Landslides in Uttarakhand temporarily disrupt travel to the Valley of Flowers Trek

Landslides cleared on the way to Valley of Flowers. Traffic now running smoothly.

July 15th, 3:00 p.m.: In a wave of good news for trekkers, landslides have been cleared from the NH7 route from Rishikesh to Valley of Flowers.

The major landslide that occurred on July 10th took a long time to clear because of the size of the boulders. Smaller walking routes were established by Saturday, but it took a while to clear the road. As of today, the landslide debris has been cleared and traffic is moving smoothly.

If you have an upcoming trek to Valley of Flowers, please keep in mind that this highway is prone to landslides. They are regular occurrences that come with the monsoon. These landslides are usually cleared off within a day, but they may cause long delays in your travel.

In case of such delays, we make small shifts in your itinerary. We accommodate most of the itinerary shifts within your travel plan, but in case of any major delays, it’s best to have a buffer day in your travel plan. So please plan your travel accordingly.

Pipalkoti landslide cleared. Landslide near Joshimath taking time.

Uttarakhand, July 11th 2024, 10:30 am: As per our latest reports one of the minor landslides on the NH7 highway between Rishikesh and Badrinath has been cleared.

But the landslide that struck the day before yesterday, approximately 3 km before Joshimath is yet to be cleared. Because of the size of the fallen boulders, the authorities are finding it challenging to clear the area.

A small walking trail across the landslide zone has been established to allow trekkers and yatris to cross on foot.

However, this could also get closed to allow uninterrupted repair work. In such a case, trekkers and yatris will be taking a 3 km route through the forests above the landslide zone.

The Indiahikes local team is stationed at the zone to receive trekkers who are incoming and also to support trekkers who are heading back from the trek.

We expect the landslide to be cleared by the time the next team travels towards the basecamp, on July 13th.

Second minor landslide occurs on Valley of Flowers route at Pipalkoti

Pipalkoti, Uttarakhand, July 10th 2024, 2.41 pm: There's been another minor landslide at Pipalkoti on the NH7 route.

The good thing is that as fast as landslides happen, they are cleared off as quickly. This particular one is expected to be cleared in the next 2 hours.

If it is not cleared for any reason, the trekking group departing on July 10th will stay at Pipalkoti for the night and carry on with the trek tomorrow.

There are no issues on the actual Valley of Flowers trail. The route is clear and open to trek.

Landslide on NH7 Temporarily Disrupts Travel to Valley of Flowers Trek

Joshimath, Uttarakhand, July 10th 2024, 11.36 am: A landslide occurred earlier today on NH7, approximately 3 kilometers before Joshimath. This route is used by trekkers traveling from Rishikesh to Karchi, the basecamp for Indiahikes' Valley of Flowers trek. It is also the national highway leading to Badrinath.

Authorities immediately initiated efforts to clear the landslide zone. However, the scale of the landslide may cause delays.

Here are updates from our current groups:

Trekkers departing July 9th were stationed at a hotel 3-4 km from the landslide zone last night. They will take a 3-kilometer detour on foot to Dhak, from where they will stay for the night and carry on with the trek tomorrow.

Trekkers departing on July 10th, will either (a) carry on to the basecamp if the landslide is cleared OR (b) Stay at the designated hotel and carry on to Dhak tomorrow.

If you’re headed to Valley of Flowers, it’s best to include a buffer day in your travel plan, to account for any such disruptions.