Giants

 

Take a wander among majestic mountain giants on this high altitude trek up to the holiest glacial source of Mother Ganga and into the high alpine meadows of Tapovan. A photographers dream!

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Pick Up Point: Dehradun Airport
​Duration: 9 Days
​High Point: Nandanvan Meadows 4700m

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Day 1
Arrival at Dehradun airport and drive to accommodation in Dehradun.

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Day 2 Uttarkashi
​Move to the bustling market town of Uttarkashi via Mussoorie, an old hill station of the British Raj. From here you have the choice of weaving past the beautiful scenery and jaw dropping scale of Tehri Lake (part of the regions commitment to hydroelectricity) or you can choose a shorter route weaving through traditional towns saving two hours journey time. (Road conditions permitting). The Lake View Hotel is close to shops, banks & ATM's and from here you can choose to visit the peaceful grounds of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering with it's newly extended Museum of Himalayan mountaineering.

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​Day 3 Gangotri (3200m)
​A comfortable taxi will take you on the breathtaking journey up to the roadhead. Gangotri is the holiest of the Char Dham, the four sources of the Ganges and sacred to Hindu's. Millions of pilgrims visit this mountain town every year. You can wander in the traffic free town, visit the temple and marvel at the stunning Gangotri Falls. On your journey up you may wish to make a stop at the natural hot springs of Gangnani or take a stroll from beautiful Harsil along the pounding river to Bagori, home to a Buddhist monastery and where handicrafts are available to buy from local tribes. Three kilometres ahead lies Mukhava village, the winter home of the deity that resides at Gangotri Temple.

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​Day 4 Bhojbasa (3700m)
​Today's 14 km trek begins at the Gangotri Temple along the right bank of the Bhagirathi River taking about 5 to 6 hours to complete. The height increases gradually along moderately difficult terrain initially along a mule track. At 9km the village of Chirbasa sits on the tree line, here you can take a rest and drink in the first sights of Manda peak and the magnificent Bhagirathi Massif. Now we enter the realm of the Himalayan Blue Sheep, known locally as "Bharal" listen for the sound of falling rocks to indicate their presence. This is also the realm of the stunning and increasingly rare Snow Leopard which is know to make it's presence only to a lucky few.
​On reaching Bhojbasa your will be treated to a magical first glimpse of the breathtakingly beautiful peak Shivling which attracts climbers and mountaineers from all over the world. Bhojbasa is the location of the most remote rescue post in the Indian Himalaya. The State Disaster Response Force consists of a team of 7 specially trained responders who can assist with any rescues required in Nandanvan, Tapovan, Gamukh and the adjacent areas.

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​Day 5 Tapovan 4500m
​Tapovan is a stunning alpine meadow that also serves as the basecamp for Mt Shivling and Meru Peak. Here one can see mountaineering and trekking groups camping in flower filled, high altitude splendour while Blue Sheep graze nearby. The initial trek from Bhojbasa is gradual until Gamukh, the snout of the Gangotri glacier. From here the terrain get's a little trickier as there is no permanent path across the glacier so our guides will lead you from cairn to cairn across to the lateral moraine before a last final push up a steep climb to this simply stunning landscape.

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​Day 6 Nandanvan (4700m)
​Situated at the junction of the Gangotri and Chaturangi glaciers, Nandanvan is the basecamp of Mt Baghirathi II and the gateway to the badrinath high altitude trek via Kalindi pass. Although it is only 3 km from Tapovan we will take all day due to the altitude and the arduous crossing of the Gangotri glacier which takes about 3-4 hours.
​This will give plenty of opportunity to stop and photograph the stunning Kedarnath and Kharchkund Peaks as well as Kedardome.

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Day 7 Bhojbasa (3700m)
​Following the right bank of the Gangotri glacier we will trek the 9 km back to Bhojbasa through the Raktvarna valley. The path is partially on lateral moraine which will take about 4 hours to walk.

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​Day 8 Gangotri (3200m)

​Returning along the same path as we walked out on we will wander back across streams into forests and past plenty of Dhaba's to stop and take in the view over a cup of chai.

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Day 9 Dehradun
Travel back to Dehradun by taxi where there will be opportunity for shopping in the vibrant town in the evening.

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Day 10
Travel home