India is worldwide infamous for its furious summer heat, of which I am sick and tired for one thing. The real winters are coming in late December, and it's already summers before you know. As March ends, even though you wear shoes, the temperature begins to increase to that point, where you feel the ground burning. Yeah, we can move on the AC to take some rest and increase our bill for electricity. If you want, call me, but I think that a technologically constructed setting can never correspond to the feeling that you are in the relatively cool places on Earth. In this case, you can go to the northern mountains... the mighty Himalayas. Within the chain, there are places that are cool even during the strongest, most pathological summers, mostly above 6000 feet altitude. Yet, remember, the temperature can reach 30 degrees Celsius even there. The alternative, say 10-15000 feet, is obviously going further? Whatever the devastation of summers, these places remain cool in the rest of the country. I wanted to visit the Flowers Valley in Uttarakhand State for ages! So I went online and wanted to find out all I could before I was scheduled to go. Below, I share the wealth of knowledge that I have found concerning this "heavenly" place with you. What is it exactly? Well, it is a valley, famous for its floral diversity, as its name suggests. It is in the district of Chamoli, that you will realize why Uttarakhand is referred to as Dev Bhoomi (the Land of Gods). This is one of those places. It has over 600 species of flowers that thrive in the cool climates and dreams of nature enthusiasts, botanists and photographers in the western Himalayas. The status of a National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage site have been granted by this quality! Valley of Flowers, if a party of 3 mountaineers did not hang on it, would have been hidden from the human race. After returning from the successful Mt Kamat ascent in 1931, Frank S. Smythe, Eric Sipton and R.L. Holdsworth had become popular in British mountaineers. They entered the heavenly valley, which flourished with many flowers and varieties. They were so fascinated by what they saw they called the Valley of Flowers immediately. That's how it has always been known. Frank Smythe has even written a book called Flowers Valley. How can you get here? This divine setting is only accessible on foot as it is deep in the Himalayas. For a Flowers Valley tour there are two alternative routes, both equally picturesque. The most popular starting point is the village called Ghangaria, which is about 10,000 feet high. From Govindghat you can reach Ghangaria, which can be reached by road from Joshimath. The other route is known as the Kunthkhal-Hanuman Chatti Trail, relatively new though not really new. It was the original way through the valley, before it was discovered via Ghangaria. Following the Kedarnath flood the government has again opened the valley to provide an alternative entrance and to act as an escape route if the region is trapped in another natural calamity. Geographical Setting and Ecological Zones The valley is characterized as a hanging valley in terms of topography. It is the Pushpawati river valley, one of the affluents of the Alaknada river, at a higher elevation than the main river valley. It is approximately 15 km east to west and is 6 km at its widest, with an area of approximately 87,5 sq km. It is about 11 500 feet high, which makes it cool all year long. A ring of peaks with approximately 20000 feet altitude is around the valley that silently guards the protected area. They almost resemble local deity's physical manifestations. The prominent figures include Dunagiri, Rishi Parvat, Kalanka, Nanda Khat, Nanda Devi East, Nilgiri Parvat, Rataban, Gauri Parvat, Saptasring and Nanda Devi. The valley bed consists of quartz and mica crystalline rocks, and the soil is acidic that helps to retain the humidity. Nearly 73% of its area is under permanent snow, with a heavy glaciation, which equals around 6358 hectares. Coniferous forests cover just 6% or 429 hectares, while the remainder of the 1863 hectares (21%) are alpine wilderness areas. Trees of Pindrow fir, Himalayan yew, Himalayan maple, deodars, silver birch, oak, and morinda spruce are the most characteristic of the Sub-alpine mixed woodlands. These forests reach 11500 meters above sea level and the land is covered by alpine pastures. The most floral area and, above, moose and lichens grow among the rocky slopes and glacial moraines, only in the middle of higher altitudes. Dance of the Weather During walking in the Garhwal Himalayas, where the valley lies, the weather is not static and may be changed at any time, especially at high altitudes. But cool weather prevails throughout the year to give you an idea of the weather conditions in the floral valley. In summer, you will almost never have temperatures that are higher than 20 degrees Celsius, so you will find the site sunny and dry. However, come monsoons, it's like the sky is torn asunder, and cats and dogs are raining. In the season, too, the clouds always appear on your face, owing to its high altitude! As the rain stops, the clouds are back in the region. Floral Diversity The obvious reason for many people to choose to walk in Uttarakhand's Valley of Flowers National Park is because of the many shades and colors. The flower of the Euphorbia pilosa, Himalayan Slipper, and Iris kaemaonensis, acónites, and rhododendrons are some species found here. These are just a few, and you have to come here to see more. Well, I'm not a botanist, but I can truthfully say they paint the valley in every color (unless by an awful coincidence, all flowers are of the same color). However, be aware that all the flowers are blooming in a particular season so that all of them cannot be seen at once.
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