Gaumukh Tapovan Trek

Gaumukh Tapovan is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable treks you'll ever encounter. From here you'll enjoy small mountain views as well as big mountain views. From here you'll witness some of the great views of Mt Shivling which is one of the nation's most majestic mountains.

Four other glaciers are also found in Gaumukh Glacier namely Raktavan Glacier, Kirti Glacier, Chaturangi Glacier, and Bhagirathi Glacier. There is also a belief associated with Gaumukh Tapovan. It is believed that after Bhagirath ji's severe penance for years, Ganga first fell on Gaumukh Tapovan after coming out of Shiva's hair, due to which the religious importance of this place is very high. Apart from the trekkers, religious devotees from far places come here for darshan. You might see the images of this mountain in our gold calendar. Let me tell you that the journey of the trek commences and ends in the holy town of Gangotri. One can simply complete Gaumukh Trek in 6 days. 

The popularity of the Gaumukh Tapovan trek has plummeted in past few years due to the increasing popularity of other treks such as Roopkund, Rupin Pass, and the Hampta Pass despite being one of the most gorgeous treks. Another reason behind this decreasing popularity could be the mindset of trekkers that influences them to jump to the next trek once getting bored with the previous one. 

The Gaumukh glacier which is as high as a ten-story building enhances the beauty of the mountain. Big chunks of ice make thunderous sounds whenever fall. The snow-packed mountain attracts several photographers across the globe to capture breathtaking images of this majestic mountain. Seeing Twinkling stars on the starry night of Gaumukh Tapovan has its own charm. Hence, do not hide inside the tents during the cloudless night.T rekking will start from Gangotri, this walking tour will last for about nine hours in the middle. There will also be a village called Chirbasa, which is also a small camping spot where you can take a break for a while. From Chirbasa situated at an altitude of 3,600 feet, you can see the highest glacier of Gaumukh. From here you can also view 6,511 m high Manda Peak, 5,366 m high Hanuman Tibba, 6000 m high Bhrigu Parvat, and Bhagirathi River.

On proceeding from Chirbasa, you will find Bhojwasa Gangotri at a distance of 10 km. Here you will get to see a number of Bhojpatra trees. Here the confluence of Jat Ganga and Bhagirathi river takes place. You can also have free food in the ashram built by Lal Baba present here.

 

Global Warming impact on this place

In a few years, global warming has had a great effect on this place, the glacier which was once 28 km long, today its length has remained only 26 km, in simple words, the glacier of 2 km length has melted.

 

Where to stay while on Gaumukh Tapovan Trek?  

You will not find any hotel or homestay to stay at during your visit to Gaumukh Tapovan, although you can do camping in Chirbasa and apart from this, you will also find an ashram in Bhojwasa to stay and eat food. Be sure to carry camping tents and other camping-related things with you for camping.

 

Where to eat at Gaumukh Tapovan Trek? 

No hotels or restaurants are available throughout the route of Gaumukh Tapovan hence do carry necessary food items when going to the trek. You'll also be provided a cook with the package which can cook tasty food for you throughout the trek so carrying raw food items is also a good option. 

 

How to reach Gaumukh Tapovan Trek? 

By Road: Gangotri is well connected with Tapovan by road. However, one should first reach Uttarkashi via bus and hire a taxi to reach Gangotri from Uttarkashi.

By Flight: There is no direct flight to Gangotri. You first need to board a flight to Dehradun and take a taxi to reach Uttarkashi and then Gangotri. 

By Train: The nearest railway station to Gaumukh Tapovan in Dehradun. You should first need to catch a train to Uttarkashi and then reach Gangotri by bus or taxi.

 

Is it difficult to reach Gaumukh Tapovan?

The journey to Gaumukh Tapovan is not as difficult as people think. If you do this journey in the right way with the help of a guide, stopping in between for a while, then you can complete this journey in a single day.