February 24, 2013

Valley of Flowers

The Valley of Flowers is a marvel of nature. Once the snow melts in the valley, from May onwards, various plant species start flowering. This flowering continues till September. The Valley covers an area of 87.5 sq km over an altitude varying from 3,200 to 6,600 m with its main area of about 10 sq km running in the east-west direction along the river Pushpawati. The trek to the Valley starts from Govindghat. The 13-km trek to Ghangaria moves along the river Bhyndar. The trek till Bhyndar, 10 km away, is rather comfortable. From Bhyndar it is a steep climb to Ghangaria. The landscape near the Bhyndar village is painted with mountains, waterfalls and forests. Pink and white roses greet us on this stretch.