A view of Gobindghat from the beginning of the trail to Hemkunt Sahib. Hemkunt is an additional 6km from Gobindghat (again I think this was computed linearly on a map and didn't take into account slope and switch backs).
Every sight on the way up was gorgeous.
Our trek to Hemkunt also served as our view of the valley of flowers. We aimed to go to the valley of flowers but it was too foggy in the afternoon on the day we went to Hemkunt and it was raining the next morning when we decided to trek back to Gobinddham. We talked to some people who went toHemkunt on the same day as us and who had been to the valley of flowers the day before. They told us that they saw pretty much the same thing in the valley of flowers as they did on the way up to Hemkunt, as demonstrated in this photo.
Did you ever think you'd see a sky this blue in India? I didn't.
Half way there, there were lots of stalls selling water and food.
More Beautiful views.
The stream that comes from Hemkunt Sahib.
At this point, we found what I'd been wishing for, a trail were horses/mules weren't allowed. The last 1km to Hemkunt has two options, a set of stairs or more switch backs and animals. You can infer which one we took.
The stream coming from Hemkunt actually comes down a pipe and goes through this mini hydro-power station.
The water gushing out of the hydroelectric station.
The pipe that delivers the water to the hydro-power station.
Every good has its bad. This makeshift dump is right near the entrance and you can see the entrance to the Hindu temple in the background.
The trail itself is kept clean by vigilant sevadars, but the trash has to go somewhere and I don't think it is bagged and taken out as quickly as it comes in.
Another interesting thing you see just before the entrance is the bathroom on the right. After hearing about Hemkunt my whole life I came to think that the aesthetics would be fussed over as much as they are at the Harimandir Sahib, but the trash and bathroom sites just before the entrance seem to show otherwise. Of course this could also be a cultural thing. What I see as sites which should be hidden behind a facade (or made more beautiful), might be seen by the average Indian as the things that merely exist in places but shouldn't in anyway be related to the greater site to which they belong (i.e. Hemkunt starts after this point). I'm just speculating here, it could also be that greater beautification just isn't possible because of lack of resources or difficulty of terrain. I do know, however, that culture has a huge impact on what is viewed as beautiful. There are so some many things in India with lights and plastic decorations, which in the US would be typically viewed as tacky but in India are seen as beautiful adornments.
The entry way from the stair pathway.
A view of Gobindghat from the beginning of the trail to Hemkunt Sahib. Hemkunt is an additional 6km from Gobindghat (again I think this was computed linearly on a map and didn't take into account slope and switch backs).
Every sight on the way up was gorgeous.
Our trek to Hemkunt also served as our view of the valley of flowers. We aimed to go to the valley of flowers but it was too foggy in the afternoon on the day we went to Hemkunt and it was raining the next morning when we decided to trek back to Gobinddham. We talked to some people who went toHemkunt on the same day as us and who had been to the valley of flowers the day before. They told us that they saw pretty much the same thing in the valley of flowers as they did on the way up to Hemkunt, as demonstrated in this photo.
Did you ever think you'd see a sky this blue in India? I didn't.
Half way there, there were lots of stalls selling water and food.
More Beautiful views.
The stream that comes from Hemkunt Sahib.
At this point, we found what I'd been wishing for, a trail were horses/mules weren't allowed. The last 1km to Hemkunt has two options, a set of stairs or more switch backs and animals. You can infer which one we took.
The stream coming from Hemkunt actually comes down a pipe and goes through this mini hydro-power station.
The water gushing out of the hydroelectric station.
The pipe that delivers the water to the hydro-power station.
Every good has its bad. This makeshift dump is right near the entrance and you can see the entrance to the Hindu temple in the background.
The trail itself is kept clean by vigilant sevadars, but the trash has to go somewhere and I don't think it is bagged and taken out as quickly as it comes in.
Another interesting thing you see just before the entrance is the bathroom on the right. After hearing about Hemkunt my whole life I came to think that the aesthetics would be fussed over as much as they are at the Harimandir Sahib, but the trash and bathroom sites just before the entrance seem to show otherwise. Of course this could also be a cultural thing. What I see as sites which should be hidden behind a facade (or made more beautiful), might be seen by the average Indian as the things that merely exist in places but shouldn't in anyway be related to the greater site to which they belong (i.e. Hemkunt starts after this point). I'm just speculating here, it could also be that greater beautification just isn't possible because of lack of resources or difficulty of terrain. I do know, however, that culture has a huge impact on what is viewed as beautiful. There are so some many things in India with lights and plastic decorations, which in the US would be typically viewed as tacky but in India are seen as beautiful adornments.
The entry way from the stair pathway.
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