The Valley of Flowers- Third Time Unlucky?

 Frank Smythe was the man who identified a region that he named the "Valley of Flowers", now a protected park. He once said: “If everything we do in life is to be measured in terms of money, then life would be a very poor thing. The greater ambitions and desires of mankind are actuated by something deeper and finer than the desire to amass material wealth.”

This is so true of the Valley of Flowers.  This was the third time I went there, see my earlier blogs on the Valley of Flowers here and another here. So was I third time unlucky, read on to find out.

In the Valley of Flowers (VoF)

So I took a seat taxi from Rishikesh to Govindghat, and started walking up the nine kilometres from Pulna. I met a lot of interesting people along the way, a kathad sardar from Rohtak, we could hardly understand each other, a sardar railway employee from Indore and his two daughters, an IT professional from Delhi.

...my porter on the way up

There were a lot of Sikhs on the way, going up and down, because Hemkund Sahib at about 4000 metres, is one of the holiest Gurdwaras and many Sikhs do a pilgrimage here. There are young and old, boys and girls, many of them chanting aloud and many whispering a prayer in their hearts.

Clouds descend over Ghangariya helipad.

There is a helicopter service from Govindghat to about a kilometer short of Ghangariya. The flight takes about four minutes and there are 10-15 sorties in a day, depending on the weather. So a four or five hour trek is cut short to a few minutes if one were to take the helicopter. 

A board showing the main species of flowers put up at the forest chowkey at the entrance.  

Everyone gets a pass for three days at the VoF, but most people go up only once, (I went up twice).  At Ghangariya the path splits and one goes to Hemkund, a six kilometre vertical climb, and one goes to VoF, about four kilometres away.

Sunrise at the base of VoF

After crossing the forest chwkey, which opens for ticket sales at 7am, I walk along undulating terrain for about two kilometres.  It was here that I saw and photographed Pika last time, but this time there were probably too many people around.  I was walking along a valley and the rising sun played lovely light on the mountains around.

Gushing water in the Pushpawati River

Then I crossed a bridge across the Pushpawati River which had a lot of water due to the recent rains and snow melt. There was much more water in the river this time compared to the last two occasions I had to come here. The sound of the river is loud and the water moving fast.

The bottom of the gorge is in darkness as the sun illuminates the mountains higher up.

The contrast is wide, dark at the bottom of the gorge as the sun has yet to reach here and higher up the mountains are illuminated in sunlight. I have always been fascinated by this contrast and on every trip photograph the sunlit mountains through the dark valley.

Clouds drift across the mountain face 

The weather is totally unpredictable, bright sunshine one moment and cloudy the next. Though it was dry on the first day I went up. on the second day it was drizzling right through.

VoF, Tipra Khark and Mount Rataban in the distance.

This time there was an unusual phenomenon in that the clouds would descend up to a point on the mountain side and there they would remain. After the bridge and a steep climb of about a kilometer, one starts seeing VoF, and a sight to behold it is.

The colours in the valley change every week or so

The sight of  VoF is beautiful, it is a riot of colour, blues and purples and mauves dominate.

Pithoo at Shepherd's Rock

The sad thing is (selfish I know) that there are too many people now in the valley. The guard at the forest chowkey  told me that on an average 500-1500 people come to VoF each day. Compare this to the four or five I saw on my first visit here. I won't go into the reasons as they are controversial, selfies, pandemic, local income, tour companies all have a part to play.

Mist shrouds the mountainside outside my room.

On the second day it rained heavily the whole day, so I decided to stay in my room. I modified my plan and decided to go to the VoF after a day's break. I would go to Hemkund the day after subject to weather, but as it turned out it kept raining and I didn't go up to Hemkund Sahib having been there twice earlier. Please see my earlier blogs.

Pollen laden bee on Angelica flower

The flowers change every week or ten days, and with it the colours in the valley. I had earlier been up in June and the colours were very different.  This time the purples and mauves dominated with white and blue interspersed. 

Cyananthus Lobatus 

...and don't ask me the common name....

Morina Longifolia 

The flowers are beautiful and a rose by any name .....

Heracleum  with the mountains of VoF in the background

Geranium...

Ligularia  a common flower growing everywhere

Pedicularis Hoffmeisteri

Joan Margaret Legge's memorial

Joan Margaret Legge (Leggy as the locals call her), was a botanist who came to study the flowers of VoF.  She lost her life here and her sister set up this grave in the VoF. Having been to the Valley of Flowers for the first time in 2015 and again in 2018, I have been bitten by the bug, each time I think will my last, but I go there yet again.  Have I been unlucky? You decide....

To quote Frank Smythe again: “Nature is honest, there is no meanness in her composition, she has no time for fools, there is no place in her code for weaklings and degenerates. Out of her strength we gather our own strength. And it is good to be strong, to be able to endure, not as a brute beast, but as a thinking man imbued with the spirit of a great ideal."

Who Says There are No Flowers in the Valley of Flowers?

A sign at the Entrance to the Valley of Flowers (VoF) says it all
The passionate forest guard at the gate told me that he had been scolded by a senior officer that the VoF had no flowers, and that he, the forest guard, should put up a sign warning everyone so.   The experience I had was entirely different, I saw a myriad flowers blooming and a tranquil Valley.  And I thought to myself that: they are really blind those who will not see. These flowers were very different to to those I had seen on my earlier trip in August 2015, view my photographs of the earlier trip at the link here and my blog of that trip over here

Flowing water everywhere
A kilometer after buying a ticket at the forest check post, I cross the steel bridge across the Pushpawati River and begin the ascent into the VoF. The ticket is valid for three days of which I will visit on two.  The mountainsides are striated with waterfalls fed by the melting snow, which in turn feed streams, all flowing into the Pushpawati River.

A Glimpse of Snow
From the dark depths of the entrance across the bridge, I get a fleeting view of the snow clad mountains that rim the VoF.  The deeper ravines are initially dark, in the shadow of  the tall mountains around, but the sun suddenly illuminates the dark valleys, a spectacular natural light show accentuated by the sharp clear mountain air. 

Blue Poppies
Another forest guard walking by, told me that the rare Blue Poppy had begun to bloom along the way, and almost as soon as he said it this lovely plant came into view on a rocky hillside. Had he not told me, I could have easily missed this cluster as did many others walking by.

Fragile and Translucent petals
make the Blue Poppy a rare sight to behold. Blooming at only a few rocky places, one needs to know where they are to be able to enjoy their delicate beauty.  This flower is the signature plant of the area.

The Path to the Valley
When I had come to VoF in  August 2015, I was told that a major flood and landslide the previous year had caused the path to be realigned.  At that time the path had been mud which the August rains had turned to a glutinous morass. Now it is paved with meticulously laid rocks which allow the water to drain through easily.  It is an easy climb up to the Valley.

An Inquisitive Pika  
feeds on grass while watching me. There are many of  this large mouse looking animal living in the rocks along the way.  They are bold and as I stand still they come quite close.  The fur is brown and grey, with some of them having a distinct line where the colour changes, probably a thick winter coat changing to a lighter summer one.  I saw many birds, Blue Whistling Thrush, Variegated Laughing Thrush, Himalayan Bul Bul are some I could not identify.  There are the elusive Red Fox and bear in this area too.

Flowers Everywhere
Spring has come to the Valley and the flowers are blooming, predominantly blues and purples. I admire the view on a bright and sunny day over breakfast at Shepherds Rock, eating packed puris and sabzi that I am carrying from the GMVN guest house where I am staying.  This is possibly the neatest and most reasonably priced staying option in Ghangariya.

Small Flowers and Big Flowers
Ghangariya is the base from where I do my trips to VoF and Hemkund sahib.  It is at the base of two Valleys, each of which lead to either Hemkund sahib or VoF.  This year the tourist season seems less but remains crowded with pilgrims, tourists, mules, porters and many others.

Single and in Bunches 
There is an intermittent mobile signal here, mainly BSNL, but no data connectivity.  The market has many STD booths (I thought those were history!) from where one can call outwards.  The electricity can go off sometimes so make sure that your phone and camera batteries are charged at all times.  The weather has been delightful, bright and sunny every morning, with very light showers on two afternoons. A late lunch of parathas and sabzi  again at Shepherds Rock.

By the side of the path and ....
At one end of town the horses and porters line up and in the morning they waylay me.  I take a mule to Hemkund Sahib, but walk twice to VoF.  The mule I hire to take me to Hemkund eyes my rather portly frame with a resigned look, but takes me up and down rather uncomplainingly.  There are government rates for everything so one has to haggle only a little.

... on it, the stones along the path are interspersed with these little violets
There are fresh blooms and dried tall plants, presumably the relics of last year. The forest department hires people to continuously remove weeds from the Valley as these are said to threaten the indigenous flowering plants.

Who said there are no flowers?
The flowers bloom and whither in hours, days and at most two weeks. I did two hikes over 48 hours and saw Angelica buds the first time and blooms the second.  Other flowers had begun to grow, and some were slowly fading.  I don't know or remember the names of the flowers I saw, I simply reveled in their beauty. The typical 'season' is July-August, but  at this time too there are many flowers.  On my previous trip in August 2015, I saw many different flowers, clearly indicating that one must visit the Valley in different seasons.

Mount Ratavan in the distance
is at the head of the Valley, at the lower reaches of this mountain is the Tipra Glacier, and below that is the 'Tipra Khark', presumably the moraine. The entire Valley is about 8 kilometers long after entering and one can walk to the end, but that has to be a single minded purpose, as time does not permit one to smell the roses and walk to the end. From Ghangariya the total distance would be about 11 km each way. One can enter the VoF at 0700 and must be out by 1800 hours, overnight stays are not permitted.

Signboard on the way 
put up by the forest department indicates the bifurcation for 'Tipra Khark'  and Lady Joan Margaret  Legge's grave memorial  (Leggy as she is known here).  In 1939 Joan Margaret Legge was studying the flora of the Valley of Flowers  while traversing some rocky slopes she slipped and lost her life. Her sister created this memorial/tomb to her. The Valley is at an average height of about 3500 metres, this is high altitude and it is smart to be acclimatised, particularly if you are going up from sea level as I was.

The Path to the River
Though I could not walk to the 'Tipra Khark', on my second visit to the Valley I did some photography and then walked  to the river crossing. About 2 km short of the 'Tipra Khark'  the Pushpawati River crosses the Valley, over here the ground is more rocky and there are less flowers.  The entire path is paved with stones which have sharp edges and points, at the end of a 15 km round hike, the soles of my feet were sore.

Farewell to the Valley
as I recross the bridge to return to Ghangariya, I have to be out of the Park by 1800 hours and the gate is about a kilometer away. The water in the river has risen as the snow in the higher reaches has melted during the hot and sunny day, I stop for a few more photos before hurrying on my way...  At the gate I meet my friend the forest guard and he asks me "so, did you see any flowers?" I think the dreamy smile on my face tells him all.

Flowers don't worry about how they're going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful.     

-Jim Carrey

The Trekking Photographer

The Spectacular beauty of the mountains

Every muscle is straining after six hours of ascent, at 3700 metres my oxygen deprived lungs are gasping, adjusting the seemingly heavy load on my aching back (where did all that extra weight come from?), in a final burst of energy I climb the final slope and in a sudden breath-taking moment a spectacular panorama unfolds, verdant mountains, veiled in clouds surround an icy lake with flowers in profusion.  Suddenly months of preparation and the cost of the trip become worth it. After I have absorbed the beauty of what I see, I reach for my camera to record for posterity what the eye and mind sees. This is exactly what I experienced when I trekked to the Valley of Flowers in Northern India earlier this year. 



See my earlier blog on the Valley of Flowers on this site and my site on Flickr for photographs for this slice of Gods own corner. Links below:

 http://xerxespa.blogspot.in/2015/08/valley-of-flowers-and-hemkund-trek-to_30.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/129459215@N08/albums/72157657142242599 for VoF pictures and 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129459215@N08/albums/72157657562803801 for the beauty of high altitude flora at Hemkund above 4000 metres. Including pictures of the famed Brahma Kamal.

The famed Brahma Kamal at an
altitude of about 4400 metres

For the entire seven day trek to the Valley of Flowers I had decided that my primary subject would be flowers and landscape, so I carried a versatile 18-55 mm zoom with my  Fuji XE-1 mirrorless camera and a tripod; keeping it simple I carried no other photography gear. I even left behind my Circular Polaroid filter (CPL), a fact that I regretted as the UV was very sharp at this unpolluted altitude.

the intriguing Bellwort

Most trekkers I saw and continue to see on my peregrinations carry inappropriate equipment or are unprepared for these golden moments, hence bring back mediocre snapshots taken with kilos of expensive equipment carried laboriously to the top of the mountain. A little forethought and preparation will enable you to get superb pictures of your treks and travels.

What to carry

Subject.  When you plan your trip, research and decide what will be your main subject 
during the trip.  All your equipment must be focussed (pun intended) towards this, camera, lens, flash and tripod. Do not “what if….” every scenario, or you will end up carrying the kitchen sink!    I had no long lens, no flash and I never missed them. I have too often seen very enthusiastic but ignorant "photographers" lug huge and heavy equipment (bazooka sized telephoto lens for example), lens wholly ill-suited for the subject contemplated.  Their ardour  literally crushed by the weight of their equipment. Carrying less weight is very very important, I cannot this emphasise enough. When trekking every tiny item quickly begins to weigh a lot and what should be pleasure soon turns into a very unpleasant experience.

Hemkund Sarovar

Camera. The camera is your digital eye and select it carefully well before your trip. Remember that a couple of hours into a climb, every gram is going to seem like kilos, weighing heavily on your shoulders. Hence it is vital to carry as light a camera as possible. Choose between a DSLR or mirrorless (MLC) system (assuming you are an advanced amateur), each has its advantages and disadvantages, but a MLC is generally substantially lighter for similar sensor size as most mid-range DSLRs. Prosumers and point and shoot cameras too have their place depending on what you own, can afford, your capability and your potential subject. 

The outdoors is rough, dirty, wet and dusty, all serious enemies of the camera and lens you carry, hence expose your expensive equipment as little as possible.  Avoid changing lens as an open camera in such an environment can be seriously damaged.  Besides, fiddling with lens at critical a time means you could miss action or fleeting moments. Therefore I recommend the options are to carry:

1. ·       A prime lens of an optimal focal length for the type of pictures you intend to take. For landscapes and general photography a 35mm to 50mm is suitable.
2. ·       A zoom that covers the possible range you might want, (this is what I did, 18-55mm zoom covered all my needs).
3. ·       Two camera bodies with different lens, (watch your back and shoulders).

A jewel in the flower

Tripod.  There is little point in investing in expensive equipment, lugging it around and coming back with mediocre unsharp pictures. For truly tack sharp pics a tripod is vital. Today there are wonderfully light and compact tripods to suit every pocket and need. Get one. heavier tripods are more stable and light ones easier to carry so it is a trade off.  Remember, the heavier your camera the sturdier (heavier) tripod you will need. And don't forget that remote release. Other than when photographing fast moving birds, I almost always use a tripod.

Minimum accessories. As I said earlier, every gram will seem a kilo when it's on your back or around your neck, I have more often than not seen photographers carry everything they own, camera, lens and flash. Recently when on a moderate trek, I asked a well-equipped photographer as to why wasn’t he using a tripod with his lovely long lens, he replied that as it was too heavy it was in the car and he would get it if required! Of course neither of us mentioned that his car was a four hour climb away. It is important to visualize the subjects that one is going to photograph and carry appropriate equipment for that only.  This applies to all the gear, flash, lens, tripod included. Minimum gear also inculcates a discipline and creativity in doing the most with minimum gear. On the other hand remember that most outdoor locations have limited charging facilities so always carry spare batteries and memory cards. I generally carry one extra memory card and two  fully charged batteries as spare.

notice my camera rigidly attached to my rucksack strap

Carry Rig.  Do not for a moment forget that you will be walking for hours if not days with your equipment.  The neck strap that came with the camera is generally not good enough for this and leaves the camera swinging and your neck aching. Besides a swinging weight around your neck in rough terrain inhibits movement, leaves you susceptible to injury and your camera to damage. Some intrepid photographers carry bespoke backpacks and pack in everything photographic they can, leaving little or no room for the other necessities for a trek. There are many types of bags, backpacks, straps and harnesses in the market, choose one that’s good for you. Important points to note are that the equipment should be firmly secured, the load distributed on shoulders and/or hips (not on the neck as most camera straps facilitate), and easily accessible.  I had my camera in front, clipped to my backpack strap using a Peak Diamond clip. The same Arca-type plate works for this bracket and the tripod.

Weatherproof cover: The weather in the mountains or on a trail can change rapidly, always carry weatherproof covers for your camera and equipment. Carry it even if the weather says no rain. If you have to, carry a shelter to change lens if it is raining.  An umbrella or poncho is better than a rain-jacket for this.

My friend Aarish stocks varied equipment for trekking and carrying equipment and Basav is an expert in equipment and fitness, they have advice for equipment for every level of fitness and type of camera. They would be happy to help and can be contacted below:
aarishsingh@gmail.com
basavm@gmail.com

What to do

Read the manual and practice. Too many people buy new cameras days before the trek of a lifetime and spend the whole trip figuring out the controls, an expensive lesson indeed. If you don’t want every alternate picture blurred or blank, be smart, read the manual and practice, practice till you can handle most common settings without removing the camera from your eye. Find a similar subject and practice angles, exposure and themes.

Knowledge of the location: Research your intended location from the photography point of view. Know exact times of sunrise and sunset, the morning and evening golden hour in the mountains are spectacular.  Know where the photo ops are. Be realistic in your trek timings, factor in the time required to take pictures on the way.

Be fit: Be fully aware of the physical demands of where you intend going and the load you intend carrying.  If possible practise a couple of times near your home and see if you are comfortable. For gear on trekking see my blog The Fashionate Trekker at the link below:
http://xerxespa.blogspot.in/2015/08/the-fashionate-trekker.html

Patience is a virtue and make the journey as much fun as the destination, stop to take pictures, smell the roses and enjoy your trek. Bring back photographs that were a joy to take and more important a joy for others to see.

Majestic Mount Rataban, briefly parting her veil of clouds,
seen through the length of the Valley

Valley of Flowers and Hemkund -a Trek to Paradise

Valley of Flowers and Hemkund -a Trek to Paradise

The Valley of Flowers

  

Climbing the last kilometer is strenuous, I sweat despite the mild cold, the thin drizzle permeates my clothing with dampness and the wet mud is slippery.  As I round a bend in the mountain side rapt in my misery, almost theatrically a wide vista unfolds showing a wide lush green valley with patches of colour and Mount Rataban proudly at its head.  It is magical, the tiredness of the climb falls away and the spellbinding view makes the arduous climb of two hours so very worthwhile. 

Angelica with cloud veiled mountains in the background

My trek to the Valley of Flowers (VoF) has been a dream for many years, a dream that I was determined to turn to reality for a week in August 2015.  There are many travelogues of ‘how to and where to’ on a trek to VoF so it is not my intention to replicate these. I will put together a kaleidoscope of thoughts and suggestions giving more of a flavor than a guide.

The trip started on Day One on a flight from Mumbai via Delhi to Dehradun and then a taxi to Rishikesh.  At Rishikesh I stayed at the Garhwal  Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) guest house at Bharat Bhoomi, it is basic but neat, spacious and clean with very friendly staff. That evening I scoured the market for ways to get to Govindghat, I went to two taxi stands and a bus stand.  The taxi stands were misleading (and I suspect self servingly dishonest).  Quite by accident I discovered two important aspects, one that all visitors to Ghangaria were required to do a photo-registration at a booth near the bus stand, which I did.  The second was that there are direct taxis from near the Gurudwara at Rishikesh to Govindghat, I booked myself on one starting at 5 am next morning (Rs 500 a seat).  These are shared Tata Sumo with 10 passengers to a taxi which is a seriously tight squeeze, so I purchased an extra seat to make space for myself. 

On Day Two our taxi started at 5 am and it was a long, hot, dusty ride along rough roads with few halts, reaching Govindghat at 2.40 pm. Along the way passing through tiny towns which read like the index of a book by the redoubtable Jim Corbett who had shot some of his many man-eaters here,   Devprayag, Rudraprayag and Chamoli went by.  All along we followed the Alaknanda River till Govindghat.  This long taxi journey is perhaps the only tedious part of an otherwise lovely trip. A few kilometers short of Govindghat most network signals cease.

At Govindghat I cast around and found a nice hotel, Bhagat, and prepared for the trek next day. Repacking my day pack for trekking as opposed to travel by air and road, for a guideline of what I carry when I trek, please see my blog here:

 http://xerxespa.blogspot.in/2015/08/the-fashionate-trekker.html

Madan, my intrepid porter
 and I on the way up

The track going from Govindghat
 to Ghangaria

Up early on Day Three, my hotel manager hired a porter for me (Rs 790), he would carry my large pack to Ghangaria.  The porter and I walked about 1.5 km down to a bridge on the Lakshman Ganga from where a taxi would take us four km to the start of the trek. I started trekking at 8.20 am along a broad stone path which is undulating in its initial stages till the river bed. Earlier floods had washed away many bridges so the path went across causeways and stony river beds.  Being the monsoon, there are beautiful waterfalls on the opposite hillside, including a mighty three stage fall of at least 2 to 300 metres .  The path is largely well defined, shady and the walk pleasant. 

The route has many dhabas and I enjoyed the stuffed paratha and lemon tea, the latter being a very refreshing drink while trekking. After crossing the river, the climb is nearly continuous for about two hours till Ghangaria. There are many people on the route, Sikh pilgrims and tourists giving the place a carnival air. I trekked about 12 km, climbing from about 1800 meters to 3100 meters, reaching at about 2.30 pm.

A la carte - the menu at a decrepit dhaba

At Ghangaria, again it was hotel hunting time and after much looking around I settled for the slightly ‘up market’ Nand Lokpal. It wasn’t exactly five star, but moderately clean and comfortable.  Ghangaria has a very short season of about four months and everything is brought up by mule or porter hence food, water and commodities are expensive, so carry up what you can or be prepared to buy it at the prevailing rates.  An NGO called EDC is doing sterling work in managing waste in that fragile environment, it is vital that we add our mite to keeping the waste under control.

another waterfall along the route

At 3100m one has entered high altitude and it is important to take sensible precautions in acclimatizing for trekking higher to VoF and Hemkund.  Remember that Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) can kill you or ruin an otherwise lovely trip; on the other hand a few sensible precautions can mitigate the risk considerably.  Before starting, have a doctor check you thoroughly to ensure that you are fit enough to undertake such a trek. Then follow an exercise programme a few weeks prior to make sure you are moderately fit to walk and climb at high altitude (there are many programmes on the net).

I did not buy water; instead I used water sterlising tablets the evening before to prepare two litres of water for each day’s trek. I do this whenever I am outdoors as it ensures I don’t have to buy plastic bottled water and so reduce the garbage in ecologically fragile areas.

Panacea for sore muscles
at the end of each day

Day Four saw me make an early start; I was out by 6 am and after a brief climb reached the forestchowky by 6.30 am to buy my VoF pass, (Rs 150 for 3 days). It was a bright and sunny morning and so that day there were many visitors and the trail up was a carnival.  The climb was ardous, but rounding a final bend the panorama is more than a reward for the ardour of the preceding two hours. I was at Shepherd’s Rock, a landmark in VoF, by 8.45 am and ate my packed breakfast (greasy sabzi- puri).  

Here I saw a jarring sign of the “great Indian tourist", the forest department had diverted  a mountain stream so that trekkers could fill water bottles. Right next to this someone had left a big, bright blue bar of washing soap, slowly dissolving into the pristine stream. A little further on I saw the shine of silver foil discarded after someone’s breakfast, lying among the flowers. I also met the guide/owner of a very large agency specializing in VoF; he boasted of his 400 GB of photos and his undying love of the Valley, all the while playing loud music on his phone!  We are somehow hell-bent on destroying our environmental heritage.

A list of some of the flowers
 to be seen at VoF

The VoF is truly spectacular, cloud veiled mountains stand sentinel around a green and lush valley through which the Pushpavati River flows, this valley in turn is dissected laterally by glacier fed mountain streams; all making for an idyllic scene. There is a stony path made by the forest department which meanders through the vegetation and one gets to see the flowers along this path. One path goes on to Joan Margaret Legge’s Memorial; she was an early pioneer into the Valley and the other path to the end of the Valley.

Joan Margaret Legge's Memorial

The flowers are spectacular, but I am no authority on flora and much has been written about the flowers in VoF, so I shall not dare tread there.  The common plants I saw were Balsam, Angelica, Bladderwort and Large Bellflower among stands of other beautiful flowers.  For my pictures please see these links to Flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/129459215@N08/albums/72157657562803801

https://www.flickr.com/photos/129459215@N08/albums/72157657142242599

As is normally the pattern in the mountains, the weather rolled in at about 12.30 pm, clouds roiled up the Valley, wreathing the mountain slopes in white.  Shortly it began to rain, almost signaling me to begin my return journey which took about two hours in very slippery slush. I was back in Ghangaria by 4 pm.

Glacier and stream emanating from it in Vof

Ghangaria is a small town, and most mobile call services do not work here, there is no data service at all, so forget Whatsapp and e-mail. STD booths (I had almost forgotten these!) abound and I got a scratchy connection most evenings.  That evening I had a wholesome meal of rice, dal and chapatti in the langar at the Gurudwara. An interesting interlude was that every night a Himalayan black bear with two cubs would come looking for garbage behind the hotels or langar, some people saw them, but I didn’t!

On Day Five I went to the Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara, this is at an altitude of about 4400 meters and I did not feel acclimatised enough to trek up, so I hired a mule (Rs 1150 for the return trip). The trek up can be anything upto 4 – 5 hours, but the mule got me up in about two and a half hours.  I started at 6 am and was up by 8.30 am.  There was a silver lining to to reaching early; I reached before the clouds descended at about 10 am, giving me ample light to get in some spectacular photographs. The mule driver stops at the mid-way point to give the mules a breather and here I grabbed a paratha and lemon tea for breakfast.

The Sarovar at Hemkund  - simply breath-taking

No description or photographs do justice to Hemkund SahibSarovar, it is breath-takingly beautiful. The Gurudwara is a modern structure (Not very appealing, I prefer the old traditional architecture of Gurudwaras though), however when I went in to mathaa teko (pay obeisance) there was a group of Raagi’s  singing followed by the reading of the  paath.  It was a beautifully calm and serene moment which I sat down to absorb.  Next to the Gurudwara is a very old Lakshman Mandir, not as imposing as the Gurudwara, but the panditji had a wonderful charm and it was another very lovely moment. 

The Lakshman mandir

The Gurudwara

The Sarovar (lake) is truly awe-inspiring, very cold, calm and with the mountains around mirrored in the still water it is a sight to behold. The water is so cold that I could not put my hand in for more than a few seconds without excruciating pain, and here I saw the absolute tolerance faith inspires, an elderly Sikh pilgrim was having an unhurried bath in this icy water! 

Emerging from a bath in the icy water

After enjoying the lake, I trekked up the hillside behind the Gurudwara to see the famed and rare Brahma Kamal flower which was in full bloom. 

The famed Brahma Kamal

I had khichdi and tea for lunch at the Gurudwara langar, and then began my mule odyssey down again. A word about riding a mule at these altitudes, the path is narrow and the mule goes so close to the edge that its head is out over the abyss.  This is very scary at first, more so when descending when the mule does a little hop down every step.  It is important to lean forward a bit when going up and lean back with legs straight when descending, this gives the mule balance.  These are very sure footed animals and there is nothing to fear, sit loose and the mule will take care of everything.  I was down by 1.30 pm.

That afternoon I joined a birder group walking down about a kilometer towards the helipad where we saw a mixed hunting party of birds.  My sightings on the trip included Himalayan Vulture, Large-billed Crow, Oriental Turtle Dove,Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, Coal Tit, Black Bulbul, Grey-bellied Tesia, Variegated Laughingthrush, Whiskered Yuhina, White-cheeked Nuthatch, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Blue Whistling Thrush, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail, Pink-browed Rosefinch (very common), White-winged Grosbeak and Bar-throated Siva.

The lush, green Valley

On Day Six I went again to the VoF, after reading many articles and blogs, I had always wanted to go the the end of the Valley. I made a very early morning start at 6 am in pouring rain but when I was on top by 8 am the rain had miraculously cleared, after a brief stop for breakfast at Shepherd’s Rock, I moved on. Being the first up in the Valley I was rewarded by the sight of a family of Pika playing in a rocky nullah. 

The path to the end of the Valley

As I had vowed not take my camera out till I reached the end of the Valley so as to save time, I managed a couple of pictures on my phone.  After walking about four kilometers, the trail tapered off and ended at a river with no visible crossing point.  A quick reconnaissance showed an old path across, so I moved on another 3 km along this path, but I could not see the end, so at 1 pm I reluctantly turned back, exiting the VoF park at 5 pm.

The path from Ghangaria to Govindghat

Day Seven was the day when all good things came to an end, the day of my descent to Govindghat. I had planned to spend the night at Govindghat hence made a late start at 8 am. The same porter I had on the way up came and took my heavier pack as I was trekking with a daypack. It was a pleasant five hour walk down to the taxi stand where I learnt that a landslide had isolated Govindghat from the direction of Joshimath. It was important for me to cross that slide as I had onward reservations from Rishikesh. So, along with a couple of others similarly stranded, I walked another six kilometers to a taxi on the other side of the slide driving as far as Chamoli. The next day it was back to Rishikesh, Delhi and regrettably home.

Memories of Paradise