Valley of Flowers - Uttarakhand

Who can Join:

Valley of Flowers is easy to moderate trek. It is considered as best beginners trek in the Himalayas.

Valley of Flowers is a hidden treasure which comes alive only during the monsoons. Rest of the year is it hidden under snow. This first came to public knowledge in 1931 when Mr. Frank Smith, a mountaineer and botanist chanced upon it during the monsoons. This Valley was declared as a National Park in 1982 and is now a World Heritage site.

The Important places we would be covering are:

Haridwar: One of the most sacred places and the entry point where River Ganga enters the plains. The Ganga Aarti in the evening is worth watching.

Ghangaria: It a the last human habitat before moving to either the Valley of Flowers or the Hemkund Sahib. It is a small village full of small hotels.

Hemkund Sahib: A revered place for Sikhs. It is the place where the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Govind Singhji meditated for years. There is a Gurudwara near the lake (Hemkund means 'Lake of Snow") and a temple dedicated to Lakshmana. It is also the highest Gurudwara in the world.

Badrinath: needs no specific mention. It is one of the places of the Char dhams and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Auli: Auli is an important ski destination in Uttarakhand. It is also known as Auli Bugyal, which in Gharwal means meadow. Auli is surrounded by Coniferous and oak forests, with a panaromic view of the Himalayas.

Tentative Itinerary:

30th Aug Day 1 – Report at Haridwar. Check into hotel and take rest or if time permits can go for Ganga Aarti.

31st Aug Day 2 – Haridwar to Auli : 10-12 hours by road. Start early morning from Haridwar in a pre-booked vehicle. Breakfast on the way. We will have a short break at Dev Prayag – the confluence of River Alaknanda and River Bhagirathi which forms River Ganga.

Reach Auli by evening. Sleep early to get ready for the trek the next day.

1st Sept, Day 3 – Auli to Ghangaria
We will start early after breakfast and reach Pulna village by road. From Pulna we will be trekking to Ghangaria (10 Kms). Helicopter / pony service is available to reach Ghangaria. We will get to see lots of birds, beautiful mountains and waterfalls. Stay at Ghangaria.

2nd Sept. Day 4 – Ghangaria – Valley of Flowers – Ghangaria
A total distance of 12 kms (to and fro) – 6-10 hours trekking. No Ponies are available but porters are available, if required. We will be carrying packed lunch.

3rd Sept. Day 5 – Ghangaria – Hemkund Sahib – Ghangaria.
This day we will be gaining altitude. If required you can hire ponies or porters (both are available). On the way we will get to see Blue Poppies and Brahmakamal Flowers. Lunch at the Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara Langar.

4th Sept. Day 6 – Ghangaria – Pulna trek of 4-5 hours post breakfast. Then drive to Badrinath and Mana (The last village on the Indian Side) by vehicle. After having darshan at Badrinath, we will move to Auli.

5th Sept. Day 7 – Gorson Peak/ Top trek and back to Auli.
It is a mild and beautiful trek. If the weather is clear we can have a 180 degree view of Himalayan Ranges. We will see Hathi, Ghoda, Palki, Dronagiri, Kamet, Neelkanth and Nanda Devi Peaks. Night stay in Auli.

6th Sept. Day 8 – Auli to Rishikesh.
10-12 hours by road. We will come back to Rishikesh in vehicle. If time permits we will see the aarti.

7th Sept. Day 9 – half day is Buffer day for unforeseen emergencies, else we will go for local site seeing and then disperse.

This itinerary is tentative and can be changed due to changes in weather.

(Total 9D/8N) Price - Rs. 40,000/- ex. Haridwar.
Inclusions
- Stay in Haridwar and Rishikesh - Hotel, Auli - Resort and Ghangaria - Swiss Camps
- Food on all days
- Entry tickets to Valley of Flowers
- Local transport
- Chair lift in Auli

Excludes
– Travel into Haridwar - the starting point and travel back from Rishikesh.
- Cost of ponies or porters or helicopter. You need to hire them at your own cost.
- Travel/personal Insurance.
- Any expenditure due to unforeseen circumstances like landslides, etc., DSLR Camera Charges where ever applicable.

Add yourself to Waiting list and You will be moved to YES list after receiving the payment on First come First Serve basis.

Account Holder Name: GHAC Travel and Leisure

Account No: 913010051044763

Account Type: Savings

Bank: Axis Bank Limited

Branch: Road No 2, Banjara Hills.

IFSC Code: UTIB0001379

No Cash deposits into the bank please.

Make an Advance payment of Rs. 15000/- to book your slot.

Once payment is done comment your transaction ID below for confirmation.

Note: It is our responsibility in protecting our beloved earth. GHAC earnestly requests all its members to be socially responsible whilst the trips and avoid any littering, shouting when in wild or causing anything that would disturb the normal ecology. Try to avoid plastics as much as possible, especially plastic smiles

Important Instructions

1. No smoking and no alcohol.
2. No littering, no pollution of water.
3. Ladies and gents accommodation is separate
4. Food will be mostly vegetarian
5. We carry basic First Aid and if you need anything you can ask the organizers.
6. If you feel unwell bring to the notice of the organizers immediately.

Dont's

1. No littering
2. Don't go into water unsupervised

Event Host: Rajani (9246340028/rajani@ghac.in)