[Fauji]

Paradise - An ideal or idyllic place or state, Garden of Eden (Oxford Dictionary)

Imagination run wild when we hear the word paradise. Or is it just imagination? Does Paradise really exist?

Yes, it does. It is very much within India. It is called "Valley of Flowers". In Garhwal Himalayas in India.

It was in 1931 that Frank S Smythe, a British mountaineer with his team of Mountaineers descended into what is known as Bhyundar valley after their Mt Kamet expedition. Let us hear what happened in their own words

" Dense mist shrouded the mountainside and we had paused, uncertain as to the route, when i heard R L Holdsworth, who was a botanist as well as a climbing member of the expedition exclaim : "Look!" I followed the direction of his outstretched hand. At first i could see nothing but rocks, then suddenly my wandering gaze was arrested by a little splash of blue, and beyond it were other splashes of blue, a blue so intense it seemed to light the hillside........

Lower where we camped near a moraine, were androsacs, saxifrages,sedums,yellow and red potentillas, geums, geraniums, asters,to mention but a few plants , and it was impossible to take a step without crushing a flower........

The Bhyundar valley was the most beautiful valley that any of us had seen. We camped in it for two days and we remembered it afterwards as the VALLEY OF FLOWERS

(From "Valley of Flowers by Frank S Smythe, Natraj Publishers, Dehradun, India)

We had planned to visit this place few years back. Landslides and road blocks put a stop to our plans.

Some how it did not materialize for couple of years.

It was in June this year that the bug of Valley of Flowers bit us again. Arjun of India Hikes, a good friend also was instrumental to make us visit this place.

Eventually it happened.

We visited the "Paradise" on 03 Sept 2012.

This is the story our journey to Valley of Flowers, Hemkund Sahib, Badrinath.

I am going to narrate it in next few days taking you from Bangalore in to Garhwal Himalayas.

Before we start, a sample of what is in store as we embark on our journey.

Holy Ganges give us company all the way from Haridwar to Gobind Ghat



Alakananda flowing deep below in Joshimath



Morning sun caresses the peaks - On the way from Gobind Ghat to Gangaria



Walking with the clouds - On the way from Gobind Ghat to Gangaria



One of the pretty waterfalls - On the way from Gobind Ghat to Gangaria



As we climb and look back on the valley of Pushapavati river





Flowers. flowers everywhere in this paradise





The magnificent vista of "Valley of flowers"



There are more than 300 species of flowers in the valley. A sample.









Next post - Journey with Ganges, Haridwar to Gobind Ghat

[phamilyman]

Lovely job sirjee.

But I would seriously have advised you to visit Kasauli on your way back. It trumped the beauty of VOF with its own multicolored flowers in my visit this saturday. VOF didn't have the same riot of colors, and infact, was quite bland with just a few colors (yellow / light blue etc- the ones u have captured).

[sumathindra]

Chief good pictures and hope to catch up with you and exchange the trip notes and more to come from you. I had been to badrinath long time back and hope things have changed a lot now...

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Lovely job sirjee.

But I would seriously have advised you to visit Kasauli on your way back. It trumped the beauty of VOF with its own multicolored flowers in my visit this saturday. VOF didn't have the same riot of colors, and infact, was quite bland with just a few colors (yellow / light blue etc- the ones u have captured).

Thanks Phamilyman. We did not have time. Else we could have done Auli at least.

VOF was brilliant when we were there on 03 Sep. Though we could see decrease in flowers, the varieties are just mind blowing. We could capture 40 varieties of flowers of different shades. Yes, some flowers had withered away like wild sunflowers, but we could still carpets of pink, blues, yellow and white. Then there were small patches of flowers as well. Binoculars was very useful as we could see some beautiful flowers on the upper reaches of mountains which our camera could not capture. If you were there last Saturday, the flowers population would have dwindled no doubt. Even then, it is an awesome place. We will see that later.

Originally Posted by sumathindra

Chief good pictures and hope to catch up with you and exchange the trip notes and more to come from you. I had been to badrinath long time back and hope things have changed a lot now...

Any time sir. You are welcome.

[NPV]

Poorna sir thanks for sharing, wonderful pictures.
I'm sure these pictures cannot match the real experience of seeing the place with ones own eyes, you must have really experienced the 'Paradise'!
This is definitely on my "must visit" list of places in the near future.
Ahem, can't suppress this thought Possible to drive to Valley of Flowers from Bangalore ? Maybe at least to Delhi and then take a train/cab, etc ?

[Fauji]

This journey with Ganges - i refrained using the word "Along Ganges" as Ganges - the sacred river of India is omnipresent throughout the journey. Thus, it is "Journey with Ganges". A journey that leaves you satiated. A journey that is awe inspiring and mesmerising. A journey with innumerable "Wow" moments.

This journey from Haridwar to Gobind Ghat - the transit station to Valley of Flowers - was the first leg of our trip to Valley of Flowers in Indian Himalayas. This was the overall plan of the trip.

31 Aug 2012 - Arrive in Haridwar
01 Sept 2012 - Drive to Gobind Ghat from Rishikesh. Stay in Rishikesh.
02 Sept 2012 - Trek from Gobind Ghat to Gangaria. Stay in Gangaria.
03 Sept 2012 - Trek to Valley of Flowers. Stay in Gangaria.
04 Sept 2012 - Trek to Hem Kund Sahib. Stay in Gangaria.
05 Sept 2012 - Trek back from Gangaria to Gobind ghat. Leave for Badrinath. Stay in Badrinath.
06 Sept 2012 - Drive from Gobind ghat to Haridwar. Stay in Haridwar.
07 Sept 2012 - Haridwar to Delhi by Night train
08 Sept 2012 - Depart for Bangalore from Delhi.

Our journey to Valley of Flowers started here in Bangalore. The flight from Bangalore to Delhi was uneventful. Thankfully the flight was on schedule. I was surprised when the pilot announced that the temperature in Delhi as 32 degree Celsius. This was at 8 PM on last day of August and it was warm and humid. We are definitely spoilt by good weather in Bangalore!

Our initial plan was to catch night train to Haridwar, which was the rendezvous for the group. There was a goof up in the train reservation and we could not get the confirmation till we left Bangalore. As a contingency plan, we had asked a friend in Delhi to arrange a taxi for us to be dropped in Haridwar. The guy was there to pick us up from the airport and drove us straight to Haridwar.

The journey from Delhi to Haridwar at night was not smooth. The traffic till Ghaziabad or rather Meerut was horrendous. Beyond Meerut, the road was double lane which added to our woes as there was a huge truck traffic. When we reached Haridwar, it was 2 AM. We had asked Hotel Haveli Hari Ganga - where we had already booked our commendation for staying there on the way back - to give us a room to put our head to bed for few hours before joining the group at 6.30 in the morning.

Since, the trek was organised by India Hikes, (http://www.indiahikes.in/) our meeting point was Haridwar railway station. We were a group of 15. We met other members in the group. It was a mixed crowd and the members had come from all the places. Some of them had some experience of trekking and few of them were the first timers. A "Tempo traveler and Xylo" was organised for the group and our journey to Gobind ghat began at 7 AM.

We left railway station and crossed Ganga bridge overlooking Hari ki Pauri on the left. Ganga was flowing fast and ferocious - thanks to copious rains in the last week. From now on, the river was to give us the company in different forms til we reached Gobind ghat.

This is a fascinating journey of driving through the valley of Ganga. "Welcome to Dev Bhoomi" proclaimed the signage by Border Roads Organisation - the people who maintain these roads. Yes, this is a drive in "Dev Bhoomi or Abode of Gods". Surrounded by mountains all around, the road continue to climb slowly. It follows the course of the river which meant that the road has been carved from the mountain with a sheer drop on one of the sides. At many times, we climb up so high that the river looks like a small stream far below. The vistas are spectacular with greenery all around with white cascades of water falls breaking the monotony of green. This must rank as one of the most scenic drives in the country. The terrain is badly landslide prone and we could see that at many places on the way. Fortunately we did not face any road blocks while going though we lost three hours on return.

Let me take you through the picturesque "Journey with Ganges" as we experienced it.

Ganges flowing ferociously. You will encounter Ganges as soon as you depart Rishikesh and the river will give you company throughout.



Panoramic view of Ganges Valley



The road is constructed in such a way that it is at the edge of mountain with river flowing below. Notice the landslide which had occurred in August shutting the road for two days



It is different shades of green everywhere



A village perched high in the mountain



The landscape throughout the journey mesmerises you with waterfalls, tall peaks, colourful paddy fields, pine tress etc. Look at the next few pictures. Of course, Ganges will continue to give company.


























Dev Prayag - The confluence of rivers Bhagirathi and Alakananda forming Ganges. Bhagirathi originates from Gangotri and Alakananda from Badrinath. You can notice the colour difference. Alakananda is darker and Bhagirathi is lighter.






A Suspension bridge over Bhagirathi in Dev Prayag





Panoramic view of Alaknanada valley as we start climbing towards Joshimath



First sighting of snow covered peaks as we approach Joshimath. The peaks are taller and landscape changes into deep valley between Chamoli and Badrinath. This stretch is the best of the whole journey and also highly landslide prone.



Bridge over Alakananda in Joshimath



Panoramic view of Alakananda valley @ Joshimath



The stretch between Chamoli and Gobind Ghat is the most picturesque as well as risky. Notice the road at the edge of valley.





Joshimath town overlooking Himalayas



The peaks



We encountered two landslides on our way back and lost three hours. This was fresh and had happened five minutes before our arrival. Notice the size of boulders!!



Pilgrims from rural India returning from Badrinath relaxing in the sun and waiting for the road to clear. The women were sitting in one group and men in another. Separately. No intermixing here!!



I clicked this mountain and the pine trees enveloped by clouds (the next picture) as we waited for the road to clear






We finally reached Gobind Ghat around 6 PM. It was turning cold and the long hill journey had made all of us tired. A hot cup of tea served on our arrival was definitely refreshing.

The next day would be a grueling trek of 14 KMs to Gangaria. Having seen the vistas of Himalayas on the way, we knew we would not be disappointed as we climb to the village of Gangaria.

Here are the videos we had shot of the journey

Journey with Ganges - 1

Journey with Ganges - 2

Journey with Ganges - 3

Journey with Ganges - 4

Journey with Ganges - 5

Journey with Ganges - 6

Journey with Ganges - 7

Journey with Ganges - 8

Journey with Ganges - 9

Travel tips

a) Don't be in a hurry to complete this journey. This has to be savoured slowly.

b) Start your journey from Haridwar or Rishikesh. It is recommended to hire a taxi or drive your own vehicle which will give you independence to stop and enjoy the vistas of Himalayas.

c) If you are driving, make sure you are following etiquette of hill driving strictly. If traveling in hired taxi, do not unnecessarily disturb the driver and make sure that driver does not engage himself on cell phone while driving.

d) If you are driving, concentrate on the road and don't look at the sceneries.

e) Along the way, you encounter many confluences of tributaries of Ganges. The places are called by last names "Prayag"

f) The complete distance can be covered in one day. However, if you want to explore the places on the way which have their own charms and interesting places, you can break journey in Rudra Prayag.

g) The route is prone to landslides, especially in monsoon months of July - September. The journey is very picturesque during monsoon with greenery, water falls, roaring rivers. But at the same time, be prepared for road blocks due to land slides.

h) The most picturesque part of the journey is between Chamoli and Gobind Ghat and then onwards to Badrinath.

i) Make sure you have a good binocular which will help you enjoy the nature better.

j) There are dhabhas and also some "resorts" on the way. Though food is not an issue, condition of rest rooms is lot to be desired. If possible stop at Gharwal Mandal Vikas Nigam resorts for bio breaks. They are best bets.

k) If you get stuck in an emergency report to nearest Border roads organisations detachment or army camp.

Postscript - I have attached the pictures which were taken on the way back as well to keep it aligned with the subject. Since we were traveling independently on the way back, we were able to enjoy the journey better as we could stop at many places. Details about Rishikesh and Haridwar will be covered in separate posts later.

Next Post - Trek from Gobind Ghat to Ghangaria

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by Fauji

Flowers. flowers everywhere in this paradise

Attachment 994390

Attachment 994391

Sirjee,

Here is what I humbly meant. I saw similar scenes when i was in VOF last year - it was breathtaking but tooo monochrome for my liking. However, what i saw this weekend in Kasauli was more beautiful - a sheer riot of colors

- pardon the badly snapped photo but it gives you an idea.

[trtraj]

The landscape pictures are Excellent, Amazing views, i didn't had the privilege of stopping as i like since we were on taxi while been to VoF in 2010 (link here) , BTW, is the valley closed for visiting by now ? i remember they close it after the 1st week of September. Isn't it ?

[C300]

Lovely photos Fauji sir. Reminds me of our visit to the valley back in 2009. Looks much greener this year. The Hemkund trek was also picturesque given the altitude and diversity of flowers. Waiting for more pics.

[thumpingheart]

Beautiful pictures, sir and of course needless to say a very interesting read! Had been here in 2009 with an uncle and family. The place sure is heaven on earth. And seeing the Ganga for the first time was a very spiritual experience for me, and I am a very non-religious sort of person! This place does make you feel different!

We'd traveled all the way in the HP State Transport buses! So you can imagine what an experience it must be to travel those dangerous roads, in that condition, with those kind of bus drivers! Real scary! But was a complete adventure. The trek to Valley and especially Hemkund Sahib is breath-taking. Reading your logue brings back all the memories.

Really looking forward to the rest of your logue, Sir. Cheers. Keep us posted.

[ku69rd]

Poorna Sir,
Another amazing travelogue in the making. Looks very colorful through your camera lens. Been quite some time since I got to read/follow your TL. Do post in more photos to savor.

[laluks]

Seems like you are traveling a lot these days
Good for us we can see a lot of places.

Keep the pictures coming.
BTW I was some where nearby two weeks after your travel

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by trtraj

The landscape pictures are Excellent, Amazing views, i didn't had the privilege of stopping as i like since we were on taxi while been to VoF in 2010 (link here) , BTW, is the valley closed for visiting by now ? i remember they close it after the 1st week of September. Isn't it ?

Thanks trtraj. The valley will be open till September end till the first sight of snow. But there is no point is going there after 15 Sep as the flowers population will be low. But still the valley is beautiful even without flowers.

Originally Posted by C300

Lovely photos Fauji sir. Reminds me of our visit to the valley back in 2009. Looks much greener this year. The Hemkund trek was also picturesque given the altitude and diversity of flowers. Waiting for more pics.

Thanks C300. Yes. It was lovely this year and fortunately we had excellent weather too.

Originally Posted by thumpingheart

Beautiful pictures, sir and of course needless to say a very interesting read! Had been here in 2009 with an uncle and family. The place sure is heaven on earth. And seeing the Ganga for the first time was a very spiritual experience for me, and I am a very non-religious sort of person! This place does make you feel different!

We'd traveled all the way in the HP State Transport buses! So you can imagine what an experience it must be to travel those dangerous roads, in that condition, with those kind of bus drivers! Real scary! But was a complete adventure. The trek to Valley and especially Hemkund Sahib is breath-taking. Reading your logue brings back all the memories.

Really looking forward to the rest of your logue, Sir. Cheers. Keep us posted.

Thank you thumping heart. Yes, you need to be really adventurous to travel by HP buses. But generally the drivers are quite good in this region.

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Poorna Sir,
Another amazing travelogue in the making. Looks very colorful through your camera lens. Been quite some time since I got to read/follow your TL. Do post in more photos to savor.

Thanks you sir. Sure, we will continue with the journey.

Originally Posted by laluks

Seems like you are traveling a lot these days
Good for us we can see a lot of places.

Keep the pictures coming.
BTW I was some where nearby two weeks after your travel

Thanks Lalu. we are only following in your footsteps!!
I came to know from HVK about your trip and waiting for another outstanding TL from you covering Garhwal and Kumaon.

[amitwlele]

Great Fauji Sir. I started reading the first post and was wondering that you actually drived from Bangalore. But then the subsequent post cleared my doubts.

Would be interested to understand how difficult the trek is and what kind of preparations are needed before the trek.

[addyhemmige]

Fauji sir, now I know why you were missing here on T-Bhp for quite sometime now. Great to know you did a trek out there in the Himalayas. The views of the valley looks outstanding. Waiting for more