INTRODUCTION
Adventure chasers and photography enthusiasts find themselves at home while travelling in the Northern state of Uttarakhand. It’s a bewitching place for photography wizards as it vows luxuriant forests, charming mountain ranges, crystal blue streams, free-falling waterfalls, beautiful meadows, varieties of flora and fauna.
Photographers capture time, space, unfading smiles, local tales, nature in its raw form, the devotion to reach the top through challenges and the list goes on. To soothe your passion and story-teller within you-
Here are some of the best places to go for a trek in Uttarakhand if you are a Photography Enthusiast~
Valley Of Flowers Trek
Blessed with the meadows of endemic alpine flowers and varieties of other colourful flora, dancing butterflies, birds and fauna, Valley of Flowers Trek is popularly known as a paradise for nature lovers and photography enthusiasts.
One of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, Valley of Flowers during the monsoons is a complete bliss created of blooming flowers with a pleasing fragrant atmosphere, and an absolute picturesque during the winters with everything covered with virgin snow. The trek to Valley of Flowers is 14km long that starts from Govindghat in Joshimath and takes you through the bumpy grounds, steep ascent, slim passages, and dramatic views along the Lakshman Ganga River. After a 3 km ascent from Ghangaria, you will find yourself at the Valley of Flowers. The best recommended time for photographers to plan a trek to this place is during the monsoons when the place unearths its unworldly beauty.
Kedarkantha Trek
As Uttarakhand’s one of the most favoured treks, perhaps, the first choice of a beginner, a constant in the list of photographers, and highly famous for its summit climb, Kedarkantha Trek takes pride in for an incredible trek experience for many. If you wish to spend time away from the mundane amidst the remotest of villages, in stone-cold winter, this trek is a whole feast for you! Perched at the Govind Pashu Vihar National Park, the Kedarkantha trek presents you with unforgettable beauty, mesmerising views of beautiful lakes, mountains, rivers and the mighty Himalayan peaks. At an elevation of 12,500 ft., the temperature during the day feels like 8°C to 15°C and -5°C to 3°C at nighttime. The ascent gets introduced at a small village called Sankri and takes you to the peak of Kedarkantha.
Chopta Chandrashila Trek
With a maximum altitude of 12,083 ft, Chopta Chandrashila Trek is famous for winter as well as an ultimate spring and summer trekking destination. It is your door to the eye-pleasing shades of the Himalayas as during the summers or late spring the whole region blooms in the red colour of the rhododendron flowers, while during winters the whole area turns into the perfect white snow. Chopta Chandrashila is a 6-day long adventurous trek that starts from Sari. The trek is admired for its unique clearing, campsites, dense and scenic views of pines, oaks and rhododendron forests to Chopta, beautiful sunsets and rewarding summit climb. The trek sees its end as you reach the peak of Chandrashila from where one can lock the outstanding view of nearby peaks namely, Kedar, Chaukhamba, Nanda Devi and Trishul.
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Pindari Glacier Trek
A trek open for all, from the thrill chasers to nature-lovers and also for the photographers who might own both of the titles. In the lap of the upper Kumaon Himalayas, Pindari Glacier Trek is found pressed between Nanda Kot Peak and Nanda Devi Peak at an altitude of 3,353 meters. Known as one of the favourite places for tourists, this trek finds you on the way through rhododendron forests, natural lakes, paths decorated with flowers, bridges and beautiful flora and fauna. The trek takes off from Loharkhet, which is a driving distance from Kathgodam. Pindari Glacier Trek is an 11km route that goes through rich forests and scenic views of Dhakuri to the largest village of this region, Khati. The trek sees its end after passing through free-flowing rivers, log bridges and snow-capped peaks of Dwali and Phurkia, at Pindari Glacier. So, get your kit ready and plan your trek ASAP!
Har Ki Dun
Known as Hanging Valley Of Gods for its cradle-shaped mountains, Har Ki Dun is a photographer’s delight. Located at the serene Western flank of Garhwal in the Uttarkashi district at an altitude of 11, 675ft, it takes you to hike along the alpine meadows, pine forests, unexplored and remote places. Har Ki Dun is bounded with wildlife, an incredible view of the Swargarohini chain of peaks and is the ultimate place for bird watchers. Get your camera ready to capture the sight of some ancient villages which date back to 2,000 years back and the daily life occupation of the locals. The summer months in Har Ki Dun are picture-perfect, you can witness melting snowcaps with some blue and green grasslands with blooming flowers. The most preferred time to get on with this trek is not winter but the summer season visited by the early monsoon.
