Valley of Flowers & Hemkund Sahib

Hiya...

June-end might still be a bit early for the flowers - but u'll surely get to see the best views in the valley for sure...! The glaciers on the way to the VOF would not have thawed completely, and that would surely add to the enchantment and excitement... And yes, you might catch a few flowers too, but just a few...! Maybe the buds of the Sunflowers...!

About Late August - Well, Like I've said earlier on this thread - You need to spend three months at VOF in order to be in a position to be there while all the flowers bloom... And mind you, there would still be many flowers which are right there, but might be difficult to spot... I was extremely lucky to have caught sight of the 'cobra lilly' and the 'blue poppy'... The 'brahma kamals' would be in full bloom in late-August at Hemkund Sahib...!

About people in their forties... Well, On my way to Hemkund Sahib, I saw dozens n dozens of groups of Sikhs - Old men n women - some even in their seventies... And they were walking bare feet...! And the trek to Hemkund Sahib is much much more difficult than the one to the Valley of Flowers... The last 6 km from Ghanghria to Hemkund Sahib also encompasses a change in altitude of around 1.2 km...!

Remember - If you plan to do both the VOF as well as Hemkund Sahib, it is important that you go to the VOF the first day, and Hemkund Sahib only later on...

Happy Trekking...!

Cheers...!

hi all. how much time i need for a trip to VOF . i am planning to go between 18-24 june in my santro. how should i plan. waiting to get the info . how will be the road conditions there. how much time it takes to trek after drivable road ends.

Just got back from Ghangaria..unfortunately couldnt make i to Hemkund...was way way way too steep. I did go to VO but could see nothing except for a real steep climb of 3 km after Ghangaria...which only added to my already deteriorated condition at Ghangari..
By he way there were thousands of pilgrim folks there right now and that made it so difficult for guys like me to find any bit of acomodation!!
Can you believe that there were crapy rooms with stinking bathrooms going at Rs 1500 for a night! Guess what, even thpose were not available!
I had to sleep in a cornet at the gurudwara with no hot water.
The toilets in the gurudwara were in unimaginable shape!
Pls plan accordingly.

PM me for more details....

The problem with VOF/Hemkund trek is that there will be thousands of pilgrims during the trekking season. During rainy season, however, the number of pilgrims on this route will get reduced but in relative terms. Fortunately, an overwhelming majority of pilgrims avoid going to VOF.

I will recommend those who wish to avoid pilgrimage crowd and yet want to see variety of flowers to trek Har-ki-Dun. It is equally good trek with GMVN Rest Houses on all the overnight staying places.

Sadanand

June-beginning is when the Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara opens its doors; and, June is also the time when most families can take their annual breaks, owing to the schools being closed for the summer... Add Two n Two together... June is definitely the peak season time for Hemkund Sahib...

If your preferred destination is the Valley of Flowers, it's better to go there in either July or in August... There are just about zero flowers in June... July is when the Sun Flowers are in full bloom... And August you get a wide range of flowers too... Soo, Choose between July n August, and avoid June...

Yes, the rains are there in these two months, specially July, but then, that just adds to the charm... And yes, you'll get more choice of reasonably priced hotels around this time...

About the question, Well, One week is ideal and you can even throw in a trip to Badrinath in that time... Check out the earlier pages of this thread for further details...
Day 1 - Haridwar to Joshimath (preferably the first bus)
Day 2 - Joshimath to Govindghat to Ghanghria (Govind Dham)
Day 3 - Ghanghria to VOF and Back
Day 4 - Ghanghria to Hemkund Sahib and Back
Day 5 - Ghanghria to Govindghat to Badrinath
Day 6 - Badrinath to Haridwar (6 am bus)
Add a day on either side, and voila, you have a full week...!

And if you are on your own vehicle, you can park at Govindghat and then start your trek...

Cheers...!

Hello VOF veterans.

The kids have an 11 day break from school during Dussera (29th Sep to 9th Oct) and we are considering going to VOF then. I am aware that the flowers won't be there anymore, but that might be an advantage as the crowds might also be less.

When do they bring the holy book down from HS? Is it the same day every year? This may be interesting to watch. Are non Sikhs allowed to observe this?

What kind of weather can be expect at that time of year and what equipment should we take? We brought all of our winter/alpine hiking gear specifically for the Himalayas.

thanks a ton... i will take on your advice and plan accordingly.har ki dun i will consider. i have only 4 days 19, 20,21,22. if i start on 19 th, can i reach ghanghari on 20 th, so i can go har ki dun or vof on 21 & came back same day and start back for delhi 22early morning to reach 22nd night or 23 early morning ? .
wat is special in har ki dun. actually i am interested in view natural beauty-snow, flowers natural beauty and drive .

i just watched the map. har ki dun is above yamunotri.so how to reach there ? what will be the route. till what point will i be able to drive and how long is the trek ? i can extend my prog by a day i.e. from 18 evening-22 night.

Cayle... You are right in assuming that the crowds would no longer be there in End-Sep and Early-Oct... But then, most of the crowds are in any case the religious pilgrims, on their way to Hemkund Sahib. The Guru Granth Sahib (The Holy Book) is brought down in a procession in the first week of October. A couple of years back, it was the 4th October, but the date can possibly vary though, from year to year. Yes, people from all faiths are welcome to visit. But, only the Sevadars (the Sikh people who commit free service for days / weeks / months) are allowed to spend the night at Hemkund Sahib itself. Soo, it is advisable that you leave Hemkund Sahib latest by 3.00-3.30 p.m. to be back in Ghanghria before it gets dark...

Ideally, you should visit the Valley of Flowers the day after you reach Ghanghria. That would help you acclimatize and also prepare you for the steeeeep climb to Hemkund Sahib. The 6 km from Ghanghria to Hemkund Sahib involves a change in altitude of 1.2 km...! Have seen several more than fit NCC cadets faint on their way up - the only reason was that they didn't go to the VOF the day before and neither did they allow their bodies to acclimatize.

Be prepared not to see any flowers at all... September-end is not just the fag-end of the season at VOF - It's After-season...! But then, you'll surely get to see the VOF in it's virginal pristine state... October, it would be quite chilly and the chill factor sometimes just gets to you...

And no, it's a simple trek on a fixed pathway; and so you don't need any climbing gear or equipment whatsoever...

Cheers...!!!

Trust me its not that simple a trek. There are boulders for quite a few kms, they are not tough but still pose a hassle to trek. Also do start very early from Govind ghat as it gets very very dark along the way with NO lights at all. Do carry torch etc.
As solo treker as pointed out, do leaveHemkund very very early. By the way, a lot of folks took more than 5 hours from Ghangaria to reach hemkund!!

I am tempted to join you though ...the reasn formy failure earlier was no company!!

And one note to cheer u up... Once you reach Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara, you'll be served up Hot Tea and Khichdi (Nutritious n very healthy Mix of Rice n Lentils) and Kadha (Aate ka Halwa - a sweetmeat). And after that to soothen your muscles and nerves, you can just relax inside the Gurudwara while the melodious religious songs are sung by the Sevadars. Mind you, there are several tens of thousands of blankets which are kept lying around (all donated by followers), and you are welcome to make full use of them...

And if you have the nerve, and are absolutely crazy, well, you could take a dip in the freezing waters of the lake...!

Well, I am, and I did...!

Cheers...!

Yesterday, there was an avalanche (actually a Glacier Break) which resulted in the untimely deaths of six pilgrims and wounding over ten, all on their way to Hemkund Sahib.

This just shows how risky the trip can be; and one has to take all precautions while on the way. A colleague, who had been to Hemkund Sahib just 2 weeks back had informed me about six feet high frozen walls along the way to Hemkund Sahib at the time.

IM's Condolences to the bereaved families...

come to think of it which is a better bet VOF or har-Ki-Doon ? in terms of views & sights & in general ? Just pondering !

Hi guys,
'am planning a trip to the valley of flowers this July. I hope to be in at Govindghat by the 10th of July. The GMVN in Ghangria is full, can anyone lemme know of a good place at Ghangria pls, and is it possible to stay at Hemkund Sahib overnite?? What cud be the options ??
thanx
Pahari

Hope your question is answered...
Also, the options in Govind-Dham (Ghanghria) are aplenty... You'll get accommodation for sure, may not be the very best... But then, look around and choose... If you wanna stay in a camp and spend a bit more, camping options are also available just before Ghanghria.

Cheers...!

http://www.ringo.com/photos/photo.ht...toId=228808371
- this was not taken by me, thanks to the photographer who shared this pic as public photo…. I just wanted to refer to you all that such accidents are not very unusual thing. Because, most of the pilgrims of this route are not that much aware of the dangers in such trails. Yeah, this is my personal experience that guys use to take this trail very easily , even I’ve seen a group of young people with some aged family member are trying to test the ceiling of a snow cave (they are standing inside the same cave – mind it) by hitting with the sticks (there was a pic of the same cave in the same website but cant find it anymore). When we tried to tell them that you cannot test the strength of the roof while you are standing inside the cave….. they just laughed.

Anyways, condolences.