Essential Trekking Tips for Valley of Flowers Trek
The Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand which is also a UNESCO World heritage site is a very popular trekking destination in India. Almost every traveller has this in his or her bucket list. Though it is graded as an easy to moderate level trek yet being a high altitude trek one must come prepared.
Here are few essential tips if you are planning to come on this trek
- Physical fitness: It is easier when compared to other Himalayan treks in terms of mental challenges like staying in tents, unavailability of resources and toilets. But when it comes to physical hardship it is equally challenging so coming prepared is very necessary if you want to enjoy and explore the beauty of this trek. You don’t have to be a fitness freak but you should start jogging for at least 30 minutes in a day to get prepared for this challenging trek. Stair climbing with a weighted rucksack is also a very helpful exercise which prepares your legs and shoulders for the upcoming challenge.
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- Trekking Gear: There are many things which you need to be bring on this trek but a few things which are an absolute necessity are:
- Raincoat or poncho.
- A good shoe with a very firm grip as monsoons make the trails slippery.
- A raincover for the bag so that all your clothes are well protected.
- A trek pole though not mandatory but can prove to be a saviour on this trek
- Few ziplock bags to keep your essential stuff dry
- Right Mindset: Though you have hotels/guest houses on this trek but don’t expect them to be very luxurious. Ghangharia is at an elevation of about 3200 m above sea level and is approachable after a 9.5 km trek. There are only a few places in India which have permanent construction even after such geographical challenges. So the hotels here are basic. You might just get a bed to sleep and a proper constructed washroom but for a trek it is too much to ask for So be mindful about your expectations. We at the searching souls provide the best available option amongst the hotels of Ghangharia. Our hotels are best in respective categories and are loved by the trekkers.
- Unreal Expectations: When planning a valley of flowers you may find many pictures which showcase the valley as a place with densely packed colorful flowers. Those are often misleading and may build unreal expectations in your head which eventually may leave you disappointed after you actually visit it. Valley of Flowers is a Unesco world heritage site not because it is a garden of flowers but because of the rare species of the Himalayan flowers found in abundance there. It has more than 500 species of flowers blooming over a period of time. It is not a man made garden but the magic of nature’s spell so don’t expect things to be perfectly aligned in color and rhythm. Nature’s way is finding perfection in the little imperfections it has to offer, embrace it.
To conclude if you come with the right preparation you will enjoy each and every moment of this trek.