Famous treks in Uttarakhand

 Gaumukh-Tapovan Trek, Gangotri | itinerary | permit | complete trek details

Gaumukh-tapovan trek is one of the "must-to-do" trek. Gaumukh glacier is the source of holy river Ganga. Every trekker & adventure lover wishes to visit this place once in a lifetime. Only adventure lovers can successfully complete this entire trek. The temperature here can go as low as to zero or even in minus degrees. Trekker often experience low oxygen count. 

Tapovan & Mt. Shivling

Gaumukh :- Gaumukh is the main source of holy river "Ganga". It is 18km away from Gangotri Dham. Gaumukh refers to " Mouth of a cow". 

Tapovan :- Tapovan consist of two words 'tapas' meaning "penance" & 'van' meaning "forest". It is just 5km trek from Gaumukh. Tapovan is famous for its breathtaking Shivling peak & bhagirathi peaks. 

Gaumukh-tapovan trek

Gaumukh tapovan trek is an excellent choice for adventure lovers. It is 23km trek from Gangotri Dham. The terrain is rocky. Any beginner can do this trek upto Gaumukh but for tapovan one need to be highly experienced trekker as the terrain from Gaumukh onwards is not good going. One has to start this trek from Gangotri Dham. If you're a beginner there are two options for you, you can start your trek from Gangotri and halt at Chirbasa . 

Behind the lens : aloknegi

If you're good at trekking you can stay at Bhojbasa, which falls 4km back from Gaumukh. Bhojbasa is the main basecamp and offers trekking route towards tapovan. There is no way to tapovan from gaumukh. As the route is inaccessible due to land slides. 

Trek permit /pass 

A permit is necessary to do the gaumukh-tapovan trek. There are two options to obtain the permit. First you can obtain it from the Collectorate office at Uttarkashi district or by visiting the Forest office at Gangotri. The office timing at gangotri are 8am-10am & 5pm-7pm.So be aware of timings. Secondly you can obtain it online. There is a limit for daily permit. Only 150 permit are allowed in a day. So the best way is to obtain it online.The charge for person is rs. 150 and for foreigners is rs. 600. 

Apply for online gaumukh tapovan permits here Permit for Gaumukh - Tapovan Trek

The trek comprises of five base camp 

Gangotri - chirbasa - bhojbasa - gaumukh -tapovan

Gangotri - chirbasa ( 9km), chirbasa - bhojbasa (5km), bhojbasa-gaumukh (4km), bhojbasa-tapovan(5km). 

Gangotri - Chirbasa

Gangotri is the starting point of gaumukh-tapovan trek. The first few kilometers are easy. Two check post falls during the trail, where you would be asked to show the permit. After first check post the journey towards gaumukh-tapovan starts. The trail is bit difficult somewhere ,one needs to have good trekking shoes. The entire trail is well marked, there is no issue of tracking the trail. Somewhere, the trail is steep too but not that much. After few hours of trekking you will be able to recognize chirbasa by the huge cluster of pine trees. From gangotri to chirbasa it will take you around 4-5hrs.

@aloknegi

Chirbasa - Bhojbasa 

The landscape just after chirbasa looks like a barren land, you will see less of the vegetion along the trail. During the trek there is no dhaba though there are many sources of water . You must carry your own food and water bottles. The trail is similar to that of gangotri -chirbasa. This will take you around 3 hrs to reach bhojbasa. It has many staying facilities including GMVN, dhabas, camps etc. You can opt according to your budget. Bhojbasa is the main basecamp for both gaumukh and tapovan. 

Bhojbasa :- bhojbasa is the main basecamp for both tapovan and gaumukh. Bhojbasa has no of stays including GMVN, huts, camps, ashrams. The prices also varies in each of these stays. If want better facilities you can opt for GMVN, but you need to book it first online before you start the trek. Then there are other options too. The price ranges from 350-400/person in these huts, with lunch and breakfast included. I advise you to stay in these huts because they are good at prices and facilities too. 

Bhojbasa 

Bhojbasa - Gaumukh

The trail from bhojbasa to gaumukh is an easy going. The route is well marked with stones. It is just a 4km hike from bhojbasa. After few kilometers you will be able to get a clear view of bhagirathi groups of peak, shivling and gaumukh glacier. There are numerous boulders on the trek, so move carefully. It will only take 3hrs to reach gaumukh. 

Towards Gaumukh : @aloknegi

Bhojbasa - tapovan

Now, the real adventure starts from bhojbasa to tapovan. The trail is challenging, Rocky and steep. Tapovan falls on the other side of the river Bhagirathi (Ganga). In order to get access to the other side of the river one has to pull the trollley & pass through,with the help of trolley. The whole trail is bit challenging and one should always be careful of boulders. One single mistake can lead you in a serious problem. Walk carefully and slowly as there is always a fear of boulder slides. After continues trekking of 4 hrs you will see the breathtaking view tapovan. It offers an amazing view of Bhagirathi group of peaks, Mt. Shivling & Amrit Ganga. 

Mobile - connectivity 

Only jio works fine but the signals of bsnl and airtel are weak at Gangotri. Afterwards there is no mobile-connectivity. 

Things to carry

* trekking stick

* first-aid box

* hat or cap

* extra trek pants & shocks

* moisturizer

* flashlight

* water bottles & insect repellent

Short description of the trek

Location :- Gangotri, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand

Altitude :- 13,200feet

Temperature :- Max - 23°c, Minimum - (-5°c) 

Distance from Gangotri to tapovan- 23km

Best time to visit :- Apr-Oct

Snow :- Nov-Feb