Gaumukh Tapovan trek

On day one, trekkers will be driven to Gangotri from Dehradun, which makes for a 10-12 hours drive. Shaded by lofty mountains and beautiful Deodar forests, Gangotri is also the base village for the Kedartal Trek. Rest overnight, and gear up for the trek beginning the following day to the source of river Ganga.

Begin early in the morning by driving from Dharali to Gangotri. Start trekking towards Chirbasa, the trail to which snakes through a lush forest. In a matter of a few minutes, the mighty Sudarshan Parbat (21,345 ft.) greets you. Take trail proceeding towards the left side of the mountain, to the right of which the roaring Bhagirathi river can be seen. A little further up, you can see one of the first streams and waterfalls of the trek. Crossing a makeshift bridge and a few more streams will bring you mindblowing vistas of the valley. A few hours of trekking will land you at the Chirbasa campsite sitting beside the Bhagirathi river and affording great views of the Bhagirathi peaks. You will camp here overnight.

As you begin your trek from Chirbasa, other towering peaks loom out gracefully. You now embark on the Gaumukh trail. A few minutes later, the beautiful Chirbasa campsite can be seen below, after which the terrain seems rugged and broken in places. Soon, you will face the first ridge of the day. The twin Bhagirathi peaks appear closer as you trek further up the trail. It is not advisable to loiter much as there may be many falling rocks to watch out for. Once you reach Bhojbasa, you are gifted with the first magical glimpse of Mt. Shivling. Go on a short trek to Gaumukh, which takes about 2.5 hours to reach, and is flanked by Mt. Shivling on the right.

Take the same trail to Gaumukh as the other day. The most challenging day of the trek, the trail from Gaumukh to Tapovan takes you through rugged glacial moraines and the stunning Gaumukh glacier. Making your way through the landslide-prone regions, and the glacial stream Akash-Ganga sends a rush of excitement through your body! A deadly combination of ice and rocks adds to the difficulty level, making it slightly slippery. The initial leg of the climb up to the top of the glacier is a stark ascent of about 100 meters. Soon, you must wade through the chilling Akash-Ganga, post which, a steep ascent of 1.5 hours will bring you to Tapovan. Pitch your tents here for the night.

The trek back from Bhojwasa to Gangotri is quite smooth and can be traversed comfortably. The trail back follows the same route taken while ascending.

On this day, you will drive back to Dehradun. You will reach Dehradun by 6 or 7 pm.