Treks Beyond Badrinath - Swargarohini, Satopanth Tal, Valley of Flowers, Hemkund Saheb

Beyond the holy town of Badrinath, there lie many favored trekking routes into the pristine ranges of the Himalayas that attract visitors from both home and abroad. Listed below are some of these places which I could not get a chance to visit this time around but would surely love to cover atleast once in my lifetime:

Govindghat

The confluence of Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga rivers, it’s the spot of the magnificent Gurudwara (Sikh shrine) named after the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Govind Singh. About 275 kms from Rishikesh, it is also the starting point to numerous trekking routes in the Garhwal Himalayas.

Hemkund Sahib

In the lap of higher Himalayas, around 14000 ft above sea level in the Chamoli district of Uttaranchal, is situated the very sacred Hemkund Lake also known as the Lokpal Lake. Besides this lake is the holy Sikh Gurudwara dedicated to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh who became one with God after performing penance here.  Touted as the highest pilgrimage spot in the world, the lake and its picturesque surroundings form an important pilgrimage not only for the Sikhs but for people from other faiths as well. Nearby is a Lakshman temple where Lakshman, the younger brother of Ram, is said to have performed meditation.

Hemkund Sahib and the Hemkund Lake. 

Hemkund is a Sanskrit name derived from

'Hem' meaning snow and 'Kund' meaning bowl

(image courtesy sikhnet.com)

Hemkund Sahib (also known as Gobinddham), situated along the banks of the Hemkund Lake, is surrounded by seven huge snow-covered mountains which are collectively called 'Hemkund Parvat'.

How to reach - The take-off point for Hemkunt Sahib is the town of Govindghat. The 13 kilometres trek is along a reasonably well maintained path which passes through the village of Ghangaria.

Valley of flowers

About 3 kms from Hemkund Sahib lies the 5 km long stretch called Valley of Flowers, an exceptionally beautiful high-altitude Himalayan valley in the upper reaches of Garhwal with river Pushpawati flowing through it. Discovered by Frank S Smith – a mountaineer, explorer and a botanist, the area lies on the Zanskar range of the Himalayas with the highest point in the national park being Gauri Parbat at 22043 ft above sea level.

The Mesmerizing beauty of the Valley of Flowers

(image courtesy panoramia.com and trekearths.com)

Declared a national park in 1982 by the Indian government and now a World Heritage Site, this enchanting part of Uttarakhand is inaccessible through much of the year and shuts down for visitors if the weather is absolutely bad. Legend has it that a flower called Brahma-Kamal (the state flower of Uttarakhand) blossoms here every 12 years.

There are strict rules for the trekkers here to preserve the valley in immaculate condition. Camping and overnight stay is not allowed in the Valley of Flowers, Ghangaria is the logical base camp for the trek.

How to reach - Getting to the Valley of Flowers requires a trek of about 19 km from the town of Govindghat. The nearest major town is Joshimath in Garhwal, which has convenient road connections from Haridwar and Dehradun, both about 270 km from Joshimath.

Satopanth Tal

A triangular shaped lake, each side about 1 Km long, situated at an altitude of about 15100 ft, Satopanth Tal is on the route taken by the Pandava brothers on their Swarga Yatra (descent to heaven). It is named after the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. All around the lake stand mighty Himalayan snow peaks namely Mt. Neelkanth (21638 feet), Mt. Satopanth (23,206 feet), Mt. Swargarohini (20507 feet), Mt. Chaukhamba I (23413 feet) and Mt. Balakun (20040 feet). One also gets some stunning views of the famous Himalayan giant peaks like Chaukhamba, Neelkanth, Swargarohini & Narain Parbat enroute Satopanth lake. It is a very hard trek and a good experienced guide is advisable.

The term Satopanth is derived from two words –

‘Sato’ meaning heaven, and ‘Panth’ meaning path or way

(image courtesy rpmedia.net)

How to Reach - The glacier is just 17 kilometers from the famous holy temple of Badrinath in Chamoli district. The route upto Badrinath is motorable road, from there on after Mana you take the route along with the Alaknanda river. You will come across Vasudhara falls and thereon 5 kilometers ahead is the snout of Satopanth glacier. The trek can be undertaken in summers (May - Oct) only and the left bank of Alaknanda is suitable for camping.

Swargarohini

This is the route the Pandava brothers took for Heaven, Swargarohini

(image courtesy panoramia.com)

Enroute to the Satopanth trek, Swargarohini is a mountain massif in the Bandarpunch Range of the Garhwal Himalayas and comprises of 4 separate peaks. It is the believed to be the sacred path which the Pandavas of the Mahabharta fame had traversed on their way to Heaven.

There are more trekking options beyond...

... If the pilgrim-adventurer in you still craves for more, there are equally enticing options that lie beyond Uttarakhand as well - Yuksom -Zongri trekking route as mentioned in many of the popular Sikkim Tour Packages is a great bet along with the destination of Gangtok with its serene landscape soaked in silent Buddhist monasteries cuddled in the higher mountainous lap of the Himalayas.

Previous posts from this trip -

1. Char Dham Yatra

2. Planning the Char Dham Trip
3. Introduction to Uttarakhand and Char Dhams

4. ISKCON Temple, Delhi
5. Entire DAY 1 of the Yatra (includes The journey finally begins... Haridwar to Uttarkashi)

6. Entire DAY 2 of the Yatra (includes Enroute to Gangotri - Gangnani, Enchanting Mother Ganga... Our First Dham - Gangotri, Places to visit in and around Gangotri, Bhaironghati, Harsil, Pilot Baba Ashram in Bhatwari, Temples of Uttarkashi)
7. Entire Day 3 of the Yatra (includes Uttarkashi to Birahi (Chowrangikhal), Uttarkashi to Birahi (Kemundakhal))

8. Entire Day 4 of the Yatra (includes Birahi-Badrinath:Joshimath Gate System, Badrinath introduction - Where to stay, Eat, Alaknanda River and Brahma Kapal Ghat, Tapt Kund and the Panch shilas, The Badrinath Temple, Exploring the last Indian Village in Uttarakhand - Mana Village,  Places to visit in Mana Village, Diwali Celebrations in the Badrinath Temple)
9. Entire Day 5 of the Yatra (includes Neelkanth Peak, Hanuman Chatti Temple, Exploring Joshimath-Jyotirmath, Joshimath-Srinagar)