VOF and Badrinath trip suggestions

I have managed not to trek VOF till date even though I love flowers and love to trek. Being in teaching I am blessed with ample number of holidays but not when the semester begins. Mine starts at the end of July. That means no movement from mid July. is it worth doing VOF at the the beginning of July? Cause that is the only time I can manage leave.

As late as this is, mridula, the answer is yes. Becos different flowers bloom in different months. What you see in July, you don't in Sep, and vice-versa. So any time in that period is good.
I think when people say "the best month is (fill in month of choice)" they are expressing personal preferences. And the earlier you go, the fewer Hemkund pilgrims you encounter! Relatively speaking of course.

Thanks Dilliwala, I need to search more and see how it is in October?

The Valley is usually snow-bound by the middle of October. I was in Joshimath in the third week of October 2007, and was told that the Valley was already inaccessible.

The only account, that I have come by, of the Valley in the autumn is in a chapter of Frank Smythe's book `Valley of Flowers', where he describes his return to the Valley in September 1937. It sounds like a dream. There is a relevant discussion in the thread Valley of Flowers in Mid-Late October.

I completely agree, Dilliwala. As such, these statements perhaps shouldn't be taken too seriously. There was more on this recently in the thread Valley of Flowers with child.

Raghu.

Thank you so much Raghu. I will follow the relevant threads.

Good to see you, Raghu!

I was going to write something like early Oct is better compared to later, on account of Ghangharia getting pretty cold at night - glad to be backed up by from-the-ground info, as it were.

But the views are outstanding in Oct I hear, mridula.

Raghu, great extract from Smythe's book, I'd forgotten about it. Wud you believe that I've had it sitting on a shelf for more than 3 years, and STILL haven't read it? I think some self-flagellation is in order.
I really need to get away on that month-long reading trip!

Dilliwala, I see two problems for the planned trek in early October, one I want the flowers too. It seems even in early October there are no flowers and the second is that my husband wants to do a much tougher trek. Anyway, the second one can be dealt with if I can find some flowers in early October.

Early July it is then. Also from another angle - the monsoon won't have kicked in with full force, the way it does in Aug and Sep (irrelevant in your case, but still).

Send your husband onwards to Kagbhusand Tal.
I reckon the 2 together shud suffice as a tough trek?

Thanks Dilliwala, if it is early July then it is not this year! I am unusually caught up with work. It would have to be some other trek. But next year I will make sure we do it.

October? But what about Hemkund Shahib then? Because I don’t think (plz correct me if I am wrong) Hemkund is possible in October . If it is VoF then you should cover Hemkund in the same trip.and then July is the time. And weather is unpredictable……. I know I was lucky (considering the weather) – I went in July:

http://www.ringo.com/photos/album/ph...bumId=42384909

- Somnath

Thanks for the link to the pictures Somnath.

Hi Dilliwala, good to talk with you again. Yes, I like the book a lot, and keep returning to it. I read somewhere that mountaineering is "the most literary of all sports," and Smythe's writings are apparently an important part of the genre. I hope to read more of his books as time goes by. However, Indian mountaineers seem to be terrible writers. E.g., it's a pain to read Harish Kapadia. His writing feels very disjoint, as though he just cuts and pastes from one book to another, without even bothering to thread the fragments together with a bit of context.

Perhaps you are fortunate enough to travel so much in the mountains that you don't have enough time to read. Or, is it just that life interferes? :-)

Raghu.

Great line that - and definitely true, heheh.
Nah, I don't get to do half as much travelling as I'd like to. Just that from Dilli one can have the quickest of getaways compared to most places in the land, so I guess I'm more fortunate than others in that sense.

Great thread with useful inputs frm everybody. From botanists to nature lovers, from curious tourists to avid trekkers, Valley of Flowers does not fail to fill one with a sense of awe and wonder...a feeling one usually gets when one reaches the foothills and catches the first sight of the hills or a river meandering as one circles a bend in the mountains...the fragrance of pine trees, the lush greenery and kids running along selling cucumbers....lol! Aight...here's an interesting link about VOF:

http://www.flowersofindia.net/vof-trek/index.html

Njoy!

So, by what time i should be in Govindghat so as to minimize the waiting?

Thanks
Praveen