Beautiful and breathtaking trek of Valley of Flowers
Are you a person who loves to trek? If yes then trek to the Valley of Flowers is a must for you. The Valley of Flowers is a part of trekking Indian Himalayas. It stands at an altitude of 11,000 feet and is a mesmerizing meadow filled with varieties of flowers, orchids, shrubs and plants. This is a valley where Pushawati flows down. This stream is Alaknanda tributary. One can find many species of flora in this valley. It was discovered by Frank Smythe in 1931.
The flora of the valley is recorded to be over 520 out of which 428 are flowering plants. The best time to visit this valley is in August or September. Dwarf iris, primula, blue poppies, Ferns, herbs, asters, orchids, marigold, anemones and daisies are some of the flora that can be seen here.
Trek Valley of Flowers to watch for the varied flora and eye catching colors of this flora blending with the mountainous landscape and snow filled Himalayas. The Valley of Flowers trek starts from Govind ghat that is close to Joshimath. This is an Adi Shankaracharaya math. From here one has to proceed to Ghangaria. Once there they can trek Valley of Flowers crossing the Alaknanda River by a hanging bridge. The track is zig-zag and ascending where one can see Ganga dropping down to join Alaknanda. Further proceeding on the track, one can see snow topped mountain peak all around which is splendid to view. This track is from Pulna to Bhyndar village. One comes across waterfalls and water springs along the track. The track becomes steeper after crossing left bank of Lakshman ganga. From here it takes 2kms to reach Ghanghria. It then continues to Pushawati and then to a bridge which leads to the Valley of Flowers.
Throughout Valley of Flowers trek, one can explore the wildflowers. Some of them are Corydalis, Braham kamal, Lilium, Morina, Marsh marigold and Bistorta. The total trek distance of the Valley of Flowers is 17km. One can reach Joshimath from Haridwar or Dehradun which are 270kms away. This part of trekking Indian Himalayas is very rewarding.
The valley of flowers has some animals and birds unique to the place. Red fox, langur, leopard, bear, hare, serow and butterflies are some of the animals that can be seen here. One can view the Golden Eagles which are seen mostly in the Himalayas. Patridge, cock, Monal, Pigeon and Hawk are some unique Himalayan varieties and are stated as ‘prefixed Snow’ depicting their uniqueness.