High Altitude. Pure Wilderness. Absolute Bliss
Maximum Altitude
14,600 ft.
Trek Duration
7 Night / 8 Days
Trek Distance
41 Km
Difficulty Level
Moderate to difficult
Start/End Point
Prince Chowk, Dehradun
Nearest Airport
Jollygrant Airport, Dehradun
Best Season
May - June & Sep - Oct
Accommodation
2 night in hotel room & during trek in dome styled tent
Meals
Breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and dinner
Permits
Forest Department & Trekking permit
Temperature
10°C to 15°C (day) ; -5°C to -10°C (night)
Snow
November to February
The Gaumukh Tapovan Trek is an unforgettable high-elevation trek in the Uttarkashi District of Uttarakhand and takes you inside the Gangotri National Park. The Gaumukh Tapovan Trek is a unique combination of both spiritual and adventure as it starts off at the holy town of Gangotri (10,200 feet) and treks to Gaumukh (13,200 feet), which is considered both the end of (the glacial end) of the very large Gangotri glacier and as the mythical origin of the Ganges River. After crossing the glacier, one must ascend up a steep and difficult path across unstable moraines and moving boulders to reach the high-altitude meadows of Tapovan (14,600). In Tapovan, you can find beautiful meadows with incredible views of Mt. Shivling, Meru, and the Bhagirathi sister peaks while enjoying the meditative silence of the area. The trek is approximately 41 kilometers long, and takes anywhere from 6-8 days to complete. The trek is rated moderate to difficult because of the condition of the rugged terrain, the thinning air, and also the need to acclimatize to the altitude of the high mountains. Not only does this trek provides a deep sense of height (temple bells ringing from the valley) and beauty (from the Alpenglow on the tops of the golden peaks) but it is also considered one of the must do treks for anyone interested in following the sacred river to its true birth of ice and snow in the midst of some of the highest peaks in the world. This trek serves as the ultimate benchmark in Himalayan exploration, with each step taken on the ancient ice being an experience that allows you to explore the beginnings of all life; whether witnessed during warm weather in May or June, or when the coolness of the autumn months from September until October, this trek has no equal in Himalayan trekking.
1. The Ganges' Sacred Source: The Gaumukh Tapovan Trek is often referred to as the source of the Ganges River, located at the base of Gaumukh, or Cow Mouth. This site is very special in many respects because this is the actual physical location where the Ganges begins, as well as the mythological birthplace of the Ganges (also known as the Bhagirathi) because this is where the river began its flow from an ancient glacier in the Himalayas. As trekkers arrive at the glacier's front (or actual wall), they experience a humbling feeling of one of the largest glaciers in the Himalayas, a powerful and defining force of nature that ultimately serves as the river that serves the many millions of people on our planet.
2. The Stage for the Greatest of the Himalayas: Upon arriving at the meadows of Tapovan, trekkers find themselves having the best seat in the campsite. Trekkers standing at the foot of what is referred to as the Matterhorn of the East is certainly one of the greatest front-row seat locations in the world; it provides trekkers with a breathtaking view of many of the world's most recognized peaks, including the distinctive pyramid shape of Mt. Shivling, the three granite walls that form the Bhagirathi Massif, the shark-fin shape of Mt. Meru, and the massive Kedar Dome. The landscape surrounding Tapovan is so dramatic that there are very few locations that provide such a panoramic, unrestricted view of a 360-degree landscape on earth.
3. Exciting Ice Navigation Experience: You will trek across a hazardous glacier full of moving ice, sliding rocks, and many boulders. The Route consists of a wide-open area or what might be best described as an avalanche of opened up or unrepaired moraine and lots of melted ice, resulting in great new surfaces and many irregularly shaped formations created by melting ice. You will be able to hear the sound of the ice moving beneath you and see the unique features of the glacier.
4. Surprising Scenic Changes in Landscape: The trail has a varied set of perspectives over a continuous distance of up to 1,000 feet. You trekl from some of the world's most beautiful cedar and pine forests in Gangotri (Chirbasa), to a very dry landscape that resembles the moon at Bhojbasa (home of the ancient Himalayan Birch trees), to spectacular golden meadows at Tapovan where you will encounter a beautiful landscape filled with wildflowers, including the extremely popular and rare Bharal (Blue Sheep).
5. A Living Spiritual History: This area has provided a home to many ascetics and sages seeking beauty, solitude, and the good life for thousands of years. Tapovan (the Forest of Penance) is home to monks who spend their summers meditating in cave-like structures throughout the mountains. The trail follows a very ancient (over 2,000 years) pilgrimage route that has allowed hundreds of thousands of people to pass through these vast mountain valleys filled with very old trees and great peace.
6. A Technical Blazer for Trekkers: For experienced trekkers, this trek provides an opportunity to complete the vertical ascent from the glacier to Tapovan. The steep uphill with unstable scree and rocky footing, makes this section of the trek a true challenge for all trekkers. Completing this uphill under high-altitude conditions will give the instructed trekker an incredible sense of accomplishment over casual trekkers and truly separate the trekker from the mountain explorer.
If you’re looking for a trek that offers moments that you won’t find anywhere, the Gaumukh Tapovan trek is one of them. You can experience standing at Gaumukh and watching an enormous wall of blue ice become the sacred Ganges River or crossing an extremely large mass of erosion and running water at the largest glacier in India: the Gangotri Glacier. You will hear the creaking noise of glaciers while crossing this glacier bed, and you’ll sleep soundly under the cold shadow of Mt. Shivling. One of the most remarkable experiences while doing this trek is spending some time at Tapovan, an area of such spiritual distance from the rest of the world. You will feel as though you had just stepped back in time.
This trek is a moderate to challenging experience with respect to both mental and physical endurance. The challenges primarily arise out of the unstable and shifting moraines of the Gangotri Glacier as well as the steep (70 degree) rockfall zone leading from the glacier to Tapovan, requiring trekking through loose scree and boulders. In addition, the altitude (above 13,000 feet) means that the oxygen level is thin and the trek provides a real test of cardiovascular endurance, technical skill and, in order to succeed, this trek will require our complete respect for the terrain as well as our discipline in acclimatizing to the altitude.
A large number of ecological zones can be found throughout the Gangotri National Park. During your trek, you will pass many interesting sights, including the ancient trees called Bhojpatra (Himalayan Birch) from which were formed the first scriptures of India that were written on its bark. There are also Bharal (Himalayan Blue Sheep) which can often be seen grazing on the cliffs above Tapovan, along with Snow Leopards and Himalayan Brown Bears (though they are not typically seen). Large Golden Eagles will often patrol the skies above.
The trek is rich in history from ancient India. The starting point is Gangotri, which is one of the four Char Dham shrines; the trek will give you an adventure and a spiritual experience among the sadhus (holy men) and yogis who live in caves in Bhojbasa and Tapovan to meditate. Cultural experiences include an atmosphere of silence and simplicity shared by everyone doing the trek; a Tea House in Bhojbasa allows for interaction between trekkers, pilgrims and trekkers from all over the world who are on their way to the source of the sacred river.
The Best Time and Conditions of Year for the Gaumukh Tapovan trek are found during two periods: May-June and September-October. May and June represent summer. A mixture of snow that has recently melted, combined with wildflowers blooming, creates the white-trek experience. The glacier below has just recently melted off and is still covered with snow, while the meadows above are vibrant and fully lit with bright green vegetation. In contrast, from late September to early October, when the summer's monsoon has finished and the air is clean from the dust of the monsoon rain, the atmosphere is best centered about the bright blue sky of clear visibility throughout the valleys and hills under an incredibly vivid sun. At the same time, during this period Tapovan's meadows are transformed from an earlier season of vibrant vegetation to one of vivid burnt golds and oranges. Daytime temperatures will continue to be crisp and sunny; however, as the sun sets every evening the temperature drops to below zero with numerous opportunities for both dramatic and unobstructed views of surrounding granite peaks.
Reaching the Tapovan Plateau (14,600 feet) does not qualify as reaching the summit of a mountain. However, you feel like you’ve done so after the vertical ascent from the glacier onto this high altitude meadow. Entering into this high altitude meadow has the feeling of being in the amphitheater of the gods because you have such a view at the base and top of Mount Shiva. You can see every ridge and icefall on sight as you witness Alpenglow, a phenomenon that occurs when the surrounding 20,000-foot peaks are lit up with solid orange fire by the setting sun, the pinnacle of your spiritual and emotional journey through the trek.
The trek from the fragrant pine and deodar forests of Chirbasa to the stark boulders and Gangotri Glacier showcases a dramatic change in visual experience. From the perspective of vertical height, there are huge granite walls surrounding you, along with the huge ice from one of the most significant glaciers in the whole of the Himalayas. As the height of the glacier gives way to expansive meadows of golden green, the beauty of the experience becomes even greater. Valley of the Gods provides the ideal framework to visually capture the transition from a rugged grey glacial world to lush green alpine meadows below (base) to an incredible sharp needle point that peaks out at Mt. Shivling in combination with the three massive Bhagirathi Peaks.
