Volunteers or sevadars gather each year as the snow melts in June to clear the trek route. The path is ancient. Crossing over snow and ice is a matter of life and death.
Valley of Flowers is a UNESCO world Heritage Site in the Garhwal Himalayas, India. No ponies allowed here. No overnight camping allowed. Therefore the track is clean. It is a pristine place. The locals respect the place a lot for its mystique. Do not touch, pluck, harm or smell a plant. There is no way of knowing which plant/flower/leaf might cause an itch, or intoxication.
The foliage has a rich aroma. Many of the herbs, shrubs and trees are valued for their medicinal value. At the same time many of them could be dangerous to touch. A little brush of some unknown herb could cause the whole hand to swell up, as it happened with my fellow trekker.
Even with help from a sturdy walking stick getting a foothold is a challenge at these heights. With ponies jostling up and down the narrow, dung-splattered track, and the ponies’ keepers warning us of the approaching animals doesn’t make the trek easier.