that he's part of William Gallas' camp at the North London club - remember Nasri's allegation, that four or five current Arsenal players don't speak with the Frenchman.

The ex Gunner is currently in talks with the club over an (unlikely) extension to his contract, which officially ends in the summer.

Unlikely, because
Arsenal' chairman Peter Hill-wood has stated emphatically that the club won't succumb to the seasoned defender's "extravagant" requirements: "His demands are quite extravagant and I don't think we are prepared to go along with it."

But Vermaelen, whose successful partnership with Gallas worked wonders at some stages of our chequered campaign wants Arsenal to keep the 32-year-old at all cost because of the understanding they've fostered on the pitch: "It seemed to work pretty much straightaway," Vermaelen said ofHemkund and the Valley of the Flowers

Starting from the mountain hamlet of Govind Ghat, 28km south of Badrinath, an important pilgrim trail winds 14km up a steep stone path to the overgrown village of Gangharia (3048m), also known as Ghovind Dham. This one-street town is a stopover point for hundreds of Sikh pilgrims en route to Hemkund, as well as for a small trickle of visitors to the Valley of Flowers. Overnight stays are prohibited at both sites.

From Ghangaria, it is a further 6km trek along a steep path to reach the snow-melt lake of Hemkund (4329m). In the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, Govind Singh recalled meditating at a lake surrounded by seven high mountains; only in the twentieth century was Hemkund discovered to be