How & when was the 'Valley of Flowers’ discovered

Located at the foothills of the Nanda Devi biosphere in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand between 2000 to 3000 meters above sea level, the Valley of Flowers is a photographers, nature lover & botanists delight with a stunning display of close to 100 types of wild flowers during the month of July, August & September each year. From the beginning of October until early June the valley accessible from Ghangaria by a trek, is closed due to snowfall. How & when was the Valley discovered??

By the early part of the 20th century conquering Himalayan mountain peaks had become the rage of many adventure seekers. In 1931 a mountaineering team led by Frank Smythe scaled Mount Kamet situated at a height of 7756 meters. On the way back they came across a catchment area of the Pushpawati River in Bhundar Valley. So overwhelmed were they by the spectacular display of wildflowers, shrubs & ferns they christened the location - Valley of Flowers.

Frank Smythe described his experience in a book `Valley of Flowers,` he later wrote: `Never have I seen a more beautiful valley than this...........this valley of peace & perfect beauty where the human spirit may find repose.' Flowers he saw included Saxifrages, Androsaces, Asters , Sedums,Geraniums, Potentillas, Geums, Gentians and many more.

Post World War II, the famous Heinrich Harrer (known for his renowned book - Seven Years in Tibet & a close friend of the Dalai Lama) escaped from an internment camp with his friend Frank Thomas also passed through this fascinating terrain and made it past the Yamunotri Glacier. Hounded by police the duo clambered past mountainous terrain until they reached Tibet.