Tapovan Vignette: Oct 2012

Group Size:4(3 male & 1 female)
The Itinerary:
29th Sept 2012: Day 0 : Kumbh Express from Howrah at 13:10 hrs
Day 1:Reached Haridwar at 16:30 hrs and moved to Rishikesh(NS)
Day 2:Rishikesh to Uttarkashi by bus (NS)
Day 3:Uttarkashi to Gangotri by shared jeep(NS)
Day 4:Gangotri to Bhojwasa ,trek 14 kms (NS)
Day 5:Bhojwasa to Tapovan(NS) via Goumukh, trek 8 kms
Day 6:Tapovan to Bhojwasa(NS)
Day 7:Bhojwasa to Gangotri, moved to Uttarkashi (NS)
Day 8:Uttarkashi to Rishikesh(NS)
Day 9:Rishikesh to Haridwar(NS)
Day10:Haridwar(JS Exp) to New Delhi, Duronto Express at 13:00 hrs
Day11:Reached Howrah at 6:00 hrs
The Mighty Shivling :

WAITING for more pics.....& tour experience also...

Some of my fovourites at different stages of the journey :

The kumbh exp reached haridwar right on time i.e. at 16:15 hrs.We had some refreshments and then took the local bus to Rishikesh.There were lot of empty seats ,so no problem .The fare was some INR 30.The very next morning we have to take the bus to Uttarkashi, so we took shelter in a nearby hotel.There are plenty of hotels near the bus stand ranging from INR 250 to INR 700 per double bedded room.The problem with these hotels is the loud air horns blown by the inter state buses which starts plying from 2 AM.If that is too much disturbing , as it was for me, the way out is to opt for hotels near the old bus stand. Usual dinner at tip-top near natraj chawk and we went to bed.
The bus stand of Rishikesh :

This is looking very promising! Beautiful pictures to start off the narrative

Thanks sidch.......glad to know you are viewing........shall try hard to live up to your expectations......though ,not quite sure ......

not at all!! man my pictures and general travelogues are rubbish - this is quality stuff already No need to be humble when you have got some great stuff to share

@Legend
I'll surely come up with more photos and experience particularly the walk over the glacial moraine and the hiking part....I know that's your domain

:I feel so

We missed the morning buses to Uttarkashi at 43:00 and 5:30 which leave from Rishikesh ,but was able to catch the one coming from haridwar at 6;45.The journey from Rishikesh to Uttarkashi was a long haul being crammed between the two by two sitting arrangement of the so called Deluxe bus. The fare is INR 200 .In all the bus and share jeep journeys undertaken by us, we were blessed with aloo paranthas, sometimes in form of breakfast and sometime lunch. They cost some INR 20—30.They are yummy, aloo (potato) being my favourite vegetable. Please don’t assume anything from this. . On the way ,we came across the famous and controversial Tehri dam. Before reaching Uttarkashi we came across the remnants of the devastation caused by the August cloudburst. We reached uttarkashi at 13:30hrs.It took some 6.5 hrs to cover some 200 kms. After a quick lunch two of us hurried towards the DFO. The office of the DFO Uttarkashi is some 4 kms uphill from the main town and closes at 16;30hrs. We had to spend another 200 INR to book a car.The whole permit episode took some 30 mins.The permit could have been obtained from Gangotri itself, as was mentioned by fellow IMr sudwantstotread ,but the next day being a govt holiday we didn’t want to take any chance. Later on I’ll post a photo showing the comprehensive rate chart for the entry to Gangotri National Park. If one needs to reach the heights of Tapovan which is more than 14,500 ft , Uttarkashi is the right place to acclimatize ,as mentioned by seasoned trekkers like Himalayangoat .Rightly so, as I did’nt feel any discomfort while reaching Tapovan. Uttarkashi has a unique style of running the ATMs .If you want to operate the ATM in the rush hours, get mentally prepared to getting observed by strangers while typing the PIN. Bananas and apples of Harshil were taken care of. Late in the evening we visited Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Uttarkashi. Hotel Shivananda near the bus stand provided us shelter for the night at INR 300 per DBR .Dinner at Batra’s dhaba and we hit the bed, though very late at night.
Tehri Dam and the temple.

We woke up early, but tossed and turned on the bed for a couple of hours only to realise that the morning buses to Gangotri are all gone, so no more tension. Thus getting relieved, we decided to stick on to the bed for another couple of hours and promised to concentrate on the chana batoras and garden fresh apples of Harshi along with the bananas, once we wake up.
The jeep stand of Uttarkashi is a good half km walk from the heart of the township. At the jeep stand we met a group of four consisting of two young ladies from Pune , who were set for Kedar Tal , which is definitely in my list , the next time I visit Gangotri.
The share jeep won’t start before being filled up to capacity. We waited for a couple of hours only to start by 12:30 hrs.The only way to avoid this long wait is, to start early. The journey to Gangotri through the apple gardens of Harshil, with red apples hanging in the trees, was very enjoying . The vehicle descends some 15 kms to the valley of Harshil and then ascends further.
On the way to Gangotri:
The Valley of Harshil:

Good start wanderlust 1974. It's just like a live telecast. Kep it up. If possible add some caption & location in your wonderful photographs.

Glad to know you like the presentation Mr PNPathak, shall keep your suggestion in mind

Good pics and smooth description of the tour, wanderlust 1974! Keep it up... Please provide the info on whether you got permission for the intended no. of days you had wanted to spend in Gangotri Nat'l Park or did you get permission for lesser no. of days. Also, did you see anyone to get permit beyond Tapovan during this time? Many fellow IM'ers have mentioned earlier that getting permit beyond Tapovan is difficult and so is getting permit for more than 3 days..... will watch your full travelogue

Thank you for your sweet words.
yes,.. getting official permission beyond tapovan is difficult, though not impossible, as i saw an expedition team at bhojwasa ......i asked for a 4 days permit at dfo UK but they wont do so.....they only give 2 days permit @ 150 pp/pd(INR 600 for the foreigners)....you have to pay the same for the guide and the porters too.... while returning back, you have to pay the additional late fee @INR 50 pp/pd..at the GNP office at gangotri.....so they've kept the option open......but i personally think it would not be a wise idea to venture further without informing......there are other systems too...but i'd like to keep a mum on that.