Day 1: Rishikesh to Gangotri

Distance: 270 km drive Duration: 9 hours drive The trek starts from Gangotri, a small pilgrim town in Uttarakhand at an elevation of around 10,240 ft above sea level. Located on the banks of the holy Bhagirathi river, it is the last road head for pilgrims heading to Gaumukh-Tapovan as well as for trekkers and mountaineers venturing into the Garhwal Himalayas. It is one of the chota char-dhams of Uttarakhand. Direct buses as well as shared taxis are available early in the morning from Rishikesh to Gangotri, and the journey should take about 10 hours. A slightly more expensive but perhaps more comfortable option is to take a shared taxi from Rishikesh to Uttarkashi and then another from Uttarkashi to Gangotri.

 

 

Day 2: Acclimatization day at Gangotri

Altitude: 10,240 ft GPS coordinates of Gangotri: 30°59’36.55″N, 78°56’29.12″E Since Gangotri is already at a high altitude of above 10,000 ft, it is highly recommended to spend an acclimatization day at Gangotri before starting your trek. Otherwise you risk getting altitude sickness during your trek. You will likely reach Gangotri in the evening, so plan to spend the next day there. Doing an acclimatization walk is particularly helpful in adapting your body to the altitude. You can go for a short hike towards Gaumukh or Kedartal.

 

Day 3: Gangotri to Nala Camp

Altitude: 10,240 ft – 11,990 ft Distance: 6 km Duration: 4-5 hours GPS coordinates of Nala Camp: 30°58’1.24″N, 78°55’4.30″E Today is the first day of the trek. From Gangotri town head southwest, walking down the main valley for about 2 km before turning east into Rudugaira valley as you start to gain altitude. The steep trail climbs up the valley as you pass through the dense forests of Gangotri National Park, with Pine, Cedar, Rhododendron, and Bhoj trees. After about two hours of trekking from Gangotri you will come across a log bridge over Rudugaira river. Cross the bridge to the right (true left) of the valley. The forests begin fading away now as you cross the tree line and move towards grasslands and meadows After about another two hours of walking you will have to cross another stream in a huge landslide area. A further half an hour’s walk will take you to the campsite of Bhoj Kharak. You can camp here or you can trek further to Nala camp which is a further one hour uphill trek. There is a stream flowing next to Nala camp which serves as the water source for camp.

 

Day 4: : Nalla Camp to Rudugaira Base Camp

Altitude: 12,340 ft – 13,650 ft Distance: 3 km Duration: 3 hours GPS coordinates of Rudugaira Base Camp: 30°56’53.10″N, 78°54’23.76″E Today’s trek is a short but steep one to Rudugaira Base Camp. The trail moves away from the Nalla to higher grazing grounds, crossing a couple of small streams enroute. You have to start by crossing the stream flowing to your right. You should now be able to get a clear view of Jogini After a short false climb you descend back to follow the trail ahead. Another one and a half hour of trekking you should come across another small stream. From here the trail climbs steeply to Rudugaira Base Camp. From Rudugaira Base Camp, the Gangotri group of peaks rise to the east and the Jogin group to the North, offering some incredible mountain views. The ridges descending from both the massifs meet at Auden’s Col, which is visible from the campsite. Rudugaira Base Camp is a small grassy patch in the middle of the rocky terrain. There are many streams near the camp which serve as the water source.

 

Day 5: Rudugaira Base Camp to Gangotri Base (Moraine) Camp

On this day, the walking trail begins from the left side of the valley and ascends towards the Nala Camp. The trail goes through the Pine and Birch forest and soon reaches the pictorial spot from where you can have a see the spectacular views of the Jogin and Kedartal range. We will stay here for overnight in tents beside Rudragaira River

 

Day 6: Gangotri Base (Moraine) Camp to Auden’s Col Base Camp

Altitude: 15,300 ft – 16,090 ft Distance: 5 km Duration: 4 hours GPS coordinates of Auden’s Col Base Camp: 30°53’38.92″N, 78°54’6.38″E Cross the stream that flows to your left and start ascending along the ridge on this side of the stream. On the way you will pass Sukha Tal, a moraine bound lake that apparently dries up in the post monsoon season (hence the name). Follow the moraine ridge till you reach its end and descend to a small flat patch of rocky moraine.

 

Day 7: Auden’s Col Base Camp to Auden’s Col and to Khatling Glacier Camp

Altitude: 16,000 ft – 18,030 ft – 16,800 ft Distance: 5 km Duration: 10-12 hours GPS coordinates of Auden’s Col: 30°52’23.79″N, 78°53’28.80″E GPS coordinates of Khatling Glacier: 30°51’41.33″N, 78°53’54.26″E Today is the most anticipated day of the trek- the day you will cross Auden’s Col. It will be a long day of trekking so start as early as possible, preferably before dawn. Also keep in mind that the weather in the mountains tends to very unpredictable later in the day so you will be putting yourself at considerable risk if you start late. The climb begins with crossing a couple of small moraine ridges. It should take you less than two hours to traverse these moraine ridges. Once you cross the ridges, you will be on the glacier. From here another hour of trekking will take you to a flat spot on the glacier which is the advance base camp for Auden’s Col. Some trekkers camp at the advance base camp for an easier ascent to the Col. From the advance base camp the trail to Auden’s Col goes up the gully at a steep 30°- 50° slope. Because of the steep gradient, it is recommended to rope up here. There are also many crevasses in this area and you should exercise extreme caution while ascending. It would be foolhardy to attempt this without an experienced guide. The climb up the gully could take anywhere between three to five hours depending on your fitness and backpack load. The view of the crevasse ridden Khatling glacier from Auden’s Col is incredible. The glacier stretches out in the valley as far as your eyes can see. Take some time to relish the view before you begin the treacherous descent. The descent from Auden’s Col to Khatling glacier is down a very steep 70° gully and you would need to rappel down using ropes on this stretch. Once you reach the bottom of the gully the Khatling glacier flattens out and becomes broader. You get incredible views of the surrounding peaks and icefalls from here. The walk to the campsite should take another couple of hours trekking along the Khatling glacier. Be careful on this stretch as Khatling glacier is littered with crevasses all around- it is recommended to rope up and move vigilantly towards your camp. The campsite is on a small rocky moraine patch on the Khatling glacier

 

Day 8: Khatling Glacier Camp to Zero Point

Altitude: 16,800 ft – 12,700 ft Distance: 9 km Duration: 8-9 hours GPS coordinates of Zero point: 30°48’52.19″N, 78°56’51.45″E Today is another long and treacherous day of trekking. If yesterday the challenge was the steep icy terrain, today it is going to be long traverses over moraine and crevasses. To start off the day however, if the weather is clear, you should wake up to some jaw dropping views of the sun lighting up the many peaks around Khatling Glacier. As you start descending along the glacier, you will come across ever more crevasses that you need to negotiate carefully. This portion is heavily crevassed and demands a lot of time and caution. After 2-3 hours of trekking you will reach the end of the glacier, to its terminal moraine. The moraine section was earlier (about a decade back) just about one and a half hours long. But part of the trail has collapsed in the recent years rendering it much more difficult. The trail to zero point now involves traversing the lateral moraine to your right. Traversing moraine is difficult as it is, but the moraine here is particularly difficult to traverse. The boulders here are not firm but they move with your body weight. This makes it very difficult and time consuming to get through this moraine section. It could take anywhere between four to six hours to traverse this section.From here, climb the hill to get to the right side of Bhilangana river. For the first time in days, the trek is on flat ground. Camp here for the night.

 

Day 9: Buffer Day

You need to keep a buffer day in your itinerary for bad weather or any emergencies on the trek

 

Day 10: Zero Point to Uddar Camp

Altitude: 12,700 ft – 11,940 ft Distance: 7 km Duration: 3-4 hours After many days you will finally see some greenery on today’s trek as you descend along the Bhilangana river valley. The greenery, however sparse, is sure to recharge your batteries after all these days of trekking over ice, snow and moraine. Uddar camp (meaning “cave”) is an easy three-four descent along the valley, with the trail reaching right to the river valley at some points. The river bed here is littered with Bharal carcasses. You will pass a couple of small villages along the way. Right opposite the Uddar camp, across the river is Chowki. Trekkers going to Mayali Pass camp here. You can even spot the steep trail up to Mayali Pass. Kedarnath lies just behind this Pass. Rest for the day at first bountiful, green campsite in days.

 

Day 11:Uddar Camp to Jungle Camp (Chavni)

Altitude: 11,940 ft – 9,640 ft Distance: 5 km Duration: 4-5 hours GPS coordinates of Jungle Camp (Chavni): 30°44’33.81″N, 78°53’50.86″E The toughest days of the expedition is behind you and the trail becomes a routinely pleasant walk. You may see shepherds and their herd: sheep, cattle and sometimes, horses. The walk to Jungle Camp begins after crossing a few hard snow patches. The well defined trail goes through a dense forest dotted with few meadows and streams. You will find these streams making small pools on occasion Most of the trek is through this jungle. The campsite for the day is a clearing that is often used by shepherds. There will be a stone structure that functions as a temporary shepherd shelter marking the clearing. This is Jungle Camp. As often it is in the mountains, this campsite has various alternate names. Camp here for the night.

 

Day 12: Jungle Camp (Chavni) to Gangi

Altitude: 9,640 ft – 8,700 ft Distance: 15 km Duration: 8 hours GPS coordinates of Gangi: 30°38’10.53″N, 78°51’4.65″E Today is a long day. It is a strenuous day because of it’s distance, not because of tricky terrain. The trek is a continuation of the jungle walk from the previous day with lush meadows and dense forests. Once you cross Jungle Camp, the snow patches disappear. The trail has a gradual ascents and descents throughout the day. The last two hours of the trail towards Gangi is on a steep incline Gangi is a quaint village with about 100-150 houses, sitting at an altitude of 8,700 ft. There is KMVN guest house as well. Stay at the village for the night.

 

Day 13: Gangi to Rishikesh

Distance: 180 km drive Duration: 8 hours drive There is a dirt road that goes all the way down to Ghuttu from Gangi. You can arrange for local transport to take you to Ghuttu at the cost of Rs 50. Mobile network is available from Ghuttu onwards. From Ghuttu, hire a taxi to Rishikesh.