I’m passionate about giving tips, finding tracks, hotels, restaurants, etc. at remote places like Himalayas for example.
It was quite an adventure !
The headstream of the Ganges River or Ganga is called Gomukh, which means “the mouth of the cow” in Sanskrit. It lies at the end of the Gangotri Glacier and it is located at an altitude of approximately 13,000 ft.
At such altitude it is difficult to breathe, so the idea is to climb gradually. The start of the climb was in Rishikesh, which is approximately 1,200 ft high.
From there we went to Uttarkashi. It was the beginning of our adventure on the Indian roads, on the edge of the abyss of the Himalayas. It was a distance of 103 miles (166 km) at an average speed of 22 mph (35km / h), in other words, with stops and traffic complications, it was close to 7h of travel.
Uttarkashi is located at an altitude of approximately 4,500 ft. We stayed there for 2 days visiting temples and getting to know the city.
The next step was to get to Gangotri, approximately 62 miles (100 km) away, at an altitude around 10,200 ft . Gangotri is a fascinating place, with a beautiful temple and many pilgrims, they go there because it is one of the sacred cities for the Hindus. There begins the trail to the headstream of the Ganges River. From that point forward one can not go with motorized vehicles. Access is restricted and inspected by the Indian authorities. Visitors must make a previous registration to be authorized to walk the path.
From Gangotri we begin the hike along the trail leading to the next step, a camp approximately 9 miles (14 km) away from the point of departure, Bhojwasa.
It was an 8 hour walk to the place which stands about 12,000 feet high. We spent the night in tents at a local campground, Bhojwasa.
The next day we left early to get to our final destination, the Gomukh. Climbing over 1,000 ft in a 2.8 miles (4.5 km ) walk. Then we just go back.
We had great difficulties due to the cold and the high altitude which in turn makes breathing difficult, causing headaches (the famous altitude sickness), and because of the track itself.
I would advise anyone thinking about taking such a trip to hire a travel agency, or at least a local guide. It can help with licenses and hotel reservations. We had an agency that took care even of our food on the trip, we had cooks who took care of the group’s food. if you are going to take equipment, such as cameras for example, it is advisable to hire local people to help. There are places where most do not speak English and bureaucracy is a problem.
I made some good Indian friends on this trip. Feel free to ask me about guides and travel agencies in India.