VALLEY OF FLOWERS - PART III
THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS
The next day we left for Joshimath very early in the morning. The GMVN has buses arranged to take you to Joshimath and we had to leave very early in the morning. We left by 8.30 a.m. soon after breakfast. The trip to Joshimath is long and takes nearly 11 hours by road. The roads are long and winding and dangerous too. Night driving is not allowed. The last bus from GMVN leaves at 9.00 a.m. There are other modes of transport too. Private vehicles also ply between Rishikesh and Joshimath. The distance from Rishikesh to Joshimath is about 252 Kms. Though the journey is very tiring, the view of the surroundings is breathtaking. We could see the river Alaknanda winding its way far below us. The panoramic mountains that loomed large before us were verdant green. The roads are narrow and slippery and dangerous, but the bus drivers are very careful while negotiating turns. There is a guide provided by the GMVN on the bus who will keep informing the area and the topography and its historical importance in his monotonous voice.
We were told that we will pass Rudra Prayag first but not enter it then on to Karna Prayag, Chamoli and then onward to Joshimath.
Prayag is a hindi word for confluence of two rivers. The scenic beauty of Karna Prayag and Dev Prayag is great. After a slow climb from 356 meters of Rishikesh to 1890 mts. of Joshimath, we were really very tired and exhausted by the drive and all dusty. We had a nice hot bath at the dormitory provided by the GMVN for our overnight halt at Joshimath. We had reached Joshimath at around 7.30 p.m. After we freshened ourselves we set out to scout the area on foot. Since it was dark, and no electricity, it was difficult for us to go around. There were a few shops which had gensets on so we decided to return back to our dorm.
The food here is moderate and pure vegetarian. Non-veg is taboo. The place is revered and very holy.
The next day we set off for Govind Ghat which is a mere 21 km journey by bus. We left at 9.00 a.m. and reached by 10.00 a.m. at the foothills of Govind Ghat. Here we had to leave our baggage. We were told to carry only the bare minimum luggage necessary for a 3 day trek. Woollens are a must. The trek to Ghangria is a 14 km trek. There are many modes of travel up the slopes.
The Kandi for individuals a wicker basket lifted by a sherpa open in the front and lined by mattresses to be comfortable - in which you sit facing the road.
The Dandi a cross between a doli and a kandi carried by 4 persons
The mules for individual travel.
We took the mule to reduce the travel fatigue. It takes around 6 hours to reach Ghangria on an average.
After a brief rest at the rest house at Ghangria, I decided to scout the area around as there was still some light in the skies, though cloudy. As I strolled I came across beautiful cobra lily plants and immediately the photographer in me sprang to life. I got a lot of pics. There were the Brahmakamals, Marsh Marigolds, and many other colourful flowers all around. I was living in paradise.
Now I realized the need for more film. Remember to carry a lot of film rolls as you wont know when you will run out of film. It is very important to choose the camera too. The modern digital cameras are very easy to operate, but the real fun is with the roll film. There is more creativity to it. Use of macro lenses is advisable as the flowers are small and for a good close-up, you need good equipment. Use of a flash is sometimes necessary depending on the weather conditions. Rain protective gear is also necessary. If you must use digital cameras, then carry a lot of batteries as batteries tend to lose charge in cold climate. Keep the batteries close to your body to retain the charge. Professional photographers use slide films or transparency films or chrome film rolls to get slides. These slides can then be projected on a screen for viewing or for printing in a magazine.
I usually carry my Nikon F2 manually operated SLR with a normal 1.4 lens, a good macro lens, closeup accessories, filters, flash, batteries, torch, and lots of film. Telephoto lenses also are useful for long shots of mountain peaks or distant objects. I lost a lot of transparency rolls as my camera (Nikon FA) failed gradually and I never knew about it. Experience teaches a lot of things in life.
Ghangria is a base camp to go to both Valley of Flowers on the left and the Hemkund Sahib on the right.
The next day we had to start very early in the morning for the Valley of Flowers and we all left one by one. There is an entry tax at the entrance on the path to the valley. The path is narrow, winding, steep, and climbing. No mules nor porters are available to go to the valley. The entire stretch is on foot. There is a stream coming down from the left, and one has to cross it over a makeshift bridge. The path goes down, and there is an iron bridge over Pushpawati river which hurtles down with great fury, and meets Lakshman Ganga at Ghangria. It is from this point that one gets to see the flowers in all the majestic colours and glory. We came across the Himalayan Blue Poppy among the rocks, the bell flowers, buttercups, Chinese lanterns, geraniums and lots more. We had a great time clicking away, careful not to tread on any plant. One thing most important to all tourists is that the Valley of Flowers is endangered and protected, so it is very important to respect nature. We could see a large expanse of the valley colourful every possible hue. It is practically impossible to get all of these on film. We had a great time shooting film after film, flower after flower. We lost all track of time, hunger and thirst. The whole valley is not just captivating, it is hypnotic.
Our trance was broken by a drizzle which made us take cover behind the boulders and put on our rain coat. The cameras were taken care of. After all the efforts, we did not want to lose the photographs. The rains here in the valley come and go in a flash.
We proceeded with caution, our eyes glued to the skies, cameras on the ready.
We reached a point where there was the grave of Mary Legge - we decide to go there and pay our respects to an enthusiastic botanist and explorer who lost her life in the Valley. 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 had a fatal slip. Her sister later visited the valley and erected a memorial on the spot where she was buried by the locals.
The following words are inscribed on the stone:
"I will lift mine eyes unto the Hills
from whence cometh my help."
We set off back to Ghangria after paying our tributes, and reached back at about 7.30 evening. We were tired and hungry. After a cup of hot tea and biscuits, we rested.
It is not possible to cover all the area in one day, and it was not possible to visit the valley again as our itinerary was already detailed. Tomorrow we were to go to Hemkund Sahib. So with a heavy heart, we decided to visit the valley again if possible.
HEMKUND SAHIB
The following day we left for Hemkund Sahib the highest gurudwara in the country at about 5.30 a.m. The path is well defined and concrete. There are a lot of dhabas every few meters so one can rest and continue. You can see a lot of Sikhs young and old walking slowly up the slopes. There are two paths to Hemkund, one is of steps and the other for the mules, a sloping path. We took the slopes by mules to reach Hemkund as early as possible. We were up by about 9.30 a.m.
Hemkund is at a height of about 4329 mts. Hemkund is a beautiful lake at this altitude, surrounded by snow peaks. There is a Gurudwara and a Lakshman Temple here. These are the two places of worship the highest in India. Hemkund literally means 'lake of ice' - and true to its name, for eight months of the year this lake is frozen and inaccessible. When the weather warms up, the ice and snow melt, and meadows of ferns and moss and wildflowers sprout on its banks. We could spot numerous flowers here too. Though these flowers were on the treacherous slopes, it is thrilling to slowly climb down these slopes and get the photographs. The famed Brahmakamal Saussurea obvallata - grows in abundance amidst the rocks on the banks of the lake. The place holds its charm with its aquamarine lake surrounded by beautiful peaks.
We visited the holy shrines and then after a brief rest at a roadside dhaba which served hot and pungent chana soup and some tea, we started our climb down. We had a field day at the Hemkund lake, the area so scenic that you are inclined to wander looking for more areas to photograph. We started our descent at about 11.30 a.m stopping on the way to shoot more rare flowers. Here we are beyond the tree line, only shrubs and beautiful small flowers peeping out through the rocks. Our return was so slow that we were forced to take intermittent rests at the dhabas for a cup of tea or a small snack. We reached Ghangria at about 7.30 p.m totally exhausted but very satisfied.
Our small room at Ghangria was now very chaotic with every one talking about the wonders of nature and the different flowers we saw. Some were even aware of the names and had done their homework very well.
After our rest and dinner, we prepared for our trek back to Govind Ghat the next morning.
The return trek to Govind ghat was faster. I stopped at the small hamlet called Bhyunder where a group of small children were playing. Here I would like to advise you of the oncoming caravans of donkeys loaded with sacks on either side, oblivious of the oncoming people. I was nearly knocked off the path on to the slopes by one of these donkeys. So be watchful. You have to take shelter of the rockside cliff to avoid them. These donkeys are so used to walking the slopes that the leading herdsman is about 15-20 donkeys ahead and doesnt know anything what happens at the tail end of his caravan.
At Govind Ghat, we boarded our bus which was waiting for our return, counted the number of heads, and proceeded towards Badrinath - our last destination.
..(continued)