanket to stay warm in the biting cold and listening to the Kirtan was a divine experience. The Kadha Prasad and the Langar consisting of Khichdi and Chai was served with utmost devotion.
Right next to the Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara, there is a Lakshman Mandir. According to the legends, Lakshman meditated here to regain strength after being mortally wounded in a battle with Meghnad, the son of Ravana.
The rare and revered Brahma Kamal flower is found around Hemkund Sahib. It grows in the high-altitude Himalayas. Couldn't get a better shot due to the rain and fog.
Descending the steep trail from Hemkund Sahib back to Ghangaria.
Back to the guest house in Ghangaria after the long, strenuous, cold, rainy hike to Hemkund Sahib. A welcome surprise - our trek guides served us delicious Paani Puris when we got back.
Day 5: August 10, 2024
Last day of hiking in the trek, from Ghangaria to Pulna. It is over 3000ft of descent, mostly along the river,
A few people in our group skipped the hike today and took a helicopter ride from Ghangaria to Govindghat. They reported seeing amazing views during the short 10-minute ride.
We made it to Govindghat in good time and the weather was good, so we headed up the road towards Badrinath.
A bonus feature of the trek was a visit to Badrinath on the last day. The brightly colored Vishnu temple at 10100 ft is one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites.
Badrinath is a happening place. Around 2 million pilgrims visit each year, which is incredible for this remote high-altitude location. The drive from Rishikesh is over 10 hours through steep, winding mountain roads that are very prone to landslides, especially in the monsoon season.
The Badrinath Temple right behind the fast-flowing Alaknanda River.
After a few hours in Badrinath, we drove back to the basecamp in Pipalkoti. After 6 days together, our group of 19 strangers had become good friends, sharing stories, jokes and music. After dinner, we each got a certificate for successfully completing this trek and briefly talked about experience.
Day 6: August 11, 2024:
The long drive back from Pipalkoti to Rishikesh, most of it in heavy rain.
A couple of the landslides we had to go around on the long drive from Pipalkoti to Rishikesh. It was a scary, nail-biting ride through countless rockslide sections. After this adrenaline rush, we were grateful and happy to have made it back to Rishikesh without any incident.
Day 7: August 12, 2024:
The last day of the trip. A relaxing day exploring Rishikesh before taking an evening train to Chandigarh.
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