Nanda Devi National Park

Nanda Devi National Park Brief Description: Nanda Devi National Park is situated in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The spectacular panoramas of peaks encircling the National Park are Trishul (7120 m) Dunagiri (7066 m) Nanda Devi (7817 m) Nanda Devi East (7430 m) Bethartoli (6352 m) etc.. The beautiful surroundings with abundant flora and fauna like Brahma-Kamal and Bharal (blue mountain goat) make this a sanctuary of nature. In 1982 access to trekkers into the Nanda Devi National Park was banned to protect its biodiversity. The Nanda Devi National Park, which has been declared a world heritage site, has been partially opened recently for restricted number of tourist. Sir Edmund Hillary, in his autobiography, has described that the “Nanda Devi Sanctuary is God-gifted wilderness-India’s-training ground for adventure”Comprises the catchment area of the Rishi Ganga, an eastern tributary of Dhauli Ganga which flows into the Alaknanda River at Joshimath. The area is a vast glacial basin, divided by a series of parallel, north-south oriented ridges. These rise up to the encircling mountain rim along which are about a dozen peaks above 6,400 m, the better known including Dunagiri (7,066m), Changbang (6,864m) and Nanda Devi East (7,434m). Nanda Devi West, India's second highest mountain, lies on a short ridge projecting into the basin and rises up from Nanda Devi East on the eastern rim. Trisul (7,120m), in the south-west, also lies inside the basin. The upper Rishi Valley, often referred to as the 'Inner Sanctuary', is fed by Changbang, North Rishi and North Nanda Devi glaciers to the north and by South Nanda Devi and South Rishi glaciers to the south of the Nanda Devi massif. There is an impressive gorge cutting through the Devistan-Rishikot ridge below the confluence of the North and South Rishi rivers. The Trisuli and Ramani glaciers are features of the lower Rishi Valley or 'Outer Sanctuary', below which the Rishi Ganga enters the narrow, steep-sided lower gorge. The greater part of the park falls within the Central Crystallines, a zone of young granites and metamorphic rocks. Along the northern edge is exposed the Tibetan-Tethys, consisting of sediments of sandstones, micaceous quartzite, limestones and shales. The Tethys sediments form Nanda Devi itself and many of the surrounding peaks, and display spectacular folding and thrusting, while mountains like Changbang are granite. The crystalline rocks of the Vaikrita Group and lower part of the Tethys sediments have been tentatively subdivided into four formations, namely: Lata, Ramani, Kharapatal and Martoli. Approach From Rishikesh to Joshimath is a 253 km drive followed by a further drive of 25 km to the road head at Lata village where the trek begins. Visiting Season The park will remain open for a period of six months from 1st May and close on 31st October. Visitor’s number and movement The visitors will move in groups. Each group will consist of maximum of five visitors. Not more than two groups are permitted in one day and not more than four groups will be permitted in one week. One registered guide will accompany every five visitors. Visitors only above 14 years will be allowed to go inside the park. It will be mandatory for all the tourists to obey and observe all the provisions of wildlife protection act inside the park area. Medical fitness However, since the terrain is hilly and arduous, a visitor should get himself medically checked and should take all precautionary measures on his own. There is no provision of any rescue and succor at present and Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam management will not be responsible for any mishap.