Govind Pashu Vihar Park hosts unique treks like Phulara Ridge.

January 9, 2023

himalaya

Govind Pashu Vihar National Park is the home to many trekking routes. Sankri, situated within the park, acts as a base camp for treks such as Har Ki Dun, Bali Pass and Kedarkantha. Pushtara Meadows via Phulara Ridge is one of the lesser known but an amazing trek.

The Phulara Ridge trek is very unique due to the landscape and nature of its trail. Ridges are uncommon in the Indian Himalayas. But this trail takes you on a walk atop a ridge that lasts for almost 2 hours! Given that this is one of a kind trek in the Uttarakhand Himalayas, it is slowly earning its well-deserved fame in the trekking world, it is best to pay it a visit before the crowds arrive.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Dehradun to Sankri

Duration – 8 hrs Type – Drive Distance – 187 Max altitude –

It is easiest to get to Sankri from Dehradun or Mussourie. The journey of 8-10 hours by road will not feel tiresome, though. With the river Tons singing you a lullaby for most of the part, pass the bustle of touristy hill stations. Allow quaint little towns of the Uttarkashi district like Purola to calm you down. Ultimately, give in to the mountains and one of its quiet, network-less settlements – Sankri. Sankri is a homely and welcoming village, the windows of which open to the Swargarohini ranges. The sunrise and sunset here is a sight to behold.

Day 2: Sankri to Sikolta

Duration – 5 hrs Type – Trek Distance – 11 km Max altitude –

The trek commences with a slight ascend through a dense forest of towering pine trees. It is tempting to play hide-and-seek among them, but leaves crunching below your feet give you away! The forest makes way for an enchanting clearing where you will encounter the only dhaba on this trek. If you are lucky, you will find a villager welcoming you with his melodious flute.

On reaching Sikolta, set your bags down and take an excursion to Juda ka Talab, a well-known lake among the trekking community.

Day 3: Sikolta to Bhoj Gadi

Duration – 5-6 hrs Type – Trek Distance – 10 km Max altitude –

The day begins with an ascent through a forest, again. This time, it leads to a wooden bridge. Cross this bridge with a cascading brook flowing underneath it, conquer a short patch of steep ascent and you will be rewarded with the picturesque opening of Karsu thatch. You will also find wooden house –

like abandoned but intriguing structures.

The walk through islands of rhododendrons opens to a meadow of plain green grass of Bhoj Gadi. Set against a backdrop of purple-grey hued and snow-capped mountains, this is one of the most beautiful campsites on any Himalayan trail you will witness. Roam around the area, pose with a

fascinating arrangement of stones and a log, or just sit and let serenity and meditativeness wash over you.

Day 4: Bhoj Gadi to Pushtara via Phulara Ridge

Duration – 4 hrs Type – Trek Distance – 6 km Max altitude –

This day is the highlight of the trek. About an hour from Bhoj Gadi, we descend to the iconic ridge – the Phulara Ridge. A ridge is a chain of mountains that form a continuous crest for some distance. Its narrow edges drop into valleys on either side. This grants you an unobstructed view of some of the most majestic Garhwal Himalayan mountain ranges – including Swargarohini and Bandarpoonch, in 3 directions. You would be awestruck, to say the least.

Once the ridge ends, you descend into the vast, undulating Pushtara bugyal i.e. Pushtara meadows. Post the exhilaration of the ridge walk, you feel a sense of liberation as you marvel at the expanse around you.

To add to the range of emotions, is the charm of the countless variety of flowers, including the brahmakamal and fankamal, that bloom during summer. The ridge has been named “Phulara” for good reason. Also feel the excitement at spotting the rare monal pheasant, the state bird of

Uttarakhand. There is a greater probability of spotting them on today’s trail.

Day 5: Pushtara to Taluka

Duration – 3 hrs Type – Drive + Trek

Distance – 5 km(Trek) + 10 km(Drive) Max altitude –

A full day of descent to civilization. We continuously descend along the trail today, as you make your way towards Taluka. After crossing the grasslands we enter the dense untouched forests and continue across them for rest of the trail. As you descend towards Taluka, you will find increasing number of trees. You will be greeted by little yellow flowers, which to some extent help you ease the sadness of reaching the end, and make you realize the worth of the treasure you have gathered in the last few days. Descending through dense forest, you will observe bands of langoors on trees. We start to come across scattered settlements, eventually reaching the quaint village where you will be greeted by curious and warm villagers and their children asking for candies. You will appreciate the architecture and smile at the simple domesticity of village life in the remote Himalayas. A vehicle will take you to Sankri from Taluka. We take a vehicle back to Sankri for the hour long drive.

Day 6: Sankri to Dehradun

Duration – 8 hrs Type – Drive Distance – 187

With reference to the subject cited, we would enthusiastically like to introduce “Himalaya Shelter” as the best place for adventure tourism, especially trekking around the Gharwal and Himachal regions of India the Himalayas.

Himalaya Shelter is a concept created by the qualified, experienced and diversified adventure professionals with exposure over a decade of experience in providing safe and enjoyable trekking opportunities to enthusiast with abundance care for nature and sharing the experience with the team who follow us on treks.

Our itineraries are custom built considering various factors and providing maximum exposure to adventure in the Himalayas thus making an holistic experience for trekkers.We created our own specialized team for this particular venture which is comprised of trek gurus with experiences and exposures over decades, logistic support team, infrastructure like, best of tents, trekking gears, trekking ropes and alike ensuring safety and comfort for trekkers.

Our company is set up in Dehradun, at the foothills of Garhwal Himalayas to cover entire Uttarakhand and our trekking spots provide different experiences to trekkers like never before.

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Keep exploring the Himalayas and nothing can be as enthralling as an experience when you take the treks with us.

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+91 9458386006