subject: The Scenic Trek [print this page] Valley of Flowers a fairy land, appeals as a beautiful dream to travelers from around the world. Nestled in the upper reaches of Garhwal, Uttarakhand among snow-capped mountains and swarmed with over hundreds of species of flowers lies the paradise on earth Valley of Flowers.
While on an expedition to Mt. Kamet , Frank S. Smith an English mountaineer & explorer discovered the Valley of Flowers. In 1939, Miss Margarate Legge, a botanist deputed by the botanical gardens of Edinburgh arrived at the valley for further studies. While she was traversing some rocky slopes to collect flowers, she slipped off and was lost for ever in the garden of the gods. Her sister later visited the valley and erected a memorial on the spot where she was buried by the locals. The thoughtful memorial is still there and the lines inscribed on the marble slab read:
"I will lift mine eyes
unto the Hills
from whence cometh my strength"
The valley is dotted with exotic flowers of various colors - green, white, yellow, blue and purple. The rich diverse meadows are surrounded with snow capped mountains, glaciers melting turning into waterfalls and tickling waters from the small streams. Other than exotic flowers like the Brahmakamal, the Blue Poppy and the Cobra Lily, Valley of Flowers is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. Valley of Flowers is a much sought after haunt for flower-lovers, botanists and of course trekkers.
This trek starts from Govind Ghat and Ghagaria is the place for overnight. The snow-capped peaks including Nilgiri Parbat (6474 m) stand in bold relief against the skyline. The Legend is that Hanuman collected 'Sanjeevani' herb from this valley to revive Lakshman. Getting to the Valley of Flowers requires a trek of about 17 km. The nearest major town is Joshimath in Garhwal, which has convenient road connections from Haridwar and Dehradun, both about 270 km from Joshimath. Trekking to this outstandingly beautiful valley is becoming increasingly popular among international tourists, especially among the Japanese. The best season to visit the valley is from July to August when all the flowers are in full bloom.
I invite you to visit http://www.shikhar.com/package.asp?PackID=52&name=Valley-of-Flowers-Trek,-Garhwal-Himalaya,-Uttarakhand for a sample program.
