Valley of the Flowers and Hem Kund

A famously lovely trek which combines both a pilgrimage trail to a high sacred lake and a large and magnificent glacial valley with floral life considered to be outstanding even in Himalayan terms – to the extent that it is a National Park.

Hem Kund, up a side-valley, is sacred to Sihks, and you will not be alone in pilgrimage season. Revel this classic mountain lake surrounded by 7 peaks – although you may regret following the pilgrims into its (chilly) waters.

The Bhyundar Valley (Valley of the Flowers) is a wide glacial valley around 10km in length and around 3,950m at its high end, which is full of a huge variety of wildflowers – although many would argue that it is not better than other meadows, just more famous for having been “discovered” by the explorer Frank Smythe.

Other than the altitude, this is a moderate trek, and you don’t need to camp. Briefish info in Lonely Planet’s Trekking in the Indian Himalaya and a chapter in the now quite old Trekking and Climbing in the Indian Himalaya by Harish Kapadia. 

Best months: June to mid-October. July and August see the best flowers – and also the monoon, so June is probably he best comrpmise month, although clearer skies will be seen in  Autumn.

Altitude can cause real problems: Hem Kund is at 4,330m, and the trek starts at 1,830m. Take at least 2 days to get to Hem Kund.