Balkar ji great intro and good informational pics of the signs loved it did you have to acclimatize your self for the 4300 meters ie 12,000 feet above sea level trekking ? how long did you have to train? or are you used to heights? usha di
On Sun, Aug 19, 2012 at 11:04 AM, Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]>wrote: > Thanks Balkar ji for excellent educative introduction and lovely set of > photographs. It seemed I was actually a part of this great trip. Hope to > make one in next June-July. > > > -- > Dr. Gurcharan Singh > Retired Associate Professor > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 > http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/ > http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ > > > On Sat, Aug 18, 2012 at 10:04 PM, Balkar Singh <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Dear All >> As announced by Dr Gurcharan Singh Ji, we are going to celebrate Valley >> of Flowers Week from August 20 to September 2, 2012. All uploads of >> your VoF trip should have a subject line "VoF >> Week:.....................(plant >> name or unique ID code (ddmmyy+initials+upload number for the day) from >> ................(Place)" As suggested By Dr Gurcharan Singh Ji. Here I >> am giving a brief intro of Valley of flowers and Hemkund Sahib. >> >> VoF and other nearby places are situated in Chamoli District of >> Uttrakhand State of India. Chamoli is the second largest district of >> Uttarakhand. >> Chamoli District is worldwide famous for its beautiful hill stations, >> picturesque spot and religious places including very famous Pilgrimage >> spots such as Badrinath <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badrinath>, >> kerdarnath, Tungnath <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungnath> and >> Joshimath <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshimath>, Hemkund Sahib. This >> area also have option for adventures people who are fond of trekking in >> mountains such places are Devaria-Taal, Vedni-Bugyal, Auli-Bugyal, >> Gurson-Bugyal and Roopkund. Name of Chopata, Chamoli and Gvaaldam can be >> viewed as a Beautiful hill stations. >> >> Valley of Flowers, Auli and Hemkund Sahib are >> situated around Joshimath. we may reach to joshimath by local transport >> like Buses shared taxies/sumo or by own vehicle. Road from haridwar to >> joshimath is good besides having landslides at few places. Landslides are >> also not a big worry as this road is maintained by Border Road >> Organisation. After landslides BRO clears this road within hours. The >> distance from Haridwar to Joshimath is about 280 Kms. from Joshimath we may >> go towards Badrinath Dham or Auli andd towards Valley of Flowers and >> Hemkund Sahib via Govindghat. Buses Taxies etc Runs only upto Govindghat. >> You may park your car there in big parkings for 4-5 days by giving one time >> charges 500 Rs. >> >> After Govindghat for reaching Ghangriya we may hire mules @Rs >> 720 (Govt approved rate) for one mule. Or may book seat in Helicopter @ Rs >> 3500/ Or may go by foot. This distance of 13 Kms from Govindghat to >> Ghangriya can be covered in less than 5 minutes by Helicopter, in about 3-5 >> Hours by Mule and from 6-12 hours by foot (12 hours by foot if doing >> photography in the way). For this 13 kms way you can also book porter >> (Kandi) for childern and Palki (carried by 4 persons) for adults. However >> charges of the palki are higher. You also have to book your luggage on >> mules on sharing basis. >> >> In Govindghat for stay there is a big Gurudwara with all >> facilities (even better than Hotels there) and more than 100 rooms and many >> halls for groups. Hotels are available there on double or triple sharing >> basis starting from the range of Rs 100 per bed to 500 per bed per night. >> This rate may be high in june as June is the very crowded season there. In >> Ghangriya the charges of the hotels are slightly higher than Govindghat and >> here also a big Gurudwara is there with better facilities. Ghangriya is a >> base camp for both destinations ie valley of flowers and Hemkund sahib. You >> can not stay at night in Hemkund Sahib as well as in VoF. >> >> From Ghanghriya the entrance of valley of flowers is about 1 Kms >> and after this gate main valley starts after 3 kms and you may go upto 5 >> kms more (Total 1+3+5 Kms). facilities of mules are not available for VoF. >> However upto the main entrance of Valley (3Kms from Gate) we may hire Kandi >> (A porter with back basket for carrying luggage as well as persons). In >> main valley one has to go by foot only. Daily after 2:00 PM or even before >> usually rain starts (particularly from 25 June to end of August) so one >> should go as early as possible. Valley opens daily at 7 AM in Morning. The >> entry charges for Indian Nationals are Rs 150 for 3 days. The valley >> remains open from 1 June to 31 October every year. The flora of valley >> changes from June to October a lot. Flowers one can find in June will not >> be there in end of july or august. For covering whole flora of valley >> atleast 4 visits are needed first near 15 June second near 10 July >> Third around 5 August and fourth around 1 September. As per my opinion >> about 600 species of flowering plants may be there in VoF, Hemkund Sahib, >> Auli and Badrinath area (Total area of all these spots is within 50 Kms >> range in Nanda Devi Biosphere reserve). We could find about 300 species >> during this tour. Flora changes a lot from place to place. Plants were >> different in all ways ie from way to Govindghat to Ghanghriya, from >> Ghangriya to VoF, Ghanghriya to H sahib. Even plants were different in >> different areas of Valley. >> >> Trekking to Hemkund Sahib is of abut 6 Kms and mules are availble >> for Hemkund Sahib. Mule charges about 500-800 for H sahib. Trek to H sahib >> is more difficult to climb than Govindghat Ghangriya and VoF. Climbing is >> steep and zigzag. The way to H sahib is also very beautiful;l and one can >> see thousands of Brahm Kamal there. The height of Hemkund sahib >> is around 4300 meters. We could find about 80 flowers different than that >> of VoF on H sahib trek. Scenic beauty of Hemkund sahib is Picturesque. The >> Gurudwara closed daily at 2:00 Pm and all have to go to Ghanghriya daily as >> no option of stay is there in H sahib. The Langar we received there in >> Gurudwara was very good and delicious. On the way to H sahib there are many >> tea stalls for tourists where you can have snacks and beverages. >> With this mail I am attaching some pictures of Beauty of places and way. >> Hope I will be able to through some light on the flora of valley in next >> mail by today evening. >> Thanks >> >> -- >> Regards >> >> Dr Balkar Singh >> Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology >> Arya P G College, Panipat >> Haryana-132103 >> 09416262964 >> >> -- >> >> >> >> > > > > -- > > > > -- Usha di =========== --
