The Valley of Flowers (Excerpt from my Tour Memoir-2009)
The trek to Valley of flowers and Hemkund was one of our most memorable and energetic trek at High Altitude. The clear stream set against the shining snow peak, an enchanting valley charged with floral smell and outstandingly beautiful Himalayan valleys embellished with natural beauty, all graced us with energy and inspiring to continue our trek.
A great variation in terrain from the Gangetic plains to high passes to the green hillsides and flower covered valleys was eye-catching. We followed riverside trails and passed through several isolated villages where time has stood still. Landscape attributes vary at a hierarchy of chronological scales. Temporal aggregation of fine-scale observations is necessary before attempting to detect change in landscape attributes. Landscape attributes are characterized by marked seasonal variations, vegetation and disturbances.
Altitude determines the mountain landscape at large, while human activities alters landscape fragmentation and diversity at local scale surrounding the villages. The shape of land use patches is an important characteristic for evaluating the processes and effects of land use change at landscape and watershed level. Its ‘gentle’ landscape, breath-takingly beautiful meadows of alpine flowers and ease of access complement the rugged, mountain wilderness. An outstanding natural beauty encompasses a unique transition zone. Embellished with colour as it bloomed with hundreds different beautiful flowers, taking on various shades of colours with time. 
The impact of glacial erosion was quite prominent. Several streams which originates from glaciers flows through the valley. Sustainable development and management of upland natural resources for the welfare of local populations should be the key objective of watershed management. Sustainable utilization and conservation of forest resources at community or watershed level would immensely contribute to the socio-economic development of locals.
