A memorable, adventurous trip to Uttarakhand
Hi folks,
I have not been blogging regularly for more than a year now. Except for 1 post on stampede in Kumbh mela, I have not been visiting here. I want to keep my writing ✍️ skills alive and I am trying hard to make a come back despite distractions around.
I went to valley of flowers 💐 trek trip with a ladies' group. This was my first trip with a group of unknown people outside family circle and it was fun getting to know and make new friends. We were given a fitness regimen plan to be followed before the trip. Because I am into fitness activities for a long time, following this was not much of an issue for me.
Uttarakhand is a relatively new state separated from former Uttar Pradesh
It is known as holy state as it is full of well known temples like Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, Gangotri, temples in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Ram Jhula, Lakshman Jhula. It lies in the Himalayan region and so there are tall and imposing mountains throughout the state. This state is prone to landslides during rainy season. 🌧 The trekking spots like valley of flowers, Hemkund sahib trek, Kedarnath trek and other trekking and hiking spots make the state popular for tourists around India. Many westerners come to Rishikesh for meditation and yoga.
The trek days were the days that tested our endurance and will-power. If it were the days of struggle then, it is fond memories now! On first day, it was about 12 kms trek with elevation gain of more than 4000 feet! The trek started from Govind ghat and ended at Ghangharia. We carried our bagpacks and covered ourselves with rain jackets, ponchos as it was raining throughout the day. The difficulty was made lighter with flowing rivers on one side and forest and greenery on the other side and wayside shops and restaurants. We had hot chais, pahaadwaala Maggie, Parathas, fruits etc.
At the hotel in Ghangharia, we were briefed about the next day trek to Valley of flowers. The valley of flowers national park is declared by UNESCO as a world Heritage site and hence it attracts lots of tourists annually. But the trek inside was not as easy as walk in the park. The 5 kms to the valley was paved with uneven granite stones with asends and descends at some places. Yeah, as it is said, the path to heaven was not bed of roses but of stones. That heaven was full of flowers blooming in glory and it looked like a piece of Kashmir or Switzerland.
The 2 days of continuous trekking and altitude difference took some toll on friends in our group. Some developed altitude sickness. Many opted out to go for the challenging Hemkund sahib trek on the 3rd day. Though the trek is only about 6 kms, the elevation gain is 4000 feet that makes it tough. But the rewards that came with it were beautiful views with the mountains ⛰️ engulfed in fog as the day progressed, glaciers, the rare spotting of Brahma kamal flowers, meeting of friendly Sikh devotees who were ready to help us and other fellow climbers. We, four of us from Bengaluru, motivated and supported each other to reach the highest gurudwara. Our joy knew no bounds, when we made it to the top, prayed and had food at Langhar. But the descent was equally tough and challenging with the onset of continuous rains and so when 1 friend, Sowmya was determined to climb down
braving the odds of the weather, we opted to go down in a pony.
On the last day of the trek, we had to trek down from Ghangharia to Govind ghat which was fairly easy. Our group leader arranged for us to visit Badrinath temple that evening and also Bhim phul which was close to the last village in India that bordered Tibet.
Badrinath temple flanked by mighty Himalayas on one side and Alaknanda river in front!!!
In a nutshell, this travel was different with 4 continuous days of treks, but the rewards were meeting and becoming friends with unknown women, forgetting everything and being one with nature, getting to know the culture of a different state and coming back refreshed with pleasant memories and a sense of achievement ❤️ 😊.
Deepa.
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