Valley of flowers- Trip reports

Valley of flowers- Trip reports;
 
 
 

… my trip to VoF photos.: Here are my photos of trip to VoF, Sri Badrinath. Putting them day-wise / place-wise.
It was a rainy day during visit to Hemkund Sahib – could capture only some flora during the return journey.

30 & 31 JUL 12
NH58 … stops near Chamoli Gopeshwar, Tangani, Pipalkoti
31 JUL 12
Auli … 8750 – 9000 ft
31 JUL 12
Tapovan … near Joshimath, about 6000 ft

31 JUL 12
Joshimath … about 6000 ft
1 AUG 12
Govind Ghat – Ghangaria trail … 5800 – 10160 ft
2 AUG 12
Valley of Flowers … about 11000 – 12000 ft
5 AUG 12
Sri Badrinath & Mana village … about 10000 – 10700 ft
7 AUG 12
Haridwar … about 1000 ft

A great series of pictures arranged chronologically. Loved it!

Thanks … for showing the entire route of your trip through photographs. Truly interesting arrangements of photographs. Greatly enjoyed the photographs.

So does it mean that you didnt go further in VoF till Tipra Glacier?? and Hem Kunt Sahib?
This is the right time to find Corallorrhiza trifida in flower !!
But amazing…..

It rained during the journey to Hemkund Sahib, and unfortunately at the temple it was totally whiteout for at least 20 minutes.
I was already running very late (always among the last) among my group.
That day was the only day I could not get any landscape pictures.
Managed to get some pictures of flora on return journey though it was constantly drizzling.

Dont worry, if you can climb Hem Kunt Sahib then you are perfectly fit. I am also usually the last guy in the group as I am not a good hiker unless my friends feel pity of me and then start walking with me. I went to VoF and Hem Kunt once with 5 colleagues that includes … and … of our group. It was a great memorable experience.

From Hem Kunt Gurudwara if you turn left then you can actually walk towards the other side of the lake and find some very interesting plants. In normal conditions it is not allowed for tourists, but I had special permission.

Yes, I went with YHAI. None among the group of 28 was keen about taking pictures of plants for sake of collecting.
When some of them got curious why I always lagged behind – gave them idea of collecting plants via photos, about eFI, and so on.

I had lot of images in my mind … of the hima-kund – all based on your picture of the lake that you showed us some time back.
It was a rainy day; it was white-out near the temple. Clouds fogged the area for a long time. Some early birds could get to see the temple and the lake to some extent.
Thus missed the flora, and the splendid landscape at the top.
Forced myself to get the camera out in the rain during the return journey – starting with the brahmakamal.
Yet to upload those flora pics (VoF, Hemkund Sahib, Mana); in process.

…beautifully presented pics…we were also not very lucky to have good pics of the Gurudwara and surroundings as it started raining heavily once we reached the top, however we were lucky that during entire climb to HEMKUNT SAHIB rains didn’nt trouble us…and on the way up as well as down we could get some pics..

A message from Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttarakhand: Something that attracted me to click this pic and make it worth to share is the message that it clealry indicates.

Yes …, it is message that unregulated crowd at VoF should follow and understand .

Not only matters for VoF but for everywhere.

VOF week: Thanks: I had more or less completed the upload from VoF trek. Visit to VoF was memorable and it turned out to be more interesting due to VoF Week on EFi. The response to VoF week was tremendous. I would like to thank one and all for responding to my uploads, appreciation and encouragement all throughout. Special thanks to .. for responding to almost each and every upload. Special thanks to … for response to many of my uploads and also sharing the FOI link ( http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/vof.html ) which has helped me in coming closer to ID. Thanks to … for resurfacing the unidentified uploads.
Here is one small greeting for all. Best wishes..

Great marathon … Equally run by … the list of runners is too long !!!

It’ marathon run by so many.

It was a great learning experience for all of us not only floristically but we also learn so many things of life and we could see true passion in our team members. Till today more than 300 sp have been posted during last 4 weeks and I hope final tally after more identifications will be more or less 350. This is a great achievement in a single run Hope visits in different season in next year we will be able to have data on more than 500 plants. … have made this month a memorable one with their beautiful uploads. …. have done lot of homework in final identification of many sp and made this Montha very successful one. Thanks to all for such a nice Participation. Hope in rest 3-4 day of Vof Week we will finish our uploads from valley and adjacent area and more identified species will be added to the list.

Valley of Flowers episode may be officially over on 19th September, but it will perhaps continue for several weeks to resolve identity of several species. Till now we have only tentatively resolved the identity, as with closer to more than a 100 uploads each day there was barely time to observe photographs and comment on the basis of what we knew from our experience. Perhaps there is need to have relook at all uploads of Astragalus, Impatiens, Primula, Potentilla, Rhododendron, Epilobium and a few more genera. We will devise some method to do that, may be a special focus episode in near future.

Thanks … and friends of VoF team for introducing us to so many beautiful plants of VoF through your posts! All the pictures are awesome!
I loved the beautiful cards (and the idea of selecting pictures representing ‘Valley of Flowers’) that you have attached here!!

Very beautiful post to end the month long shower of all very beautiful photographs…..this was really unique, unmatched, tremendous episode, which has enriched all of us…I was very lucky to be a part of such a wonderful expedition…accompanied by so many nature lovers….all the postings from Prashant Ji, Dinesh Ji and all other members were very beautiful and informative, I have learnt a lot….hoping for so many such extraordinary events on eflora….special thanks to … for solving vital issues (Gurcharan sir gave 100% participation)….. … for their valuable help specially in orchids…I sincerely apologise not mentioning many names who are responsible for making this week a grand success…..thanks to one and all….

Thanks, … for a lovely set of month long array of VOF flowers and excellent photography….
It was a lot of work for , not just going, walking traveling every logistical headache, but coming home and processing and uploading all those picture for us to watch and enjoy

VOF Week 020912_DS_02: My flower list for ID from VOF is over.
Posting a few habitat shots enjoyed on the way. Hope you will also enjoy.


VOF Week 020912_DS_03:

I close my humble VOF episode with this post.
On the way to VOF and Hemkund sahib – what I enjoyed, like to share with you all.
Really a memorable trip– Thanks to …, … … … of this group – who got my poor quality images identified immediately.