Valley of Flowers trek opens for public after 45 years

After almost 45 years, the Uttarakhand forest department has again opened the trek route near the Valley of Flowers.

 

The government sources said that besides providing a new and adventurous virgin trail to explorers, the route will also act as an alternate route to rescue teams in case of natural calamities like the Kedarnath flash floods.

 

Director of Nanda Devi Biosphere, SS Rasaily said, "The Kunthkhal-Hanuman Chatti trek route was lying closed since 1970 as people began opting for the much easier route from Ghanghariya to approach the valley. Because it was lying unused, the trek trail soon became overgrown with dense vegetation. During the recent disaster, a need was felt for an alternate route which could be used to evict people. This route is suitable for this purpose," an English daily reported.

 

Talking about the trail, divisional forest officer of Joshimath, Chandresh Joshi said, "The 15-km route is dotted with glaciers, gorges and rivers. The ideal time to trek here is from July to October during which nature lovers can spot a variety of flora and fauna. In particular, the exquisite Brahm Kamal flower, which is found at an elevation of over 4500 meter above sea level, can be seen flowering on this trail."