As the monsoons receded and gave way to a pristine blue and a spotless sky, here across the mountains in Uttarakhand, it was indeed a perfect time again to plan out an elaborate hike in the deep interiors. Ask any regular hiker, and they will all be gung-ho of a hiking proposition in the month of October, approving of it by a cheerful chuckle on their face.

I wanted to weld 2 hikes together this time and after some examination, I zeroed-in on doing Hemkund Sahib and Valley of Flowers on this trip. On a bright Friday morning, I scrambled my way to the taxi stand at Rispina bridge (in Dehradun), and took a shared taxi to Rudraprayag. From there, I tagged along with a friend on his bike, and the two of us cruised down the long and winding road to infinity 😊.

From Rudraprayag, we passed through Nagrasu and stopped at a roadside eatery named Sardarji Pakodewale. I have written a dedicated post on the mouth-watering fritters made at this shack by a lovely (and always smiling) couple; you can read it here. Our road trip continued, and soon we were at the Karnaprayag bridge over the Pindar River, shimmering under the embrace of changing colors. Our first stop for the night was Kaleshwar, a tiny hamlet on the Badrinath highway, roughly about 6 kms ahead of the bustling Karnaprayag town. We stayed overnight at this modest riverside property run by GMVN. Our stay was comfortable, and the soft murmur of the flowing waters of the Alaknanda close by produced a melodious hum, enough to immerse us in the tranquility of the night after a day’s travel.

We woke up early and soon hit the highway again. It was a long drive on the bike – about 100 kms to be covered until Pulna, the last roadhead and approximately 4 kms Govindghat which is on the Badrinath highway itself. The early October air was cold and heavy, but the clear sky allowed us to absorb the expansive view of the unfolding landscape ahead. The towering cliffs revealed themselves, appearing splendid as the sun bathed their tops in its virgin rays. We gained altitude and continued to do so until we arrived at Joshimath town.

From here, we descended following the zigzag-patterned road, crossed to the left bank of Alaknanda at Vishnuprayag, and continued our last stretch of the motor drive. At Pulna , the starting point of the trek, we parked our bike and quickly set out , on foot, for Ghangaria , our resting point for the day. The route map and the distance we covered are shown in the table below. After covering approximately 12 kms, which took about 5-6 hours, including breaks on the way, we arrived at the bustling Ghangaria town. I had last visited this town in 2005, and I was awestruck by how things have changed here now. At an altitude of roughly 3,000 metres, the town had everything – a range of cuisines to choose from and a thriving market to buy clothes and souvenirs. We paid our obeisance at the Gurudwara, strolled around the market area in the evening, and post a quick and a simple dinner, we retired early to bed. A tough and strenuous day lay ahead of us, and we slipped into a deep slumber in no time.

Time to rise early | A 6km push (steep incline) to Hemkund Sahib

We decided to start early, and by 3:30 AM, we were out of our hotel room, sipping a cup of hot milk at the Gurudwara. A few distant noises could be heard, but overall, it was still silent, except for a gentle breeze and rustling of the leaves somewhere close. At 4, we started our trek. The entire stretch of 6 kms is steep, with a winding and serpentine path that scrambles up all the way to the top of the mountain. We witnessed the spectacle of the rising sun and how it unleashed the pristine white spread over the top of these gigantic mountains all around us.

At about 8ish, we reached Hemkund Sahib and were instantly struck by its raw beauty. It was a clear sky above and the sun was just touching the gentle surface of the pristine lake at Hemkund Sahib. The gurudwara stood at one its ends, and the seven peaks around acted in tandem, as if to provide perfect protection to the Gurudwara and its surrounding. The altitude of this place is roughly around 4,500 metres.

The Gurudwara is dedicated to the 10^th Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji. Situated close by is a Laxman temple. We spent some time absorbing the vibe of the area around, spent some time listening to the ardas inside the Gurudwara, and even treated ourselves to a hot cup of tea served to all visitors at the langar nearby.

After spending about an hour here, we decided to stroll back to our base at Ghangharia. We had our lunch here and then decided to scramble down the mountain, all the way to Pulna. The walk from Ghangharia to Pulna took about 3.5 hours, and then we picked up our bike and drove to Joshimath town, where we camped for the night.

Key highlights of the trek | In summary

• The trek starts at Pulna village, and the one-way trek to Ghangharia town is about 9.5 kms.

• The distance from Ghangharia to Hemkund Sahib is about 6 kms (one-way). The gradiant is steep here, and the weather, at this altitude, can change any moment.

• Ghangharia is a busy town nowadays, offering ample stay options and restaurants.

• Mobile connectivity is available at Ghangharia but not along the trail.

• Helicopter service is also operational during the yatra season (between May and October). It plies between Govindghat and Ghangaria.

• One can also consider visiting the Valley of Flowers, as Ghangharia serves as a base camp for those interested in undertaking this trail. It’s a 4 km (one-way) easy trail that leads you to the starting point of this magnificent valley.

• It is advisable to arrive at Govindghat and stay overnight there. Hotel options are plentiful here. Aim to start early in the morning for Hemkund Sahib or for Valley of Flowers.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and that the vivid landscapes of this heavenly abode inspire your own adventures.

—

• If you found this article worthwhile and would like to explore more posts on Uttarakhand, you can subscribe by entering your email ID on a subscribe-link that appears at the bottom of the page.
• Furthermore, you can stay up to date with the captivating photographs from the land of gods, by following my Instagram account #travelindevbhoomi