About the trek, difficulty level, how to get there and everything else about the Valley of Flowers
This is considered an easy to moderate trek. However, the distance from Govindghat to Ghangaria is 13Kms and the last 3kms are steep. Since there is a well-defined path, you won’t get lost. To get to the VoF, you need to do a few short climbs and descends. The trek to Hemkund sahib can be difficult for some people as it involves 6 km long steep climb.
Take a break, have some Glucon D or lemon water from the stalls en route and complete the trek slowly. The path is well defined and there is no chance of you getting lost. Your luggage will be carried by porters (no hard cases and maximum weight of 12Kgs). You are expected to carry a day pack with your camera and some basic things. So, you won’t have much weight that you need to haul to the campsite and back.
It will be raining most of the time. Possibility of heavy rain is also there, and that is the beauty of this trek. During monsoons, flowers are in full bloom and the surrounding area is lush green.
Footwear should be comfortable, and should have good grip. Hiking shoes with good grip are recommended for this trek. Clothes should preferably be quick dry ones. Carry a set of warm clothes because the place is cold in mornings and evenings. Raincoat is a must. Other than that, travel as light as you can. Carry your luggage in a rucksack. Make sure you do not carry hard cases.
The best in the area! At Govindghat we have river facing (confluence of Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga) rooms. At Ghangaria, we put up our guests at a fixed campsite. Both the accommodations are clean, comfortable and offer best services in the area. Rooms/tents are on twin sharing basis.
Basic vegetarian meals comprising of rice, chapattis, pulses, vegetables, achar, etc. are provided on the trek. There will be plenty of glucon D to go around.
The entire area is very safe. In fact, this place is a lot safer than most other places in India and other parts of the world. That said, general precautions which one takes in any new place must be taken.
Animals – The maximum you will see are small Himalayan hare rats, maybe a deer and if you’re very lucky some exotic Himalayan wildlife.
All you need to do is sign up, make the payment and get to Haridwar. From Haridwar we’ll take care of everything.
At Govindghat there will be electricity and mobile connectivity on Idea and BSNL networks. At Ghangaria there is little chance of any network connectivity. There is no electricity at Ghangaria.
When you book late, one of the following things will happen…
- Slots will not be available and we won’t be able to have you on board
- Slots will be available, and train tickets will not be available. In that case you will need to either figure out your own transportation to Haridwar.
- Preferred accommodation will not be available and we won’t be able to have you on board
So plan ahead, it makes your life simple.
Any number of people may join our fixed departures. However, we limit the group size at 15. A departure gets confirmed as soon as we have 5 sign ups.
Most of our travelers fall in the age bracket of 28-40. However, age bracket is not sacrosanct and we have had people from different walks of life belonging to different age groups.
Yes, for groups of 6 or more people, you will be able to choose your dates for this trek. Get in touch with us for details.
Lenses for SLR cameras
Landscape photography – wide angle lenses are perfect to capture those lovely landscape shots
Macro Photography – Flowers and plants in the VoF offer stunning opportunities for Macro photography. A dedicated macro lens is the best. If that is not available, you can bring a close-up lens and use it on a medium telephoto lens for close up shots.
Tripods – For Macro photography you will need camera support. A tripod will be very useful on the trip.
Memory cards – carry enough memory cards as you will not have the option of downloading the pictures during the trek Battery – a spare battery will be useful
Rain protection – Make sure you carry something to protect your equipment as it will be raining during the trek.
Sounds like a plan. What is the next step?