Shivam’s First Monsoon Trek to the Valley of Flowers with Thrillophilia
I seldom think the chances of completing treks are mostly based on luck. If destiny wishes, you can excel, if it doesn't, all the best for the next trip!
This time, when I went for my Valley of Flowers trek, I was thinking about the instance when I could not complete my Kedarkantha trek due to heavy snowfall. Since the forest department had closed off the roads, we had to return to Dehradun from Sankri. I was heart-wrecking.
Fingers crossed, I continued with my journey to the Valley of Flowers along with a group of very warm and welcoming people! Thank god I got such nice company while travelling with Thrillophilia, at least I could share the distress if it came to that.
The reason why I was so sceptical from the beginning of the trek is just that it was August and generally this part of Uttarakhand receives very high rainfall, sometimes even leading to landslides and floods. But again, this was one of the best times to go for the Valley of Flowers trek as the flowers would be in their full bloom. Also, given I am a corporate worker, I have to completely utilise whatever holidays I get.
Anyhow, let's get back to the story.
The ascent
While walking through the deep gorges and forests on the way to the Valley of Flowers, our group encountered many birds and insects, especially leeches. It was a big problem, we had to keep our feet and hands protected as they could get in from anywhere. So carefully we started making our way through the Deodar and Oak forests, taking turns at every corner.
The lush green trees enhanced the landscapes, all set against the towering mountains and their peaks sneaking in and out of the clouds. It was a marvellous sight to witness!
Each trek that I go to, I find a distinguishing factor of the trail, for example, for the Dzukou Valley trek it was the trains lined with shrubs and the vistas dotted with lone-standing trees. Similarly, in this trek, I found the gorges and the valleys that are to be crossed to be unique. The visuals were stunning and the ambience of monsoons cast magical spells on the landscape. The lakes were calm and clear, with fog floating slightly above the surface of the water.
Our guides, one local and one from Thrillophilia’s on-ground team, told us which plants to be aware of and which ones to use in case of stomach pain or indigestion. They were so knowledgeable about the forests, their plants, and the weather that trekking with them made our experience all the more interesting.
They also told us that to deal with the leeches all you need to do is put some salt over them. As they function through osmosis, putting salt over them would kill them for good with high sodium concentration.
I was not aware of these things as it was my first monsoon trek.
The Day When Destiny Called
On the day of our ascent to the Valley of Flowers, we got clear weather. It uplifted our moods and our bodies that had grown slack due to the gloomy, foggy, and cloudy weather. We set out happily on the final part of the journey.
And guess what….
Upon reaching the place we were all AWE-STRUCK!
The Valley of Flowers, standing true to its name, was filled to the brim with flowers of various colours like white, pink, yellow, and blue! There were poppies, orchids, marigolds, daisies and whatnot! It was a burst of colours, the sight looked spectacular!
After spending some time we descended back to Ghangaria for rest, as the next would be a bit tougher- the trek to Hemkund Sahib.
At an elevation of 4275 m, the Hemkund Sahib is one of the most revered shrines for the Sikhs. It is devoted to Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. When our guides conveyed this information to us, they also mentioned that the climb is tough and one would need a lot of stamina and strength to finally reach there.
The Descent
I was prepared for it. And so was the entire batch.
But we did not fathom that the climb would get us all down to our fours. We were using our hands and legs both to climb to Hemkund Sahib, the road was steep and the trail a bit soft even after an entire day of sunshine.
Somehow we reached the place and to be honest, the view of the site washed me over with a sense of accomplishment and calm.
After paying our respects, we finally descended to Ghangaria, which was a more difficult task. Descending is always more dangerous although a faster process. There were chances of slipping and the guides were taking care of each person, assisting them in the tricky patches and guiding them where not to step.
Suddenly, I heard a scream and looked behind, one of our batchmates had slipped and hurt her back.
The rest of the journey was completed very slowly, never taking a risk. I prayed with all my heart and soul that I would not slip, if I did and it triggered the back pain, I wouldn't be able to walk at all. I would need to be sent to the hospital straight, which is not a possibility here. So I was going extra cautiously.
Finally, when I took the last step and landed on our campsite, I was overjoyed and emotional. I could complete the trek, and I did not face any issues.
I touched the wood of the nearby tree trunk.
Cheers to tough choices
It was a fairly difficult task to choose which service would be the best for this trek, and after a lot of research, I settled with Thrillophlia.
And the guides were really fun and helpful, too.Their understanding of the ecosystem there and their unmatched skills of trekking are something that inspired me very much.
Read More: Thrillophilia Uttarakhand Trek Reviews