Overview

Phulara Ridge Trek - Unexplored Trail in Garhwal Himalayas
Govind Pashu Vihar National Park is home to multiple 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 so far the best ridge trek in the country. The trek is very unique due to the landscape and the 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 Uttarakhand Himalayas, it is slowly earning its well-deserved fame in the trekking world; it is best to visit it before the crowds arrive.

The Phulara Ridge Trek stretches for about 30 km After walking through this ridge for 4-5 hours, you see lovely meadows on one side and a captivating valley along with mountain views on another side, this counts for a mesmerizing experience. Phulara Ridge Trail is in the middle of two valleys where you find a trail to walk. It feels like you are walking through the edges of a knife.

Finding huge mountains all around you is certainly spectacular. Watching entirely snow-covered mountains over an angle of 250 degrees keeps you enchanted throughout the trek, and a stunning view of the other mountain ranges, including Dev Kayara Peak from the top of Phulara Ridge Trek, makes all the efforts worth it.

 

What To Expect During The Trek
To begin with the Phulara Ridge Trek, you reach Sankri, which takes almost 10 hours to reach Dehradun. The last ATM is situated at Purola, so make sure to get all the cash you need for your way. At Sankri, you stay at a guest house and find small shops that sell trekking gear and miscellany. The network availability is almost negligible, only the BSNL network works but that too is erratic. From here, you reach Taluka, the trekking point, and pave your way for the journey you are going to cherish forever.

The Phulara Ridge trek lets you grasp the supreme experience of witnessing the beauty of peaks, forests, grasslands, and the associated natural beauty. It is the perfect combination of many charming surroundings and difficult patches, in addition to thrilling ridges that the visitors need to encounter.

You walk through dense forests before and after climbing the ridge, where you see the different types of tree-like oaks, dwarf rhododendrons, maples, pines, and silver birch. You will also see the vast green carpet of meadows, lovely flowers, greenery, and tiny plants growing everywhere in the landscape. This site makes anyone fall in love with this place. Sunlight streams through the various angles in the dark forest, giving you a pleasant view.

You also get to see many birds on the way. You can hear their chirping in the dark and dense forest. The Himalayan Monal, a colorful bird, is one of the centers of attraction during the Phulara Ridge Trek.

You trek through different altitudes throughout the way- Sankri (1920 Meters), Sikolta (2900 Meters), Bhoj Gadi (3470 Meters), and Phulara Ridge (3700 Meters).

Trekkers get the opportunity to grab ethereal views of prominent peaks like Kedarkantha Peak, Swargarohini, and others. You shall also be entitled to view the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayan range that would hold you spellbound with its mesmerizing beauty.
 

Major Attractions While on Phulara Ridge Trek

The summit views

The panoramic views of Himalayan peaks from the summit, as well as throughout the trail are the main attraction of the Phulara Ridge trek. The summit offers exotic views of Swargarohini, Kala Nag, Devkyara, Bandarpoonch, Rangnala, Hanuman Top, Top of Sarutal, Vijay Top, and Kedarkantha.

Sankri- the Base Camp

The trek begins from Sankri, which acts as a base camp for over 25 different treks. The distance from Dehradun to Sankri is 200 km and takes 7-8 hours. With gorgeous mountains, tall pine woods, rivers like the Yamuna, Tons, and Kedarganga pouring alongside the path, and Himalayan roads following you the entire journey, this is an extraordinary experience. At Sankri, you will not only be able to witness the lushness of Uttarakhand Himalayan Valleys, but you will also have the opportunity to immerse yourself in local culture and gain insight into the life of the Himalayan people. Only foreigners used to visit here in 1970, and the number of visitors exceeded 20 a day. At that time, the Har Ki Dun Trek was the most famous one and it was highly visited by trekkers. The number of Bengali trekkers was also high; they did many high-altitude passes and visited Sankri frequently. Since the popularization of various treks in the area, Sankri is one of the most visited base camps in the Himalayas.

The Pushtara Meadows

You arrive in the Pushtara meadows immediately after descending from the mountain. The grandeur of the meadows will astound you. As far as the eye can see, there are folds and folds of carpeted green hills. Wildflowers bloom in their full splendor. A 270-degree panorama of snow-capped mountains rises in front of you.
 

The Forests

For a very short trek, the forests on Phulara Ridge are incredibly dense. So dense that only streaks of sunshine passing through this dark jungle offer light. There are also places where there is no path due to a lack of use. You are likely to be the only ones on the trail because the woodland hasn't been walked on as often. As a result, all of the chirps, bird whistles, and tree rustles are amplified in this quiet. There are oaks, pines, dwarf rhododendrons, silver birches, and maples among the trees. Forest walks are beautiful to see, and Phulara offers the most remote of them.

The Birds

The dense nature of Phularas trees fosters the presence of birds and fauna. You might even spot Himalayan Monals here. This Uttarakhand state bird is a rare sighting and one of the most colorful birds ever seen. Even spotting one of them, let alone 11 of them, is a rare occurrence. Barbets, woodpeckers, and Himalayan whistling thrushes can also be seen on the trail.