[libranof1987]

Here comes the TL for our recent trip to Valley of Flowers and Badrinath.

Before I begin, I must mention my heartfelt appreciation for the BRO (Border Roads Organization) and ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) for maintaining the roads in the Shivaliks. The workers are busy for a good part of the day clearing up landslides at the risk of their lives. The job they do is not at all an enviable one.

A big thank-you to HVK; we stayed at the hotels he mentioned and trust me, that made things amazingly simple once we reached each place.

We had done extensive research on the routes and the condition of routes prior to departure. Given ANHC's GC and soft-suspension, my folks weren't really in the mood to take it for the trip. I persuaded them (with help from BHPians) and eventually we did go in the ANHC.

Now this was a good thing and a bad thing. It was a bad thing to do because the bottom of the ANHC was scraped more than a couple of times and that gave us some really tense moments. Also, it being our car, we were worried about damage to it while driving through landslides. Thirdly, driving through the land-slides was extremely exhausting mentally as we couldn't bat an eye-lid till we crossed all of them. However, it was a good thing and overshadowed the earlier reasons. Having taken the ANHC, the 3 of us were in it together for the 1st time - our 1st road trip in the ANHC. Since we’d had a few bad experiences on the 1st day itself (near Srinagar), we decided to keep the car at Rudraprayag and hired a Sumo for the latter part of the journey. Having a local driver was a good thing as he knew how to go about the roads well and more importantly knew his vehicle well.

The ANHC can very well take the roads - not that it can't. Heck, you'll find TONS of 800s, Alto's and other tiny hatches in Badrinath. It is just that taking the ANHC all the way till Badrinath would have resulted in considerable damage to the bottom (esp. at Kanchen nala, Pagla nala and some stretches before Badrinath).

So, although you can take your sedan out there and it can take you everywhere, you'll be worried sick driving thru' those terrible roads during the monsoon. There will hardly be any peace of mind. Just my opinion! If you're going to these places at any time apart from the monsoons, by all means take any car on earth. Monsoon is when the roads are in the worst possible condition.

That is all about that then.

Preparation :

1) Detailed research on T-BHP (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...-places-2.html) and some other sites.
2) Pre-booking at GMVN, Ghangria and checking out stay options at Haridwar, Govindghat, Rudraprayag and Badrinath - a task made easy by HVK Sir.
3) TONS of clothing and footwear.
4) Nothing for the car apart from air check since the car was serviced in May.

Slip-up :

1) Not adequate rain-wear.


So, here is how the trip unfolded.

Day 1 : 8th Aug 2011 - Gurgaon to Rudraprayag : (420kms, 13.25 hours)

• Gurgaon to Hotel Vasundhara Parks, Rishikesh (275kms, 7 hours)
• 1 hour lunch break
• Rishikesh to Devaprayag (70kms, 2.50 hours)
• Devaprayag to Kirtinagar (33kms, 1.25 hours)
• Kirtinagar to Srinagar(4kms, 15 min)
• Srinagar to Hotel Monal, Rudraprayag (40kms, 1.2 5hours)

To avoid rush-hour traffic on the Haridwar road, we started early at 5:30 am. We started from Sector 49, Gurgaon and connected via Noida to NH-58 which starts from Ghaziabad and ends at Mana : the last village 5kms ahead of Badrinath on the India - Tibet border (Total : 538 Km).

We took a routine breakfast stop at Hotel Moolchand, somewhere after Meerut at 0830. We were careful to take all by bypasses; Ghaziabad, Meerut etc. From then on, it was a comfortable drive through minimal traffic till Haridwar. After Haridwar, the landscape started changing gradually from dusty and crowded Indian plains to more welcoming and serene sub-Himalayan terrains called the Shivaliks. We had a lunch at Hotel Vasundhara Parks, Rishikesh at 1.30pm, topped up fuel again and then headed for Rudraprayag, a place still haunted by the memory of the hunter Jim Corbett.

After Rishikesh, the straight roads transform into serpentine spirals along the right bank of the river Ganges. At 1600, we reached Devaprayag (prayag means confluence of two or more rivers) which is about 70kms from Rishikesh; where the river Alaknanda merges with Bhagirathi to form Ganga. Here, we crossed the Ganges. Now onwards, you drive along the left bank of the river. Though the drive was enjoyable, a few patches were tense as at those, half of the road was already washed away due to rains and landslides. About 15 km from Devaprayag, the road condition started becoming worse and the next 10kms took a good 1hour. The roads were fine after that patch. By 1730, we had crossed Srinagar.

About 10-15 km from Srinagar, we were stopped by the BRO; there was a landslide ahead and small pebbles were continuously rolling down the hill. 50% width of the road was already washed away. There was a long queue of vehicles on both the sides. After waiting for nearly half an hour, we were to cross the landslide patch. The BRO officer said : "drive!" and that is exactly what I did. It was already 1815. Within 15-20 minutes, we crossed Rudraprayag and reached Hotel Monal at 1845. (Monal is the Official Bird of Uttarakhand)

We got a comfortable room and settled down. I suggested we hire a cab for the trip to come as I didn't want to risk the ANHC in the terrain. Immediately, we contacted the hotel manager who made some calls to the drivers he knew. We discussed the plan with a local driver and asked him to accompany us for the upcoming 4-5 days. With details finalized, we had just hired a Sumo to take us to VoF. Our ANHC would sit pretty in the hotel compound till we got back.

Day 2 : 9th Aug 2011 - Rudraprayag – Gauchar – Karnaprayag – Chamoli – Pipalkoti – Joshimath – Govindghat (139kms, 9.75 hours)

As we were getting ready, our driver told us that on the same day at two locations between Rudraprayag and Joshimath, big landslides had occurred. The first one was at a distance of 15 km from Rudraprayag where a road had caved in and the work of cutting the hill for making a new road was in progress. The others were 2 landslide spots between Joshimath and Govindghat which might forcibly halt our journey at Joshimath. There is a gate system at Joshimath to allow the traffic in convoy at certain timings; after 1830, no vehicle is allowed. We decided to take the chance. Also, the landslide that we'd driven thru' the earlier evening was now a full-fledged one that had stopped traffic for 12hours.

At Rudraprayag, river Mandakini merges with river Alaknanda. Hotel Monal is located on the bank of river Alaknanda, just 50 meters after the Prayag. There are steps in the backyard of the hotel to go down up to the river. Early morning that day, we went till the river and enjoyed the fresh & clean air.

We started our journey at 1000. We reached the first landslide spot near Gaucher, where the workers were still busy making a new road. There were 2 bulldozers & 30-40 workers working tirelessly to make our pleasure trip safe. At one location there was hardly 6-7 feet wide road existing, but within 30-40 minutes they cut the hill by using bulldozers & made a kachha road of approximately 15 feet width. Slowly one way traffic was allowed in batches from both the sides. There was hardly any traffic coming from opposite side thus confirming that the road before Joshimath was not cleared yet.

We reached Pipalkoti (85kms from Rudraprayag) at about 1300, where everyone had stopped. We had our lunch and waited for the traffic to move further. At about 1600 we saw vehicles coming from Joshimath and decided to start. On the way up, we waited in the queue for about 1 hour and then finally reached Joshimath at 1800. After crossing Joshimath, again a traffic jam welcomed us. Here, it was not a landslide but a truck which had broken down on a narrow road. A crane was called to tow it away. Due to all the road-blockages and traffic pile-ups, the gate-system was not effected and traffic was allowed even after the regular timings.

The road was cleared after 1 hour. The road between Joshimath and Rudraprayag was in a really bad state with 1 lane regularly washed off. We made it to Govindghat at 1945. We went to Hotel Bhagat and booked the last room available.

Day 3 : 10th Aug 2011 - Govindghat – Ghangria Trek (13kms, 9 hours)

We were ready by 0730; aiming to start early and reach before dusk. We divided our luggage into two parts; the things required for the next 3 days were taken and the remaining hauled up in the Sumo. Our driver would be camping at Govindghat as agreed. We engaged one Pittoo (porters with baskets to carry luggage or people!) to carry the luggage.

At Govindghat, there are scores of hotels and a Gurudwara. There are tons of places where you can park your vehicle for the days you go to VoF/Hemkund.

We finally left for the trek at 8am. As you cross the Govindghat town, there are tons of shops that sell religious material and also items that'll help in the trek like canes, raincoats etc. We purchased plastic raincoats as it was raining ahead and wooden sticks to help us while climbing in the market.

As soon as you cross the river, the steep ascent starts. It is a 13 km trek from Govindghat to Ghangria and there are two options available for those who cannot do it. One is the mule or a horse and other to sit in a basket carried by a pitto on his back. I strongly found it quite inhuman to have plump elderly people being carried by men on their back. I frankly feel that if one wants to go there that way, one should rather sit at home. Either there be should regulations on the weight limit or it should be banned altogether. It is disheartening to see what the men will do to earn money. There also the Palkhis wherein one sits in a carriage and is carried by 4 men.

The entire route is lined with small shacks selling glucose powder, coconut, biscuits, chocolates, drinks, cooked food. Some of them also have satellite phone booths for emergency. It was heartening to see the strict measures taken by the administration to keep the area free of plastic. I guess it works because the road leads to a religious place - the only thing that instils at least a bit of discipline in us.

Ghangria is situated on the bank of river Laxman Ganga which is formed after the confluence of Pushpavati & Hemganga river. Ghangria is open from May till September. During the rest of the year, the valley is under 8 feet of snow. The path had caved in and there were landslides at many locations; at many instances, we had to walk on the river bed. The last 3km stretch is quite demanding - rightly so, you need to slog before you finally get there! The journey took around 9hours. The locals generally do it in 4 and teenagers manage it in 5-6 hours!

Finally by the time we reached Ghangria it was already 1800. We settled in our pre-booked room : a cozy GMVN deluxe cottage. Now in Ghangria, there is no electricity and there aren’t any phones. A generator is operated for 2hours in the morning and 4hours in the evening. At 10pm, it was lights off; not just because the lights went off but also because so did our bodies too! Ghangria has a healthy no. of hotels and lodges; the best being the GMVN cottages.

Day 4 : 11th Aug 2011 - Ghangria – Valley of Flowers Trek (7kms to and fro, 8 hours)

The morning got continuous rains. This is where our spare clothes came in handy. We had our breakfast; got packed lunch from the GMVN restaurant and set out at 0800 for the trek to our ultimate destination : the Valley of Flowers. Luckily by the time we started the rain had stopped.

At Ghangria, the roads branches out : one leads to Valley of Flowers and the other goes to Hemkund Sahib. 90% of the public comes for Hemkund and most of them start by 0530. The trek to Hemkund is 6kms and steep. The Hemkund Gurudwara closes at 1400 and there is no permission to stay at night. Hence, people try to reach and leave early.

There is a check post at the entrance to VoF. Here, you pay for entry. The ticket (Rs. 150/ per head for Indians) is valid for 3 continuous days. The trek to where the Valley (of Flowers) begins is about 3.5kms.

There were many enthusiastic visitors like us who had come to see the fully blossomed natural park - a park for flowers (and maybe birds!).

The narrow stone trail along the Pushpavati River which emerges from the glaciers here, was exhilarating. The trek as such is quite a task as the path is narrow, strewn with stones and has a steep gradient. There were 3 occasions when we crossed snow. Within a km, rain came down as a drizzle - not amusing! There are 3 instances where a bridge gets you across the fierce river; and the bridge is a steel plate on 2 stacks of rocks – not comforting!

It took us about 4 hours to get to where the flowers begin. Once there, it is heaven! There are tons of flowers; all of diff. species, colours and texture. They have one thing in common though : they are a photographer's delight!

We were roaming around the valley checking out all the flowers and soaking in the fresh air. It was a breathtaking sight.

My folks settled down at a particular place and I set out to the memorial grave stone for Joan Margaret, the botanist who slipped and died in 1939, while collecting and researching the flora.

Valley of Flowers should be visited only between July and September; else, there is nothing there to see. It is also a place only those genuinely interested should go to because it is a huge task to get there and those not into nature wouldn't really find it worth the effort.

By 1300, after a quick lunch, we set for the return trek. Trickling rain accompanied us throughout the trek. The trek down is always more difficult as you have to control your momentum. Around 1700, we were back at Ghangria. Had some nice hot tea, snacks and got cozy in the bed. There's not much you can do or would want to do in this town.

Day 5 : 12thAug 2011 - Ghangria – Govindghat Trek (13kms, 8 hours) and Govindghat – Badrinath (25kms, 1.5 hours)

As per our initial plan, we were to trek to Hemkund Sahib. My folks dropped out of this plan as the earlier 2 treks had worn them out and we were there for pleasure not to strain ourselves. I was to trek alone but given the continuous rain and the remaining part of the trip, I dropped out too. I would have loved to trek there as many did in the rain but given the days before and the days to come, the plan was aborted.

The incessant rains, landslides and our itinerary - keeping all this in mind, we decided to head back to Govindghat. Everyone we talked to had been stuck for at least a day or so because of landslides. Our aim now was to get back quick. We set off at 1000, again in moderate rain. The trek down was just as demanding as the one to come up. There was significantly less crowd coming up; sign of roadblocks earlier on the road. The rain wasn't really welcoming. As we were descending, there were many patches where the path had given away and there were quite a few landslides. With occasional breaks, tea and noodles, we made it back to Govindghat.

I was coming down at my pace to make enquiries and to locate the driver; and reached Govindghat at 1500. I found the driver, asked about the roads - didn't get encouraging news : no vehicle was coming down from Badrinath. I waited until my folks arrived at 1700 and we decided that we'd take the chance to get to Badrinath. We immediately freshened up and set off. There is a police checkpost a few kms from Govindghat; vehicles are allowed in batches from here. The cop on duty didn't allow us to proceed saying there was a landslide a few kms away. Luckily, another cab came by and it had a cop sitting in it. The cop bonhomie meant we could travel.

Man, the road to Badrinath is scary! Landslides are a common feature; blinding turns, hanging cliffs, sunk roads - that's how it is. There is the Pagla Nala and the Kanchen Nala - 2 spots where the Kanchenjunga comes onto the road. Needless to say, the road has eroded quite a bit on these patches and it is quite a task to get past. Sedans found it extremely difficult to navigate. En route, there are a couple of hydro-electric power projects; roads are maintained well around them but many have fallen prey to nature.

After a lot of tense moments, we reached Badrinath by 1845. Folks wanted to stay in Sarovar Badrinath - a luxury hotel. A deluxe double-bed is about 5k (off-season rate). The hotel manager and our driver suggested we go to the temple in the evening itself. Not being fans of temple mania, we decided to have a peaceful darshan.

At 1915, we started for the Badrinath temple. Cabs are parked about 1.5kms away from the temple. We walked around and reached the temple. Luckily for us, the aarti was just over and the temple premises wasn't crowded. We had a quiet darshan and were exploring the temple when a group came by and got busy fighting to get close to the idols. It had started raining so we got out and headed back. The warmth of the hotel greeted us; we had a nice dinner and retired to bed.

Day 6 : 13th Aug 2011 - Badrinath – Rudraprayag (165kms, 7.5 hours)

The morning was a comfortable and leisurely one; one after 3 days. We got ready and had breakfast at ease and in luxury and were ready by 0830. A landslide had happened on the route to Rudraprayag which delayed our start. A lot of vehicles had queued up; the convoy finally left at 1000.

Man, the road was worse! The persistent rains had taken a heavy toll on the roads; landslides were taking place all over the place. Pagla nala had completely lost it and sister Kanchen wasn't in a very good mood. With careful driving, we crossed Govindghat.

We stopped by Karnaprayag (about 30kms before Rudraprayag) which has the confluence of Alaknanda and Pindar.

The rest of the drive was fairly uneventful with no blockages. It was just before Rudraprayag that we were stuck for 10-15min on 2 occasions; small landslides. We were back to Hotel Monal at 1800. The ANHC welcomed us with a big grin. We settled in our room in relief; the major landslide-prone zones were crossed.

We had a relaxed evening in the hotel and checked the pictures we'd clicked so far.

Day 7 : 14th August 2011 - Rudraprayag - Gurgaon (460kms, 15 hours)

The morning was pleasant and fresh; no rains but slightly overcast weather. We had a good breakfast while overlooking the river and were ready for the journey back. Luckily there were no road blocks and we had a clear path ahead.

We packed up and set off at 1000. The ride in ANHC seemed welcomingly comfortable after the bumpy Sumo. We were making good progress and shortly, we crossed the area where many people were stuck (and we had narrowly escaped on the way up); surely, the rains had done damage. We passed the area quickly and were soon at Srinagar. Here, the truck traffic had me confused and I ended up taking a wrong turn. We headed on a narrow 1-lane gully and soon realized we were off-track. We asked for the road leading to Devaprayag and the locals guided us. Something seemed different. The river was constantly on our right and we couldn't recall if we had taken this route earlier. It was after a good 20kms that we realized that we were off NH58 by a good margin. We were on SH121. GPS showed us exactly how we were placed. Luckily, the road we were taking still led us to Devaprayag.

The SH was brilliant in most patches; the entire surface seemed freshly laid. The traffic was sparse; which was a good thing as we could move quickly but a bad thing as it meant, this road wasn't as frequented so if there was a landslide, there wouldn't be anyone to clear it.

The road had a few landslide areas and I had a bad feeling we'd be stranded if the road wasn't clear. Luckily, we managed to clear all of them without any issues. The SH route was about 30kms longer than NH58; it took us ~2hours more.

About 3kms before Devaprayag, we crossed over a narrow bridge to connect to NH58. As we found out, we had avoided the 10kms extremely bad patch that we'd encountered earlier on NH58. So, all's well that ends well.

NH58 was a relief as it meant, we were on the right path. Luckily, the roads were pretty uneventful throughout. About 20kms before Rishikesh, we stopped at a spot where the Ganges flows almost parallel to the road. We dipped our feet, got refreshed and set off. We reached Rishikesh by 1600 and decided to stop over to visit Laxman Jhula. We thought we'd stop at a nearby place for lunch, park the car there and go to the Jhula by auto but there was a huge traffic pile-up near the lane towards Jhula so I couldn't turn towards the hotels. It being a long weekend, the place was crowded; meaning, cops had made some roads 1-way. So, we went into Rishikesh by a road we hadn't come by. We seemed to be on the bypass to Haridwar. A quick orientation session by a local got us back on track; he suggested a good place for lunch. We ate, parked the car there and took an auto to get to the Jhula. We got there in half an hour. The auto left us on the main road and we took a "short-cut" to the Jhula. It was as expected, extremely crowded. We had a bird's eye view, clicked some pics and started to get back. While in the auto, we had a look at Ram Jhula too. Once back in the car, we set off for Haridwar.

Original plan was to stop at Haridwar for the evening aarti, stay over and then leave for Gurgaon the next day. However, there were LONG traffic jams 20kms before Haridwar. The long weekend ensured everyone flocked over. We weren't really amused at the prospect of going to a temple in that crowd and decided instead to head straight back to Gurgaon.

The return journey was a pain for the eyes. People drove crazy and it simply wasn't enjoyable enough. High beams, overtaking from the left - everything that could possibly irritate you!

We were within sniffing distance of Delhi at 2330. An idea struck! How about a drive-by at India Gate since it was Independence Day Eve?! By midnight, we were at India Gate. In Nehru's time, Indians were awake at the stroke of midnight. On that day, only a handful Indians were there. Some busy dancing in the rain, some like us hoping to watch the Army/cops do something. But, the India Gate wasn't even lit up!

We found the road getting us back home and parked the car in its spot at 0145.

The road trip was complete!

Stats :

Total kms : 916kms
FE (100% a/c) : 14.8 (amazing considering the mountain driving)

Suggestions :

1) If you want to "enjoy" the drive and have a comfortable trip to Kedarnath, Badrinath - go between October and May.
2) If you want to enjoy the Valley of Flowers, go between late July and September.
3) Try hiring a cab (if you don't have a SUV) if you're going in the monsoons.
4) Go to these places to get closer to nature, not to live in luxury!

Do go thru' : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post2488330 for tips on how to get past landslides.

The trip was one we had been longing since quite some time and one that concluded almost perfectly. What a wonderful journey right into nature's lap - witnessing nature's fury and beauty.

Refreshing and pleasant - a week well spent!

[libranof1987]

Breakfast stop : Hotel Moolchand





The ride!





The Ganges



Devaprayag



The wonderful morning overlooking the Alaknanda











Landslide 1 : the road had caved in; the bulldozers were exacavating the mountain to make way



Not a pleasant site!





Winding roads greet the traveller



Landslide 2 : here, traffic was held up for over a day; live landslide



Jaypee Hydro-electric power plant





Almost at Govindghat

[libranof1987]

The pleasant morning at Govindghat









The trek begins!

[libranof1987]

En route the Valley of Flowers





The Flowers!

































Badrinath Temple

[rahul_sinha]

Great extensive writeup libranof1987 and amazing pictures to match. Thanks and rated 5 stars. Do you also have photos of the whole valley covered with flowers?

VOF is on my radar for quite sometime. I am planning to do it via Auli (Club Mahindra resorts), maybe by next year.

Do the treks from Govindghat to Ghangria & VOF have any age limits? Next year my daughter will be 6 if we attempt VOF. Would you recommend?

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by rahul_sinha

Great extensive writeup libranof1987 and amazing pictures to match. Thanks and rated 5 stars. Do you also have photos of the whole valley covered with flowers?

Thanks! Yea, have tons of pics; will upload them gradually, else there'll be an overdose.

Do the treks from Govindghat to Ghangria & VOF have any age limits? Next year my daughter will be 6 if we attempt VOF. Would you recommend?

No age limits; we saw babies and 80-year olds alike. Your daughter would obviously not be able to trek. So you or her mum could sit with her on a horse or she could even be carried on the Pittoo. Not an issue.

If she doesn't mind exploring (as in, doesn't get bored), she'll love all the flowers.

Valley of Flowers is best visited between late July and Sept; so try to make it then. But the flip-side is bad roads; so you'll have to keep allowances if you're stuck in a landslide. Having said that, once you're actually at the VoF, everything is worth it.

[LongDrive lover]

Great trip and excellent write-up. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it. VOF looks like a perfect destination for a monsoon trip.

If driving in a 2wd Safari, how far you'd recommend it to be taken easily (1) during monsoon, and (2) during October? I have never been beyond Rishikesh.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by LongDrive lover

If driving in a 2wd Safari, how far you'd recommend it to be taken easily (1) during monsoon, and (2) during October? I have never been beyond Rishikesh.

You can take the Safari all the way up to Badrinath in either cases. The issue is with GC so obviously Safari will cruise easily even in the rough patches.

An above average to accomplished driver can easily handle the terrain.

Do make a trip; it's a wonderful place out there!

[bluevolt]

Very nicely complied travelogue Nishad, thanks for sharing, rated it five stars.

Wonderful snaps, which camera BTW? Sorry if I am asking this again.

You made the right decision of hiring a cab and leaving City at hotel itself. Though city is very capable vehicle, low GC is the area of concern.

PS – Even I was at India gate for a while near 10:30 PM and was sad to see no cheering or celebration as such.

[charthom]

Libran Mate. Thanks for the very good travelogue-had been eagerly waiting for the same.Very well written and with plenty of snaps.

It is very informative as well as gripping with the personal touches and guidance.

Don't know if I will be able to make this trip-if I ever make it,I will remember you along with M.K.Ramachandran,the famous pilgrim and travelogue writer.

[Fauji]

Hey Nishad,

Lot of adventure out there and good account of the trip. Valley of flowers is high on our list and we had to cancel our trip planned two years back due to landslides.

How come there are very few pictures of Valley of flowers? Do you have more?

[libranof1987]

All at the Valley of Flowers

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Very nicely complied travelogue Nishad, thanks for sharing, rated it five stars.

Wonderful snaps, which camera BTW? Sorry if I am asking this again.

You made the right decision of hiring a cab and leaving City at hotel itself. Though city is very capable vehicle, low GC is the area of concern.

Thanks BV!

It's a humble Sony H55 P&S. I can only imagine what a fun day I'd have had if I had a DSLR that day. But it's fine, as it rained quite a bit so that camera would have been diff. to use.

Originally Posted by charthom

Libran Mate. Thanks for the very good travelogue-had been eagerly waiting for the same.Very well written and with plenty of snaps.

Thanks buddy!

Originally Posted by Fauji

Lot of adventure out there and good account of the trip. Valley of flowers is high on our list and we had to cancel our trip planned two years back due to landslides.

How come there are very few pictures of Valley of flowers? Do you have more?

Thanks! I really hope you do make it there soon.

Plenty more actually; uploaded some!

[laluks]

Beautiful Account and Great pictures. Such Variety of flowers...
This is in my list to to dos, and thanks for all the information.

[LongDrive lover]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

You can take the Safari all the way up to Badrinath in either cases. The issue is with GC so obviously Safari will cruise easily even in the rough patches.

An above average to accomplished driver can easily handle the terrain.

Do make a trip; it's a wonderful place out there!

Thanks a lot. Yes, we'll certainly visit it. BTW, wonderful nature pics pouring in... Great.