DISCLAIMER – There were no flowers shot during this experience. Expect the Valley, Without Flowers.
I had been baptized into the travel industry for about 1.5 years then, I saw a window to escape. Work was surely taking a toll & it had been long that I had not check-listed apart from my laptop’s haven. 5 people booked for the month of September for Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand! My team at the office shrugged at the idea, “Why would you go to the Valley when there is such little bloom, find another window for yourself.” they said. And the stubborn heart said, “It is the last batch for Valley this year & I think I have to go now…Adieu!”
Following morning I loaded my rucksack & hopped on to the Tempo Traveller along with a fellow Guide, Narendra – we were headed to Haridwar. Early morning drive watching the sunrise on the confluence of a summerish – winter September morning along the banks of Ganga, was elating. We reached Haridwar Railway Station to pick up our guests, all walking from different parts of India & two folks from Toronto. Waiting for them at the station was going to take long, so I started walking amidst the crowd to spot them by instinct. It was a fun round to keep myself occupied, until a boy walked up to our vehicle, smiling as though he got the last piece of happiness on Earth.
I walked straight to him & asked, “Are you here for the Valley of Flowers Trek?” His smile widened for all I remember until we said goodbye. With him walked in the remaining 4 guests, all with an eerie sense of belonging to that Tempo Traveller. “All Set?” yelled Narendra & all agog, “Yes Sir!” Narendra introduced himself to the team, while I had already made friends before they walked in. The vehicle moved on for a 10-hour journey into the wildest roads of Uttarakhand. We were straight destined to Auli for the night. The last patch of the drive was an exhaustive cry of, “I need a hot bath & a good stretch” on all our faces until we reached Himalayan Eco Lodge at Auli.
The Manager welcomed us with arms wide open greetings & we were all his, literally! The mountains after 7.00 pm looked darker than midnight & after the long journey, who wouldn’t want a mother-like host & steaming food on your platter. Gulping it down, with a little more talks & briefing on the following day, we bunked on the bed like we were no more.
Day 2 – Morning had its own charms at Auli, with the panoramic views of Indian Himalayas adorning the window, playing a little peekaboo along with the clouds. We all met for breakfast & geared up for a journey on foot from Govindghat. We left our heavy rucksacks back at the lodge & only carried a smaller backpack with 3-day essentials for the main trek. Boarding the vehicle from the lodge at 8.00 am we began the bumpy ride to Govindghat, on the confluence of Alaknanda & Lakshman Ganga River. Govindghat is celebrated for its Sikh Gurudwara & is a host to a small local market, restaurants & few hotels. It is the starting point of the trek to the Valley of Flowers & Hemkund Sahib Temple. The distance was a mere 20Kms/ 40 mins on road, and the uphill hike from Govindghat to Ghangaria was along a paved uphill route. From an almost 6,000 ft to a 10,000 ft at Ghangaria the strain on knee caps was as much as on the back & Ghangaria just kept its steep slope upright. There is one odd patch in between the river bed which was thankfully dry & under construction to pave a bridge, where we took an unwinding halt. We munched on our packed lunch at this spot, under a bright sun & a pleasant wind all over our face. There are makeshift toilet tents available here & it was a luxury while being on a trek, relieving us until we reached Ghangaria.
Crossing the last patch where the tented accommodations are, right next to the Helipad we gasped at the sprawling green. The last uphill hike went through a dense forest route taking us to our base at Ghangaria. This little part of the mountain offers a thriving small street market & is dotted with basic accommodation options for travelers. We checked in to the Devlok Hotel, the premises were surrounded by a forest cover on one side & a narrow alley leading to the vast expanse. That evening after a good afternoon rest, we decided to march on the damp streets of Ghangaria. The street market is literally a short distance walk to your neighborhood friend & it is also a host to a gurudwara (A Sikh Shrine). Our pack of 6 trod the streets on a misty evening, discovering this small hamlet through food & conversations.
Ghangaria also offers travelers a short documentary projection center at Nature Care Centre. This 20-minute documentary will take you back to the ’80s when the people were still exploring the idea of a documentary. However, the narration will give you a good history of the Valley of Flowers. Once we wound up in a 30-minute affair (buying tickets & souvenirs), we marched out with a sigh! We were in a UNESCO World Heritage site & yet we would be quite unfortunate to not have witnessed the blooming season of Valley. However, the spirits are always high when one is in the outdoors; our next stop was towards the Gurudwara, bang opposite our hotel. Savoring a good serving of ‘prashad’ was our redemption from all thoughts. The rains were incessant there & it was time to dive into dinner & have a restoring sleep.
DAY 3- Today, we began early to explore the Valley of flowers, before the clock struck 5. (Cindrella Time!). From our hotel, as we walked towards the Gurudwara there is a steep ascent that leads to the entry gate to the Valley of Flowers National Park. We were informed that the last entry here is allowed till 2:00 pm & the last exit should be before 5:00 pm at any cost. And deadlines in the mountains bring panic; we knew we had to make a move back, latest by 1:00 pm. As we trod along this 4 km undulated trail amidst the forest belt, the path got narrower making one wonder if the valley was a garden in the backyard. But then nature has its own ways to leave you jolted, we were greeted by this very first sight, leaving us jaw dropped.
I was no less than glad that there were fewer people on the trail, being the last one’s to visit Valley this year suddenly turned all in my favor. So coming back to the views, the valley was rolling carpets of green to welcome us from all directions. As we crossed those narrow trails made to witness the glory of the flower leaden meadows, the distant mountains put up a light & shadow show, mingling with the clouds above. This was one everlasting memory.
Here were pristine mountains surrounding the valley like a watchful father over her blooming daughters. The absence of rainfall aided in absolutely clear views & is there anything better than a clear day in the mountains? At a mighty distance, we could see the Rataban peak at 6,166 m greeting us, secretively. This mountain is said to have been climbed by the founder of Valley, Frank Smythe, while he was returning from his successful climb from Mount Kamet. I wondered what splendid views he must have got being on the north of Bhyundar valley. Flowers dotted on the meadows & a panorama from above must have been a reason enough to return again to explore the Valley of Flowers.
We walked a little further, a km or so before Joan Margrett, a botanist’s grave who died here back in 1939 while collecting some flora samples. And here we decided to have our packed lunch & bask under the animated skies, the blues & the greens. Few perched themselves on the rocks, while some spread themselves on the grass & as I looked up, I could recall what her tombstone read- “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” (Psalm 121). Even during this, not-so- floral season, the valley, is engraved in my head like a personal paradise for those who seek stillness. And every time one looked above there was this everlasting calm in the air. Until we heard a wakeup call from our reverie & Narendra reminded us of the Valley closing down by 5:00 pm. It was 2:00 pm by the clock; we realized the clouds hovering overhead were dark & furious like an angry mother at home for being late in the outdoors for long!
We broke our reverie & placed them back in our bags to trace the same route towards Ghangaria, as fast as we could. The spell of Valley was so enchanting that the silence pervaded even in the presence of 6 people now. We continued walking until we reached the bridge, which was a landmark of being not too far from Ghangaria. At the bridge, we spent a quick splash by the water & took our last break by the sounds of the waterfall & the bounty of nature. As we reached Ghangaria that day there was a sense of contentment even though we saw a handful of flowers. Probably, it was the calm of the place that we carried inwards which was blooming like flowers within & laughter on the outside. We unwounded ourselves for the evening & geared up for the following day’s visit to Hemkund Sahib.
Trek to Hemkund Sahib is optional for those who visit the Valley of Flowers. However, we made sure that we check listed Hemkund Sahib on this September trip. Read Here – https://samikshakhanduri.com/2020/09/02/hemkund-sahib-trek-in-september/
