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Vally of Flowers, Hemkund Sahib, Badrinath

This August we set out for trek again. My friends from my village joined me at Gurgaon. We reached our basecamp Rishikesh. Rishikesh is overnight bus journey from Delhi.
We were 27 people from different parts of India, different age group and mix of men, women, boy and girls.
The whole trek consisted of Valley of flowers, Hemkund Sahib and Badrinath.
The trek route was as follows :
DAY 1 : Report at base camp Rishikesh.
DAY 2 : Rishikesh to Joshimath 275 Km by Bus ( Full Day)
DAY 3 : Orientation walk and Visit to Auli/Tapovan
DAY 4 : Joshimath to Govindghat by bus and to Ghangaria by trek 13 Km.
DAY 5 : Ghangaria to Valley of Flowers and back 4 + 4 km trek.
DAY 6 : Ghangaria to Hemkunt and back 5 + 5 km trek.
DAY 7 : Ghangaria to Govindghat 13km trek and to Badrinath Bus journey of  25 km.
DAY 8 : Badrinath to Vasudhara Falls and back 8 + 8 KM trek. (Could not reach Vasudhara, had to cut short for lack of time due to land slide)
DAY 9 : Badrinath to Rishikesh 300km full day Bus journey.
DAY10 : Back home
The trek has been wonderful experience, spending time with nature.
Land slide cases were very much present on the way and had to experience it first hand.

Altitude as my altimeter read:
Joshimath                1870 mtr
Govindghat             1780 mtr
Ghangharia             3000 mtr
Valley of flowers    3360 mtr
Hemkund Sahib      4340 mtr
Badrinath                 3090 mtr

I have many things to write, but for now I keep it short, just enjoy some pictures. They are with reduced pixels (so that i could load them quickly) but still good. 
 
I liked it very much since I like nature natural, not manicured heavily. 

This is ANEMONE TETRASEPALA

BISTORTA AFFINIS

BRAHMA KAMALA ( SAUSSUREA OBVALLATA)

Unknown to me. A tiny few mm in size.

Unknown to me. A tiny few mm in size.

NEPATA LEAVIGATA

BERBERIS ARISTATIA Indian Barberry. Sweet and sour in taste when ripe.

Himalayan Teasel. (DIPSACUS INERMIS)

Himalayan Teasel. (DIPSACUS INERMIS)

A small flower, few mm in size. Meadow Rue. (THALICTRUM CULTRATUM)

ANEMONE VITIFOLIA 25 MM IN DIA

ANEMONE VITIFOLIA 25 MM IN DIA

Very small sized flower, 3 mm

Very small may be 4 mm , very special flower. Just two petals and yellow stamen (anther and filament)

COLQUHOUNIA COCCINEA. Himalayan Mint Shrubb

ERYSIMUM HIERACIIFOLIUM

A thorny plant.

Dog Flower  also called Chaul, Kwal. IMPATIENS SULCATA.  It comes with pink, yellow, white and different sizes too


SILENE INDICA ( Caryophyllaceae) Indian campion. An edible plant.

LIGULARIA AMPLEXIACAULIS.

CREMANTHODIUM ARNICOIDES Himalayan Daisy

GERANIUM WALLICHIANUM
Laljar, Ratanjot, Kaphalya. Roots of the plant are used in treatment of ear and eyes diseases. Dye is made from the plant. In Nepal whole plant is used in treatment of rheumatic pains and to clot bleeding. In India roots are used to treat tooth ache

CODONOPSIS ROTUNDIFOLIA. Roundleaf bell flower.

PHLOMIS BRACTEOSA

CLEMATIS BARBELLATA

MORINA LONGFOLIA Biskanakara. Beautiful flower, but thorny plantlet.

Very special flower set. Looks almost black in color. Very small. This is quite blown up picture.

CYANANTHUS LOBATUS. Trailing Bellflower

PHLOMIS BRACTEOSA

VAJRADANTI. (POTENTILLA)
Himalayan Cinquefoil.
people take this flower as tea for treatment of diarrhea.

ASTER DIPLOSTEPHIOIDES. Creeping Aster

ANAPHALIS ROYLEANA

ASTER ALBESCENS

IPOMOEA PURPUREA Purple morning Glory
Blue Poppy. Often called Queen of Himalayan flowers.

SELINUM WALLICHIANUM. Bhuktesi. Milk Parsley

Below is trek route to Vasudhara water fall. In the begining of this trek route we cross river saraswati. This is the route which Pandavas with Draupadi trudged on their last journey several thousand years back.

Below is Hemkund Sahib Lake. Near zero temperature water. We enjoyed quick “Dubki” here.
Evening Arti at Trveni Ghat on Bank of Holi Ganga. Rishikesh.
At the end of the series I enclose a picture below which is normally found on internet when you “google” valley of flower. I tell you this picture is not true. It is highly photo shopped. 
Note: The name and other information provided are based on books and internet sources.
 

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