Gangotri - Gaumukh Trek

Gangotri - Gaumukh Trek

Gangotri is not a place for picnic, it has its own risks ( Ref. flash floods & landslides in June 2013)

Awesome, heavenly place!

Its a total 21 km of real trekking treat and the grand view of Gaumukh Glacier as the final prize....
The trek is Gangotri ---> 9 km ---> Chidwasa --> 5 Km --> Bhojwasa --> 7 Km --> Gaumukh.

Trail to Gaumukh in left, Brown mass below snow peak mount is Gaumukh & Tents at the lower side are Bhojwasa.

Best time to visit Gangotri:

One can visit Gangotri May to Oct.

** Suggestions:
i. Please avoid monsoon / rainy season.
ii. Also, avoid Hindu month of "Saawan".

Uttarkashi: On route to Gangotri-Gaumukh

Travel to Gangotri:

1) Public:
- Train: Delhi to Hardwar / Hrishikesh - Towards North - 4 Hrs (Aprox) & then Bus: Hardwar / Hrishikesh to Gangotri - 14 Hrs (Aprox).

2) Private:
- Hire a taxi OR own car (take a car with high ground clearance & comfortable one).
- The ride is long and bumpy, its demanding. Only experienced drivers can drive.
- Drive will take total 18 Hrs (Aprox, including lunch breaks, photo breaks)
- Take a night halt at any good town en-route.

** Suggestion: Avoid driving on hills at night, its not really comfortable and it's dangerous too.**

 

Harsil

The trek at a glance:

Start: Gangotri, 3000 m above sea level   End: Gaumukh, 4000 m above sea level
Distance: 21 Km (Gangotri--9Km-->Chidwasa--5Km --> Bhojwasa --7Km--> Gaumukh)

Gangotri-to-Gaumukh trek!

Gangotri - Gaumukh trek : permission:

Apply for permission to :
Dipty Director,
Gangotri National Park,
Forest office Department,
Uttarkashi

One can fax application to:

Chief Wildlife Officer, Dehradun – (Phone) 0135-2644691
DFO, Uttarkashi - 01374-222444 (Phone)/ 01374-222964 (FAX)
DFO, Uttarkashi Fax: 01374 223693

Rules:

• Permission is required only to visit Gaumukh, Nandanvan (Not for Gangotri)
• One doesn't need any permission to go Gangotri (only).
• First come first serve
• At the max 150 people are allowed per day
• If you are taking guide with you, include him in total count of men & women, in the trek permission application.

**** You will have to go DFO, Uttarkashi, in person, to collect the trek permission. Office is open 10 am - 4 pm, Mon - Sat. So plan your travel accordingly. ****

List of items to carry:

1. Take clothes, shoes ..extra pairs as weather may change swiftly i.e. w/o warning.
2. Camera (Still / VDO) / Charger / Memory Card / DVDs
3. Medicines / small first aid kit / Crape Bandage
4. Dry Fruits (500 gm) / Chocolates ( in case road is washed away and you need emergency food supply)
5. Map printouts / Travel Plan
6. Cash
7. Torch light
8. Raincoat (must be light in weight)

Places to see en-route, in & around Gangotri:

1. Gaumukh Glacier (20 Kms, trek from Gangotri temple)
2. Nandanvan (26 Kms, trek 6 kms further Gangotri Glacier )
3. Kedar Ganaga Samgam (river merging, Very near to Gangorti Temple)
4. Bhairon Ghati (small town, en-route to Gangotri temple )
5. Bhairon Temple (On the highway to Gangotri temple)
6. Kedar Tal (18 Km trek from Gangotri Temple, tough trek, I didn't do it)
7. Submerging Shivling (at Dharal)
8. Harsil (Town, on the highway to Gangotri, 20 KM before Gangotri, nice place)
9. Gangnani (Hot water geysers, On the highway to Gangotri, 55 Km before Gangotri)
10. Maneri

Travel log

Road to Gangotri:

Map to Gangotri

We stated from Meerut and passed through the city Muzzaffar-Nagar , Hardwar. At Hardwar we saw first glimpse of Himalaya, on horizon. Uphill journey started at the town named Narendra Nagar. These were the first "wow" moments of my journey, such a beautiful sight...It was overlooking Hrishikesh... town was down there, A huge river and then a big-big strip of trees / forest, somewhere in the middle of the forest there are small patches of green grass. I took out my binocular and had a look. It was a small village of 15/20 houses, in the middle of forest, kids were playing in the green grassland. Such a peaceful life!

Chamba, Uttarakhand & Tehri Dam:

As we reached Chamba, Uttaranchal and the altitude is increasing the vegetation has also changed. Till now it was like a green carpet, but the trees have disappeared from the surface and one can see the brown bald surface of mountains.

Tehri Dam: Reservoir

Chamba

Passed Tehri Damn, its a huge water body. It took hours to cross.

We passed Dharasa (3:00 pm) and reached Uttarkashi (3:50 pm). This is the place where we have to get the permission letter in order to trek in Gangotri National Park. We had already faxed our application two days before, so were positive and the officers delivered. The place is really beautiful & scenic.

Finally we reached Harsil around 9:30 pm.

Harsil:

Snow covered peaks in Harsil, Ganga grand view, Small bridge on Ganga, Tehri dam & Uttarkashi.

Plan was to start moving at 7:00 am next day.

Next day, I woke up unusually early. I looked through the window of my room and wow, what a view ….bottom left pic in “Travel to Gangotri” pic. We passed Dharali, the view all around is really scenic... top left pic in “Travel to Gangotri” pic. After passing Lanka we reached Bhairon Ghati & visited Bhairon temple there.

Gangotri:

It motor-able road till about Gangotri temple . We got down and walked down the street towards the temple and We saw, one of the most turbulent streams!!! I was expecting a very small stream but it was huge and yeah violent as well, with all the noise...well, you have got the picture!

Temple & Bhagirathi Stream:

People were taking bath on the banks on stream, before going into the temple. People are not allowed to step in to the stream, it is very turbulent and a minor issue of loosing ones life as well!!

Gangotri Temple, Ghats, Temple stairs & Temple Ghat-Gate

In & Around Gangotri:

Went on to see around, Surya Kund, Kedar-Ganga samgam (Where Kedar stream meets Bhagirathi Stream), Gauri Kund. I also went for Pandav Gufa, it was a trail of 1.5 Km, a nice walk after a long-long time.

In & around Gangotri: Surya Kund, Kedar-ganga Sangam, Trail to Pandav Cave.

The Trek:

The trek: Peaks in morning, Trail along with Ganga, Trail, The bridge over the stream.

Trek Day:

6:00 am: Myself and guide started the trek, the trail behind the Gangotri temple is what we took.

By 6:15 am: We reached Gangotri National Park gate.

By 7:00 am: We reached first stream to cross, it was 3 m wide crystal clear water. The bridge was just two logs of wood tied together. Initially I was little hesitant :-o but then somehow I crossed the stream :) .

Going along the mountain trail, its a narrow path (around 1 foot at times). I was so exhausted that at times I could feel the dryness in my mouth. Thanks to the suggestions, I had glucose drink with me , I took a sip or two, every now and then. Even at this temperature I was sweating. At this altitude one needs to have sun shades to protect eyes.

10:00 am: Reached Chirbasa. Not even a single soul was there just a tin shed. Since this was late August, summer season has ended and the fall season was yet to set in. We took some rest there and moved on...

Bhojwasa:

Gaumukh, trail to Gaumukh, Stream, Gaumukh, Bridge, Trail view. Center: Gaumukh view.

12:15 pm: Reached Bhojwasa. This place is like a view point at a higher ground. I could see a huge valley in front of me. There were two big Asharams, one GMVN guest house & one weather department observatory is also located down there. Just by the side of these structures, majestic Ganges flows. And there it is just at the opposite end of the valley brown thing is the glacier. Anyway it was still around 7 Km far away..

2:00 pm: We reached around 700 m from the Gaumukh view point. There was a camp of ITBP & one of my guide's cousins was there. They had 4/5 tens and one of the tents was being used as kitchen. I had a hot cup of tea there, believe me it was the best tea ever had by far! Best cup of tea of my life.

Gaumukh:

Gaumukh Glacier

2:30 pm: Reached Gaumukh. Then I saw a structure made by small 2 feet tall walls, Guide said its the Gaumukh temple. It was very simple, framed pictures of gods (Pictures were already faded), a small not really finished Shivling and small Ghanti was on a wooden stick. All features of a temple included as per the checklists :)

Gaumukh: Little closer!

Gaumukh: Little more close!

I went a few meters ahead and there it was “the Gaumukh”. At first it appeared that the Ganges is coming out of a tunnel in the mountain, but then I realized that the brown structure appeared to be the stone / mountain was actually the glacier. This tunnel created by the water escaping the Glacier is actually refereed to as “Gaumukh” i.e. mouth of cow.

Photo gallery: