Gaumukh Tapovan Trek - Day 01

CONTINUED FROM HERE: Gangotri

Date: 06-Oct-2024

Day 01: Gangotri (3415m/11200ft) To Chirbasa (3600m/11800ft)

Distance/Time: 11km (6H)

Following the River

At around 6AM, Aseem and I went to Gangotri temple to view the morning Aarathi. We went to the ghat before returning to find a hotel that served tea that early. An old man made us a mug full of ginger black tea. 

We had breakfast at Hotel Krishna palace. I had Masala dosa, while Divyesh and Aseem waited a long time for their oats. The owner of the hotel is a middle aged stout man who smiling says - "Your order will take time but you won’t be disappointed". He was right. The food is always well prepared and presented. We joked that we had to order food as we wake up so that we could have it ready by the time we reach there. Last evening, Shushrut had waited more than an hour for his hot momos to arrive. Dosa’s were descent with the consideration that we were at an altitude where one cannot expect natural fermentation to occur. 

We began our trek at 9:30AM. We headed into the jungle and reached the forest Checkpost. Here, one has to provide the necessary registration details. One can register for this trek on this website. 

As we walked along the obvious trail, cut through the mountain, we could see Sudarshan peak at far end of the route. There were some devotees on this trail too. Many people trek directly to Bhojwasa on the first day. 

We took a few short breaks and stopped for lunch just before a steep descent to our campsite. The trek was fairly easy with hardly any ascent. We reached our campsite at 3:20PM. 

Chirbasa campsite is one of the most beautiful campsites on this trail. It is situated in a jungle, only a few meters from the Bhagirathi River. From then tent you can hear the Bhagirathi river flow rigorously downhill. 

After having some tea and snacks, we headed to the river side. From here, we could see Bhagirathi Massif. With no human intervention around, the river flowed freely and nature had formed an idyllic setting around it. 

I tried to sketch the view but the heavy wind made the climate unbearably cold. After making a rough sketch, I headed back to the tent. 

Dinner was served around 7:30PM. Bikat adventures, (our trek organisers) have an additional rule. We have to carry our own plates, glasses and spoons. Carrying them is not an issue, cleaning them too is not an issue. But cleaning them in freezing cold water is what makes it hard. By the time I was done cleaning, my hands had gone numb. 

I must have got a bit dehydrated on the way. I had slight headache. I craved for a sound sleep.

CONTINUED HERE: Gaumukh Tapovan Trek - Day 02

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