Location

Garhwal is a part of Central Himalayan region and is situated in the Himalayan Indian state of Uttaranchal (formerly part of Uttar Pradesh). The region joins Himachal Pradesh in the west and Nepal in the east. The region has varying altitudes starting from around 500 meters above sea level to around 7,800 meters above sea level. The whole area is full of mountain peaks, wildlife, and flora and fauna, some of which are exclusive to this area only.

Climate

The mercury never goes up too high in the hilly terrains of Garhwal. In some areas, temperature can reach to subzero levels in the winters while in the summers, in the lower hills, it can go up to 30°C.

Flora and Fauna

The Garhwal region is full of high-altitude alpine meadows where flowers of different hues bloom every spring. These are frequented by grazers and their flocks every summer. The Valley of Flowers is one such example and shepherds used to visit the valley in the summers for decades. However, after being declared a protected area, grazing has been disallowed. There are numerous beautiful alpine valleys, which lie off the beaten track, with only the shepherds and the occasional trekking enthusiasts visiting them.

The Garhwal region has always been rich in wildlife. Garhwal’s wildernesses and wildlife are its most magnificent natural heritage. At present, there are various national parks and sanctuaries in Garhwal region.

PAST

The Garhwal Himalayas have nurtured civilization from the wee hours of history. It appears to have been a favorite locale for the voluminous mythology of the Puranic period. The traditional name of Garhwal was Uttarakhand and excavations have revealed that it formed part of the Mauryan Empire. It also finds mention in the 7th-century travelogue of Hieun Tsang. However, it is with Adi Shankaracharya that the name of Garhwal will always be linked, for the great 8th-century spiritual reformer visited the remote, snow-laden heights of Garhwal, established a math (Joshimath) and resorted some of the most sacred shrines, including Badrinath and Kedarnath.

Today Garhwal consists of the five districts of Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Pauri, Tehri, and Chamoli.

SITES TO VISIT

In a world that is fast being stripped off its natural glory, the Garhwal Himalayas stand as a citadel protecting nature’s treasures. Garhwal abounds in natural wonders ranging from scraggly and mean peaks—in contrasts of black and white that borrow the hues of sunrise and sunset as easily as they vanish behind gathering clouds—to the alpine meadows smiling with blooming wildflowers, gurgling rivers and sweet water springs to quench one’s thirst and lush green forests whispering to the winds.

Garhwal has its city attractions in the shape of Mussoorie and Dehradun. Although parts of it are quite congested, sobriety is the hallmark of Dehradun. Placed at an altitude of 2,200 feet and wedged between the two great rivers Ganga and Yamuna, Dehradun has a mild climate, plenty of trees and gardens, and quiet, restful, residential areas. Dehradun could be a destination in itself, rather than merely a gateway to Mussoorie.

Called the queen of hill stations, Mussoorie has been a winner all the way, what with its proximity to the plains, the beautiful walks and views and picnic spots, the range of hotel accommodation and shopping opportunities galore. What does, however, take away from the appeal of Mussoorie is the denuding of the hills around it and the construction mania that has hit it like a malady. The place is packed during the holiday season, often outstripping civic amenities. Yet, the crowds only tend to grow. The moral of the story is: visit Mussoorie only during the off-season.

However, Garhwal has a lot more to offer beside a peek at cities. Take a trek across this region and one will find that the trekking routes ribbon through rich green forests and meadows. A 20-kilometer trek from Govind Ghat (beyond Joshimath) will bring one to the famed Valley of Flowers. In July/August, the Valley of Flowers is covered with a bewildering variety of alpine blooms, the queen among them being the blue poppy. The valley, nearly 10 km long and 2 km wide, is watered by the Pushpavati Ganga, a stream with several sparkling tributaries.

Garhwal has a majestic network of rivers. Top of the roll of honor are the all-time greats like the Ganga, Yamuna, Alaknanda and Mandakini. River runs to meet river, forming a confluence (Prayag) held sacred since the dawn of time. Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnaprayag, Nandprayag, and Vishnuprayag are holy names. Nevertheless, the holiest of the holy are the shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath, which mark the confluence of infinite beauty and faith with long hallowed tradition.

Other natural treasures lie between the folds of the Garhwal mountains—pearls like the dazzlingly beautiful Dodi Tal, the Khatling and Pindari glaciers and the lake known as Roopkund, which has eluded all of man’s efforts to solve the mystery behind the hundreds of human and animal skeletons found on its shores. There is an array of awesome glittering peaks—Trishul, Shivling, Meru, and Nanda Devi—as well as shrines like the one dedicated to Goddess Nanda Devi and Hemkund, sacred to the Sikhs.

Several national parks have been established in the area to protect the wildlife from destruction and poaching. The most famous of them is Corbett National Park. India's first national park is cradled in the foothills of the Himalayas and spread over an area of 520 sq. km, along the banks of the Ramganga River. The dense sal forests of the Himalayan foothills and the tall grassy meadows make it one of the richest areas of northern India for the habitation of the big mammals. Among the reptiles, the long snouted, fish eating gharial and mugger could be seen basking in the sun and sand banks. The tiger is the biggest attraction of the park. Other carnivores include the leopard, elephant, bear, hog, sambhar deer, muntjac, and fox. The park has more than 300 species of birds. The common birds seen here are ducks, snipe, egrets, herons, spotted eagle, harrier, woodpecker, darter, cormorants, and thrushes. Ramganga River is the home to the gharial and the mugger. A few species of turtles and tortoises are also found in and around the lake.

The Nanda Devi National Park, spread over 630 sq. km in the vicinity of the Nanda Devi Peak, India's second highest mountain, has a unique combination of flora and fauna. The park was established in 1980 and includes some of the highest mountain peaks of the western Himalayas. The faunal species here include snow leopard, brown and Himalayan bear, bharal, Himalayan tahr, serow, monal and chir pheasants.

Kedarnath Sanctuary was established in 1972 on a 967 sq km area of the Garhwal Himalayas. The fascinating Garhwal Himalayas present a spectacular viewing of mountains and forests and grasslands, butterflies and flowers. Snow leopards, leopard, tahr, serow, snow cock and musk deer have made their habitation in this beautiful sanctuary. Kaleej and monal pheasants are among the many birds seen here.

Situated on the edge of the Dehradun valley, the Rajaji National Park was established in 1966 and covers an area of about 820 sq km nestling in a wide and thickly wooded valley of the Shivalik ranges. The sanctuary offers exciting opportunities of viewing the wild in their natural habitat. The wildlife here includes elephant, tiger, panther, bear, chital, sambhar, wild boar, kakar, python, monitor lizard and a large variety of avifauna.

Established in 1977 on the east bank of the Ganga, the Chilla Sanctuary is a paradise for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. Wildlife here includes elephants, tigers, bear, and gorals.

ADVENTURE SPORTS

The mighty rivers, towering peaks, and gentler slopes that abound in the hilly tracts of Garhwal, offer an almost unlimited number of opportunities to adventure sport buffs—be it trekking, white-water rafting and kayaking, mountaineering and rock climbing or skiing.

Trekking

Among the popular treks are those to Nachiketa Tal, Dodi Tal, Dayara Bugyal (bugyal, a high-altitude meadow), Sat Tal, Kedar Tal, Gangotri-Gaumukh-Nandanvan-Tapovan and to Yamunotri (the source of the river Yamuna).

Of these, Nachiketa Tal can be accessed from Chaurangi-Khal (29 km from Uttarkashi town by road) and a further trek of 3 km through very scenic surroundings. Accommodation is available at Chaurangi-Khal in a PWD inspection bungalow.

For Dodi Tal, trekkers can go by road to Kalyani. From here, one has to go a further 5 km to Agoda. The trek to Dodi Tal (16 km) ascends gradually from here through thick forests and scenic hill landscape. The lake, situated at an elevation of 3,307 m, has accommodation facilities by way of a forest rest house and a log cabin. Permits to fish for trout here can be had from Uttarkashi.

Serious trekkers can envisage going beyond Dodi Tal to Yamunotri. The trail from Dodi Tal to Hanuman Chatti is 27 km and Yamunotri a further 13 km from there.

The trek to Dayara Bugyal commences from Barsu, near Bhatwari (32 km from Uttarkashi en route to Gangotri). The trek itself is about 8 km and reaches an altitude of about 10,000 feet. During winters the almost 28 sq km of gradual slopes make the place ideal for skiing. A trail leads from here to Dodi Tal (30 km) passing through very dense forest.

Sat Tal (or seven lakes) is accessible from Dharali (2 km from Harsil and 74 km from Uttarkashi en route Gangotri). A short trek of 7 km will lead the visitor to this memorable group of lakes.

While Gangotri and the motorable route from Uttarkashi to Gangotri are enchanting by themselves, the former is not without trekking options, albeit mostly in the higher regions. Trekking in these areas is serious business. The 18-km trek to Kedar Tal takes one to a height of 15,000 feet and is not recommended for the novitiate. An easier proposition is to go further up to the glacier’s head at Gaumukh—the source of the mighty Ganges. It is 18 km from Gangotri but the trek is not arduous and fairly level. Going 6 km further up from Gaumukh to Nandanvan, Tapovan is somewhat more specialized since it involves traversing the glacier itself. The reward at Tapovan is a fascinating close encounter with many famous peaks like the Shivling, Satopath, and Kalindi Khal.

Vasuki Tal, a high-altitude lake, can be reached by an 8-km long trail that ascends to 14,200 feet. Taking a local guide for the trek is recommended.

The main attractions in Tehri Garhwal are the treks to Nagtibba (3,048 m), a 21-km trek beginning from Thatyur, off the Chamba–Mussoorie Road; Tehri–Khatling Glacier trek starting from Ghuttu (65 km from Tehri by motorable road); Ghuttu-Panwali Kantha-Matya Bugyal (16 km), two high-altitude meadows at 3,548 m; Budha Kedar–Masartal (3,225 m) and Sahastra Tal (4,935 m); and Budha Kedar–Kushkalyan (10 km/3,870 m).

Some of the other treks in the area include Gopeshwar–Rudranath (23 km); Chopta–Tunganath (3 km); Sari–Deoriya Tal (4 km); Tharali–Roopkund (73 km); and Guptakashi–Madmaheshwar (24 km).

Skiing

Near Joshimath—the seat of one of the four Shankaracharyas—is the winter ski resort of Auli. The ski resort has come of age since its inception and is fast becoming an attraction for tourists seeking to experience the outdoors. Situated 14 km from Joshimath at an altitude of 9,500 feet, Auli has the facilities of a 3.8-km long ropeway and good accommodation throughout the year. Alternately, the visitor can stay at Joshimath, which has a number of private hotels and a tourist bungalow.

River Rafting

River rafting is one of the most exhilarating of water sports, primarily because one has to pit one’s strength and skills against the unpredictable waters. The rivers of Garhwal, the Ganga, the Alaknanda, the Bhagirathi, the Tons, the Yamuna, the Bhilangana and the Mandakini are ideal for white water rafting—the upper reaches of these rivers are full of narrow gorges, rocky outcrops and deep gradients with white, foaming waters. The sheer energy and fury with which the waters in these rivers flow create just the right ambience to get one’s adrenalin pumping.

In Garhwal, the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers, the main tributaries of the Ganga, meet at Devprayag where their foaming waters provide excellent river-rafting opportunities. As the Ganga traverses down from Devprayag, it offers some fine stretches for the amateur rafter. Other sites for white-water rafting that have been identified include Barkot to Lakha Mandal and Damta to Yamuna Bridge on the River Yamuna. Mori to Tuni on the River Tons, Kalisor to Srinagar and Srinagar to Bagwan on River Alaknanda, Ghansali to Gadolia on the River Bhilangana, Chandrapuri to Rudraprayag on the River Mandakini and many stretches along the River Bhagirathi, both for professionals and amateurs.

Mountaineering

Mountaineering, by far the most adventurous, is yet another exciting possibility in Uttaranchal, which is blessed with many mountains. The best season is between April and November and equipment can be hired or purchased from agencies specializing in these things. Mountaineering routes are graded according to the degree of difficulty and accessibility. Moderate mountains require knowledge of basic mountaineering techniques while advanced peaks require good physical conditioning as well as advanced mountaineering skills.

HOW TO REACH

By Air

The nearest airhead is Jolly Grant connected by Indian Airlines flights three days a week from Delhi. Dehradun and Rishikesh are 20 km and 22 km, respectively, from here.

By Rail

Dehradun is the major railway terminus and is linked with Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Calcutta, and onwards. Another rail route terminates at Kotdwar from where buses are available for Lansdowne, Pauri, and the Joshimath route.

By Road