Hiking the Valley of Gods trail | Har-Ki-Dun | HIMALAYAS

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• published: 08 Oct 2016
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Thousands of calories have been spent in the making of this video. No text has been added in the main video except for the title because videos are for watching and video descriptions are for reading. Har-Ki-Dun is a cradle shaped valley in Garhwal region of Indian Himalayas. Its name literally translates to Valley (Dun) of (Ki) Gods (Har). This video is based on hiking the trail that leads to this valley at approximate 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) and Jaundhar Glacier ahead of the valley at approximate 4,300 meters’ altitude. (14,100 feet). The total elevation gain, hiking is about 2,300 meters (7,500 feet). The trail is situated in 'Govind' Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, Uttarakhand, India. It is a two-day hike from Taluka village where the trail begins at 2000 meters’ altitude to Har-ki-Dun and one-day hike from Har-ki-Dun to Jaundhar Glacier and back. Indian myths and legends actually that say that this trail leads to heaven and on their way to heaven, the Pandavas took this very trail and scaled the Himalayan peak called Swargrohini (6252m). Although the trail might not seem very remote and not physically as demanding as some of the other hikes and treks the Himalayan terrain offers, it is rich in culture and one gets to hike through a beautiful trail through the woods on day one, through endless lush green meadows and wild alpine flowers on day two and for new hikers, the trail leading to the Jaundhar glacier is in complete contrast to the first two days and adds a touch of high altitude breathtaking landscapes which make it one of the best treks/hikes in India for beginner trekkers/hikers with no previous experience. (Refer first shot of the video ;)) Almost without exception, any person with average level of fitness can complete the hike but, I like to believe that level of fitness is directly related to the level of enjoyment on the trail. The village of Osla where you set camp for your first night on the trail is where all the footage of local children is shot. All of these shots have been shot in a public setting and intended to document nothing more than some very human moments of innocence. This village has a temple dedicated to Duryodhana, the eldest of Kauravas, from the Mahabharata built by the inhabitants who worship Kauravas as their ancestors. Wild Himalayan cannabis plants are found in abundance in and around Osla and you may see some of the local elders smoking cannabis using a 'Chillum'! If you subscribed, I am not going to post regular content as of now but I will make more videos of different trails and activities not limited to hiking. I already have a cycling in Himalayas video on my channel. Most of the footage is shot with an iPhone 6 and some with a Nikon D3300. This hike was planned, organized and guided by mountain experts at GIOAdventures. Thank you for watching! Instagram- @rajlodhiya Soundtrack- Private Reflection Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Finding the Balance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/