From somewhere deep within the Garhwal Himalayas, Bhagirathi gushes out from the snout of a 30km long Gangotri Glacier with a lot of zest. Streaming through a sea of rocks and boulders, it finally calms down as it meets Alaknanda at Devprayag to become the mighty Ganga – a river which makes a 2700 km journey to nourish a nation.
300 vertical meters up from Gaumukh, on crossing a sea of boulders just when you are convinced no life could survive beyond this point, you land up in the magical meadows of Tapovan filled with life and colour.
Going to Gaumukh Tapovan is like going to the source of a lot of beliefs we hold as a people!
Even though the trek does not lie too high on the difficulty scale because it is frequented by pilgrims and hence has an easy access, do not be fooled into believing that it is a walk in the park – although technically it is since the entire trail goes through a national park – but you know what I mean! The trek does pose a few difficulties which you should know about.
Let us be the ones to do the dirty job of introducing you to the challenges of this trek!
Difficulty Level of the Trek:
Gaumukh Tapovan is a level 4 trek on the Bikat Rating Scale.
About the BRS: The Bikat Rating Scale rates the difficulty level of all treks and expeditions in our portfolio after taking into account their geographical and climatic conditions.
According to this scale, if you are a beginner who is unsure of your fitness level and don’t know what to expect on a trek, a trek rated one will be a good place to start.
If you liked your very first trekking experience and are looking to test your limits next, the treks rated 2 or 3 will do the job for you.
A beginner who is sure of their fitness level on the other hand is welcome to skip the first two levels and directly start with one of the treks rated 3.
From 4 onwards, the rules change a little. It is mandatory to have trekking experience of the previous level to participate in the next level.
The Trails of Gaumukh Tapovan Trek:
The trek takes you through the enchanting forests of birch and pine on clearly marked trails. The jungles are so thick and pleasant, when you add mist to this mix, you will almost feel like you’ve been transported into your favourite fantasy fiction. This magical land almost suddenly gives way to a more desolate landscape full of rocks and riverbed sand. As you gain altitude, these rocks turn into massive boulders which bring you to the mouth of the river at Gaumukh. From here, the boulders only multiply and the gradient gets steeper till you reach the flat meadows at Tapovan.
Here are some exciting challenges which make the trek demanding as well as fun!
Challenge 1: Getting to Gangotri
If you live anywhere away from the North of India, you’d know that the proximity of the Himalayas is not best friends with the concept of limited time. While the trail heads of some of the treks are easily accessible locations, Gaumukh Tapovan demands a little more of your time. The trek begins at spiritually renowned mountain town of Gangotri which is a 240 km drive from the closest airport, Dehradun. The drive takes between 10-12 hours. So, in terms of transit time, you spend a lot more getting to the start of the trek, and similarly, a significant amount of time to get to the closest transport back home after the trek is over.
If it is any consolation, the drive to this mountain town is the start of a refreshing experience. It is a soothing ride on mostly smooth roads. Gangotri itself is also a fascinating place to explore – it houses a lot of history, religion and relics from mythical tales and long-standing beliefs.
(Gangotri – A Fascinating Trail Head)
Challenge 2: The Dreaded Trolley Ride
Previously, we would cross the Bhagirathi River from over the Gangotri Glacier – back when it was still robust. Now the route to approach the glacier from Bhojwasa is completely shattered – restricting all direct access to the glacier. Due to this, we now have to cross the river straight from the Bhojwasa campsite. That isn’t the problem – the challenge lies in how this gushing force of nature is crossed.
It is crossed in a rickety make-shift trolley with a manual pulley system – so if there isn’t anyone on the other side to pull you to the other side, you might as well be spending your day stuck in mid-air with the racing river just below you and the cold mountain air swinging your ride in all directions. This crude apparatus which is used as public transport to get from one side to the other looks like it could give way at any point. This iron bucket, smaller than a modern office cubicle, transports as many as 5-6 trekkers crammed in that small space in one go. Also, because each round back and forth takes close to 10 mins and the man force of a dozen, going across the river is a slow process. You will sometimes find yourself waiting in line for as long as two hours for your turn at this joy-ride!
(Read: Highlights of Gaumukh Tapovan Trek)
Challenge 3: Extremely Long Distances on an Unfriendly Terrain
In terms of distance, the first day (from Gangotri to Chirbasa) and the last day (from Bhojwasa to Gangotri) are extremely long: 11kms and 15kms respectively. The rest of the days, distance-wise, seem shorter (approx. 5 kms each) but are made treacherous by difficult terrain. The hardest day is Day 4 when we go from Bhojwasa to Tapovan. After crossing the forest area, which ends quickly, we land in a desolate terrain full of rocks and boulders. This uneven terrain forces you to focus on each step for all of 5 kms and a 500M ascent. Things get a bit madder after we reach Gaumukh. Gaumukh to Tapovan is a vertical climb on massive boulders alongside a waterfall which we have to jump, hop and cross multiple times during the 300M vertical climb to Tapovan. Nearly every day on the trek is strenuous – some for the distance, some for having to cross long stretches of rockfall regions with the local wildlife making it into a dangerous game of ‘dodge the rock I roll down’. Some other days are made difficult by the terrain and some by the gradient of the slope.
There are no mules on this trail. You can either give your sack to a porter to carry it yourself. If you choose to carry your own backpack (which I suggest you must), the hike only gets more demanding. The views all throughout the trek, however, are enough to distract yourself from the length of the ground you must cover each day and the treacherous terrain you have to navigate. Shivling and Bhagirathi massif are a major source of energy throughout the trek. You won’t turn a single corner on this entire trek which will fail to leave you spellbound for its beauty, of that I assure you!
Challenge 4: The 300M Vertical Ascent to Tapovan
Even though the ascent to Tapovan is mentioned in the previous point, I think it deserves a dedicated section to itself too. This 300M vertical ascent is the most physically demanding section of the trek. It is also the scariest since it is almost vertical. The boulders add to the difficulty by making it an unsteady climb. The water further increases the challenge by making the rocks slippery. You really should hope you don’t run into bad weather on this patch of the climb because there are enough challenges to deal with on this obstacle course of a climb!
Challenge 5: Weather
Well, this is the least surprising challenge. If you have any experience of trekking in the Himalayas, you would know that the weather here is as moody as a woman on her period. It has the potential to change every second. While unpredictable weather can be challenging anywhere, it is especially so on this trail since there are quite a few sections which are made worse by bad weather. For example, the rock fall regions become a lot more difficult in bad weather as does the vertical climb to Tapovan. Since most of the trek after Bhojwasa is on rocks and boulders, water from the rain or melted snow can make navigating these trails a lot trickier.
Also, a rainy day would make getting across those long distances especially tiring. For all reasons of aesthetics, convenience, comfort, fair weather is a blessing especially on this trek.
GEAR REQUIRED FOR GAUMUKH TAPOVAN TREK
While the trek is fairly easy and requires no technical gear, there is some basic gear you will need from your end to get through your trek comfortably.
Some of the things you will need are:
1. A sturdy, lightweight backpack: A good backpack which sits comfortably on your back without putting too much pressure on it can be the deciding factor between making it to the summit or not. Good, however, is not a synonym for expensive.
One of our founders, Pankaj, purchased a non-branded pack for INR 1100 in 2010 and the pack continues to work just fine for him even today. In the article linked below, he shares some helpful tips on what to look for when choosing a trekking backpack.
2. Comfortable trekking shoes: Happy feet equal a happy trek. Conventional sports shoes don’t suit trekking trails. We recommend wearing high ankle shoes with sturdy soles. These not only provide better support but also reduce the possibility of injuries while hiking. In case, you need help with a list of deciding factors that make for good trekking shoes, please refer to the article below.
How to choose a good pair of hiking shoes
3. Right Clothing: Any high-altitude trek requires specific kinds of clothing. It should be warm but light weight. It should also be such that it is easily packaged. On high-altitude treks such as Gaumukh Tapovan, we usually employ the layering method where you put on multiple layers of clothing instead of one very heavy, thick jacket. This is for two reasons:
4. The weather in Himalayan regions is unpredictable and changes very quickly. Layering gives you the freedom to adapt to that accordingly where you are not left feeling too hot or too cold.
5. These are easy to carry and are packing-friendly.
SKILLS REQUIRED FOR GAUMUKH TAPOVAN TREK
Bikat Adventures is primarily an adventure learning organization. This means our key objective is not just to help trekkers complete their treks but also to ensure they pick up some valuable lessons and skills in trekking along the way.
To achieve this, we have created learning modules and paired them to different levels on the Bikat Rating Scale.
These modules are taught real-time on the trails by our trek leaders.
The following are some skills that are likely to come in handy on a trek like Gaumukh Tapovan.
While you will have all the assistance you need on the trek from our capable trek leaders and guides, we suggest browsing through the articles below to get an idea of what is involved.
Given how unpredictable the weather gets throughout the trail on Gaumukh Tapovan, you are likely to keep changing your layering frequently along the way. Also, due to the vast difference in day temperature and that at night, you most probably will spend a lot of time packing and re-packing your sack depending on whether you are on-trail or at the campsite, have chanced upon sudden rains or are stuck in a suddenly arrived cold hour. The area is also prone to unannounced rains. Under such changeable circumstances, accessing your stuff can get a bit messy and confusing.
Also, a sack packed right can facilitate your trekking while incorrect packing can even make an easy trail seem difficult. Worry not, we are here to help. The article linked below shares some useful guidelines you can follow to pack efficiently.
Layering appropriately to protect yourself from the cold is essential. The article linked below will give you a fair idea of the winter layers you will need and guide you on how to layer up at campsites and while hiking.
Like we said before, some sections on the trek are sharp ascents and equally sharp descents. Add that to the distances to be covered each day and the difficulty only increases. Using trekking poles can ease out some of that difficulty by providing additional support. The article below will help you understand how to use them as well as how they can facilitate your climb.
When on any trek, it is each person’s responsibility to know the requirements of the area, some campsite basics and how to manage our own selves as well as the environment around us. While our trek leaders will keep you abreast about the basic dos and don’ts, do read the article below to brush up on some basic principles before the trek.
Waste Management and Leave No Trace Principles
We hope this article answers all the questions you may have about Gaumukh Tapovan trek. In case you need further assistance/information with something, please feel free to reach out to us. We are only a phone call away.
