DREAMS ... each one of us has variety of dreams and would love to transform them into reality. One such dream nurturing for quite sometime was to trek in himalayas. The lure of indomiatble, capricious Himalayas is irresistible. Its beauty,vastness, and mystery always attracts one to venture into this region.... am no exception.
The first time ever i heard about this place was from my friend D. He purported it to be the best place he had ever been.Though in Youth hostel,a trekking group, himalayan expeditions are well planned and economical, but firstly, GGT (Gangotri-Gaumukh-Tapovan) was not in its itenary. Secondly, all trips organized were 10-11 days long.
Initially R,A,and V were suppose to join the plan, but alas R broke her leg and A got busy with his projects. Finally, SE,VP and me decided to follow our dreams. As this was our first trekking expedition, we didn't want to venture without experience and guidance.Information on GGT on net is limited. Then SS suggested to search Orkut. We posted our query in "Trekking in Himalayas" forum. The active participants not only helped us to plan the itenary, but also gave loads of information to amateurs like us. Thus, After reaching chennai. i contaced GMVN, Government of Uttarakhand Enterprise, which directed us to Kishan, the person who arranged for permit,guide and porters.We had 8 people accompanying the three of us. It felt strange, but we definitely could not carry the tents and stocks on our own.
The results in Internet and most of the forums suggested either to catch a bus via Rishikesh to Uttarkashi or to catch a train to Haridwar and get to our destination via Rishikesh that is around 30 hours of travel from Delhi to Uttarkashi. To our relief, a family friend managed to get us tickets for the direct bus. We reached delhi at 8 p.m. Thanks to bhaiya, we managed to catch the bus just in time. [9.30 p.m]
We reached uttarkashi at 11 a.m after tiresome 14 hours. We met kishan and his group. He introduced us to the guide,P, and the porters.After co-ordinating with Kishan for arrangements, we boarded bus to gangotri at 1 p.m. The inadverent attitude of drivers, resulting in traffic jams, and bad roads made this journey uneventful. we reached gangotri at 8 p.m and stayed overnight to stretch our limbs and to gear ourselves up for the adventurous days ahead.
We rose from our peaceful sleep to welcome the first rays of sun. This beautiful morning overshadowed our weariness and invigorated our spirits.Devouring breakfast, we moved along the beaten path. The target was to reach Bhojwasa , 14km from gangotri, by evening. walking along the temple street, we passed through the forest check post where the guard checked our permit.The path was narrow hugging the mountains.The sumptuous landscape was a beautiful contrast between vibrant colors and the brown mountains.Looking down one could see the tiny streams of river Ganges.
Just a few kms in the trek, the three week hiatus from my physical regime sprained my left leg muscle. However, We reached Chir(=pine)basa by 1p.m.The second half of the stretch was difficult but camping at Chirbasa would have disturbed our schedule. The cramp got worse as the day passed.I slowly crawled towards Bhojwasa listening to Kalindikhal trail adventure of P.Beyond Chirbasa the terrain became desolated and barren. In fact, it has been referred to as the arctic Tundra by many trekkers. we were hastening our walk in order to reach the campsite before shadows became longer.
By the time we reached the camping ground, the porters had already set up the tents next to the river Bhagirathi.The best combination was chill wind and the hot masala tea. we had amazing candle light dinner prepared by the cook before we sneaked into our sleeping bags.I was not able to move my left leg because of excruciating musle sprain. I was surprised to know wearing jeans could be one of the reasons.However, a steely determination to trek till Tapovan kept me going next day and ofcourse all credit goes to the Painkillers :))....
The stretch Gaumukh-Tapovan was slightly more strenuous than the previous day as we were going to climb the glacier. I had never walked on a glacier and had imagined the glacier walk differently . I expected some dirty looking snow, but nothing appeared as expected.... I could only find Kilometers of brown, dry, ugly looking rocks, covering the glacier. The last 5 km was a steep climb up.Just the view of the climb ahead took the wind out of us. We walked along the fall buring our last Calories.Half way P informed us we can go no furhter and have to cross the fall. P and the porters quickly made our path.Reaching the top, we could see the snowy Shivling Peak.we finally made it... :)))) ...
Next morning,the Tapovan Gods gave us white carpet welcome. It's difficult to describe the breathtaking beauty in few words. As per our itenary, we were suppose to trek to Nandanvan instead we decided to trek back to Bhojwasa. While descending , P advised us to land on our heels first. this seemed simple. First step and i realized i cannot do this. i was too scared to lift my foot. Then i noticed a group of tourist walking side ways. i was glad ... this technique was doable :)
The target was to reach Gangotri ASAP so that we can reach uttarkashi by early evening. we started early by 6 a.m. We reached Gangotri by 10 a.m ... 14 km in 4 hours .. quite an achievement :))). Next day SE and VP boarded bus to delhi.. they left for chennai and i went to deharadun, my native for my next adventure.
THE BEST PART OF THE TRIP
I lost 10 pounds in 10 days :))) .. something i couldn't acheive in a year ... :)
TIPS
1) Direct bus from Delhi(ISBT) to Uttarkashi: The direct bus from delhi to uttarkashi are booked either on previous day or on the day bus departs. This depends on when the bus arrives.
2)Permit : According to the study conducted by the Geological department of India, Global warming has been seriously affecting the Gangotri Glacier. It has been receding by 83 feet every year. The rate at which it shrinked in the last three decades is more than the rate at which it shrinked in the earlier decades. Commercialization in the area is the main cause of pollution in the river that is causing the glacier to melt. Thus, From this year, Govenment is permitting only 150 trekkers a day to venture beyond Gangotri. One has to meet DFO (District Forest Officer) to get the permit.
3) Traffic Jams : Be prepared to get stuck in these jams for 3-4 hours.
4) Phone: BSNL works till gangotri... No manager can reach you beyond this point..:).
5) ATM : Uttarkashi has only one SBI Atm that doesn't work most of the times, and one will find no ATMs in Gangotri.
6) Survival Kit : Avomin and Pain Killers :)
7) Clothing: Tracks ... No tight Jeans
8) Cost : Be ready to pay exorbiant price for any service you need.
9) Trivia ...
Gangotri
Gangotri glacier is 2nd longest glacier of Indian Himalaya after Siachin.It is the largest glacier in the Garhwal Himalayas, with the length of 30.20 km and width of 0.20 – 2.35 km and is the primary source of water feeding the Ganga River. It is the combination of large number of glaciers that forms the huge mass of ice. Gangotri glacier originates from the northern slope of Chaukhambha range of peak and terminates at Gaumukh (4,000m). Mythology Bhagiratha is said to have prayed at Gangotri to save his relatives. The Pandavas are said to have visited this place to atone for the sin of killing their relatives during the Kurukshetra war. At this point the Ganges River flows north, giving this village its name, Gangotri, which means “Ganga turned north.” Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita, “Of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.”
Bhojwasa
In earlier times, the bark of the bhoj tree was used to write letters. It is now almost extinct as locals use the bhoj timber as fuel, despite a government ban, and trekkers use the branches as walking sticks.
Gaumukh
Gaumukh glacier lies at the distance of 18 kms from Gangotri. It has been given the name Gaumukh by the sage because it appears like the mouth of the cow. It is the point where the sacred water of Ganga comes down from the glacier. P informed us initially gaumukh glacier extended till gangotri.The entire route offers several evidences of the fact that the Gangotri Glacier was indeed terminating at Gangotri.The glacial remains in form of the rocks by the distant mountain sides..now covered with greenery, the soil, the rocks within the soil, the dried up remains of smaller glaciers that would have dried up ages ago, the easy gradient up the path and the wide river bed all tell the story that
Mythology
The place is considered as holy where thousands of pilgrims are seen taking bath in its icy cold water. It is believed that by taking a dip in the water of Gaumukh, one can be free from all sins of life. The guide informed us gangotri glacier extended till gangotri, but has been receding for centuries now.
Bhagiratha is said to have prayed at Gangotri to save his relatives. The Pandavas are said to have visited this place to atone for the sin of killing their relatives during the Kurukshetra war. At this point the Ganges River flows north, giving this village its name, Gangotri, which means “Ganga turned north.” Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita, “Of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.”
