Gangotri Gaumukh Tapovan Trek

gs_uppal

In between Bhojwasa and Gaumukh there are a couple of Teastalls but very small, and i dont think they are there in the night. But very close to Gaumukh there is an excellent place to camp around 50-100m away from bhagirathi river. Very Large Camping Ground.
Last year when i was at Gaumukh, this large ground was vacant and GMVN had made 10-12 tents for Central School Students at everyplace, between Uttarkashi and Tapovan, including another site 1 km before Gaumukh.

What you can do is give 2 days for this. On first day check up a place, and stay there overnight or else return back to Bhojwasa and leave early next morning.

babuchand

But from Gomukh u r not going to see the sunrise at all.......u have to move a few steps back...bcoz u will have the ice wall(30-40ft high) of gangotri glacier at ur east.
I have been at the snout @7:30-8am and then also it didn't seemed to be a great sunrise point. I have read over web that it good to see the sun come up from behind the great peaks from tapovan.

In contrast from the base of glacier no peak is visible, not even shivling and Bhagirathi.
so in my opinion trek to tapovan....see thye sunrise .....hike over there for one day.... and write us your experience....

I am going there again in oct....so I need it.

babu

Dr Funkenstein

Sounds good. Thanks for the info.

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babuchand

can anyone give me one info....how much they charge per camera at the checkpost on the way to gomukh after gangotri for FILM SLR, DIGITAL and MOVIE CAM ????

babu

gs_uppal

am not sure on the figures but vaguely i remember it to be Rs 25/50 for commercial cameras and Rs 250 for handycams (or was it 1000? confused) and Rs 2500 for video cameras.
i escaped paying the Rs 50 for my digital camera by telling the guy that this was not a commercial camera, its a personal camera.

Mistral

Hi babuchand,
I paid 100Rs for non commercial camera, last june.
Of course anytime anywhere if you don't agree it's upon your skill in bargain down the price...
Enjoy the trek!

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babuchand

thanx buddy...

babu

NEVSAY_D

wel....i took along a handycam but i dint have to pay nythin..just 40 bucks for camping above tapovan

kaushiks

We went up to Tapovan and back to Delhi on a really tight schedule. Delhi to Delhi, four days and five nights. Started from Delhi at 10PM, drove all night and we reached Gangotri at around 2PM, couldn't find a guide cum cook. Decided to do it by ourselves. Reached Chirbasa by night. Stayed at the 'rest hut'. Next day reached Gaumukh by 4PM. Camped on the glacier using our tents with some stale packed food. It was ridiculously cold and we couldn't sleep, as we had misplaced some mats. There was landslides all night with debris (small stones) falling all around our tent. Temperature outside the tent must have been -2 or -3 celcius. Next day we went up to Tapovan and came back to Bhojbasa by evening in heavy snowfall. Stayed at the 'Rest hut' here. Next day reached Gangotri by evening. Then drove all night and reached Delhi in the morning.

Some facts:
1) There is always (when gaumakh route is open for public) a place to stay and food to eat at Chirbasa and Bhojbasa. Local guides were trying to scare us otherwise, so that we would hire them. This wrong information resulted in all sorts of confusion and indecision for us, as we didn't carry cooking materials.
2) Even near Gaumakh there are some camping sites, incase you are in trouble, but they are slightly off the road. They are not hotels, so don't bank on them. Better to assume there is nothing at Gaumakh. If you are fit, just take a chance and go to Gaumakh. In the worst case, if you don't find any camps or huts to huddle into, you can always come back to Bhojbasa. It is a very easy walk, just a couple of hours coming down, assuming you don't have tenting gear.
3) The route to Tapovan is very interesting with the glacier changing all the time. At Tapovan there are some babas and some caves. Staying didn't seem plausible, but I heard there are well 'furnished' caves there. I went into one, which was more of a temple.

If you really want a guide, I can give numbers of one guide I met. He seemed a nice chap and owns a 'rest hut' at Bhojbasa. Needless to say the place was beautiful and great and all that.

PS : Edited some stuff coz I was providing some info I really didn't want to.

NEVSAY_D

back from the gangotri trek yesterday only..Frst went for the shastra tal trek...lota snow ..cudnt proceed from Kyarki khal..then went to Gangotri...Gaumukh then Tapovan..the weather was real bad...and it was kinda drizzling and also lota snowfall from Bhojbasa

rushir

HI BABUCHAND,

I AM RUSHIR FROM AHMEDABAD. WELL ME AND MY WIFE HAVE JUST COMPLETED THE GAUMUKH AND TAPOVAN TREK AND CAME BACK ON 3RD JUNE 2005. WE HIRED PORTER CUM GUIDE FROM UTTARKASHI. PORTER CHARGES WERE 190.00 PER DAY + 60.00RS/DAY FOR TENT+7.00 RS/DAY FOR MATTRESS+FOOD AND ACCOMODATION CHARGES/DAY FOR PORTER WHICH WAS APROX 60.00RS/DAY. WE STAYED AT GMVNL GUESTHOUSE IN BHOJBASA AND PITCHED TENT IN TAPOVAN. THERE ARE CHARGES FOR CAMERA AND HANDYCAM BUT THE OFFICER DIDN'T CHARGE ANYTHING FROM US. JUST 40RS PER PERSON ENTRY FEE AND 50RS/DAY FOR TENT. SOME FOOD IS AVAILABLE AT MATAJI'S ASHRAM IN TAPOVAN. WE EXPERIANCED A 12" SNOWFALL ON 28TH MAY WHEN WE WERE IN TAPOVAN, BUT OVERALL IT WAS A NICE EXPERIANCE. YOU CAN SEE OUR PICS AT WWW.IMAGESTATION.COM. GIVE "RUSHIR" AS SEARCH WORD. CONTACT ME AT RUSHIR@HASOLON.COM FOR FURTHUR QUERIES. BYE FOR NOW

dumb_bacchus

Yes i think u can stay at Gaumukh. There is a chai shop and there is this guy with his tent and solar pannel

mastkudi25

Dear Kaushiks,

Thanks for all the info. I know you wrote this a few years ago, but if you still check these boards, would you mind giving me the contact info of the guide you referred to in your post here?

Thank you.
M.

VijayBhagirath

I am planning to visit Gaumukh in the 1st week of June. I have ready with great interest the details and thank to all who contributed with tips and suggestions. I however have one question on the permit from Uttrachal or Gangotri to trek to Gaumukh. Is that normally easily manageable? I did not see any information on that. Any tips or suggestions there? I plan to reach gangotri on 4th evening travelling from Delhi in Car. I would ideally like to do this trek - gangotri to Gaumukh - in one day (5th June) and return on 6th back to Delhi. I would appreciate any further information on 'the permit'as I am concerned now that I may not end up wasting anytime at Gangotri or Uttrakashi for this purpose. PLease advise and you can also reach me directly via email. Thanks Vijay Bhagirath

Amol Kulkarni

I want to go there in last week of sep, what would be the cost from bombay to gangotri tapovan and back to bombay...