Travels in The Indian Himalayas
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Last sunset of the year 2008 on Bhagirathi II, viewed from the camp on the Gangotri Glacier..
It was glorious bringing in the new year amidst the splendor of these great mountains which make up the Gangotri Group of peaks surrounding us
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[New Post ] Travel lessons on a trip to Gangotri via a Tibetan settlement
Travel plans for our first visit to the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand were like they always are – non-existent. Hence, flexible. Because we were travelling without an itinerary, we were open to everything. So how did we go about exploring…
sandeepachetan.com/gangotri-via-tibetan-settlement/
#TheGoatVillage @greenpeopleind @bakrigaon
The Himalayas contain the third-largest deposit of ice and snow in the world, after Antarctica and the Arctic. The Himalayan range encompasses about 15,000 glaciers, which store about 12,000 km3 (3,000 cubic miles) of fresh water.[16] Its glaciers include the Gangotri and Yamunotri (Uttarakhand) and Khumbu glaciers (Mount Everest region), Langtang glacier (Langtang region) and Zemu (Sikkim).
Owing to the mountains' latitude near the Tropic of Cancer, the permanent snow line is among the highest in the world at typically around 5,500 metres (18,000 ft). In contrast, equatorial mountains in New Guinea, the Rwenzoris and Colombia have a snow line some 900 metres (2,950 ft) lower. The higher regions of the Himalayas are snowbound throughout the year, in spite of their proximity to the tropics, and they form the sources of several large perennial rivers, most of which combine into two large river systems:
The western rivers, of which the Indus is the largest, combine into the Indus Basin.
The Indus begins in Tibet at the confluence of Sengge and Gar rivers and flows southwest through India and then through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. It is fed by the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej rivers, among others.
Most of the other Himalayan rivers drain the Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin. Its main rivers are the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Yamuna, as well as other tributaries. The Brahmaputra originates as the Yarlung Tsangpo River in western Tibet, and flows east through Tibet and west through the plains of Assam. The Ganges and the Brahmaputra meet in Bangladesh, and drain into the Bay of Bengal through the world's largest river delta, the Sunderbans.
Gangotri is a town and a Nagar Panchayat (municipality) in Uttarkashi district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is a Hindu pilgrim town on the banks of the river Bhagirathi and origin of river Ganges. It is on the Greater Himalayan Range, at a height of 3,100 metres (10,200 ft). According to popular Hindu legend, it was here that Goddess Ganga descended when Lord Shiva released the mighty river from the locks of his hair.
Gangotri, the origin of the River Ganges and seat of the goddess Ganga, is one of the four sites in the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. The original Gangotri Temple was built by the Nepalese general Amar Singh Thapa. The river is called Bhagirathi at the source and acquires the name Ganga (the Ganges) from Devprayag onwards where it meets the Alaknanda. The origin of the holy river is at Gaumukh, set in the Gangotri Glacier, and is a 19 km trek from Gangotri. The temple is closed from Diwali day every year and is reopened on Akshaya Tritiya.During this time, the idol of the goddess is kept at Mukhba village, near Harsil. Ritual duties of the temple are supervised by the Semwal family of pujaris. These pujaris hail from Mukhba village.
Rudragaira is a high altitude campsite on the way to Mt. Gangotri basecamp at ~4500m alt. Got a chance to click the milky way rising above the 3 peaks of Gangotri group.
Sunset coats Bhagirathi I in Alpen Glow, as viewed from the Gangotri Glacier.
Bhagirathi I is the farthest peak of the Bhagirathi Sisters group one of the many mountains which make up the Gangotri Group. Though many attempts and routes are tried on the formidable & difficult West Buttress of Bhagirathi III (The rib of the great buttress can be seen in this shot in the shadiows), Bhagirathi I has received scant attention.
Routes & Main Ascents
It was only in 1990 that a Japanese Expedition using nearly 2000 mtrs of rope made the first ascent via its Southeast Ridge.A small team of Alpinists from Britain made a fine Alpine Style ascent in 1983 via its West Ridge, which gave them some excellent granite but tricky snow climbing. Martin Moran , Charlie Heard & John Mothersdale made the summit in a fine effort without roping up the mountain or fancy ironmongery.. But sadly during the descent Heard fell to his death
Since then there have been other attempts amongst them some Indian Teams
Belongs to the Garhwal Himalayas. The left most peak (adjacent to the edge of the photograph) is Mt. Gangotri-III (6,577 m). Moving towards the right of the photograph, the next peak is Gangotri-II (6,590 m). Towards further right is the Gangotri-I (6,672 m), this can be identified in the photograph as a sharp spike or the highest point in the photograph while moving from left to right along the mountain top.
The primary source of the river Ganges. It is one of the largest glaciers in the Himalayas. Situated in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, the glacier is fed by it's main three tributaries, Raktvarn, Chaturangi and Kirti. Always a traditional Hindu pilgrimage site, the glacier terminates at Gaumukh and after journey of another 19 kms, Ganges emerges as Bhagirathi at Gangotri.
A Bharal (wild goat) gives great pose for photo. Bharal came close to us. This picture is taken inside the Gangotri national park.
We reached Gangotri in the evening. The first thing that caught our attention was the falling light on the mountain peaks namely 'Bhagirathi Sisters'. The warmth of the light was mixed with a hue of magenta that made the snowy mountains glow like a fire which I failed to capture. Because it demanded some preparation.
A new place overwhelms us. It makes us tempted to rush towards everything we look at. And I have learned from my past experiences that this temptation is not good for an artist who strives to create something that will have a lasting impact on its viewers.
Though I felt tired I decided to have a walk around that place. The next morning seemed to offer a very little opportunity; since we were scheduled to start our 3-day-trek to Tapovan. But the light of the sun disappeared faster than I expected, yet the moon came out with an illumination which I rarely see and changed the view of the landscape revealing this canyon waterfall before me.
If you are a photographer you already know it doesn't matter whether it's a bright day or a dark night; because all you have to do is to work on your exposure triangle─the math, the reciprocal relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO─that helps you to figure out the right setting to gain control over the lighting condition. At the same time, it was a subject not to be photographed in harsh daylight otherwise. I took that opportunity and made this picture.
Just an ordinary morning in Gangotri, Garhwal Himalayas, India.
On extreme right stood the Peak Sudarshan enjoying the warmth of the day !
One of India's prominent glaciers and a source of spirituality since thousands of years. One can see the current snout and how much the glacier height is depleted in this image. May we see the earth heal faster in the coming decades .
The trail to Gomukh begins from Gangotri, about 18 km (11.2 mi) from Gomukh. It was heavily damaged by rockslides by the 2013 North Indian Floods as was road access to Gangotri. 9 km ahead of Gangotri is Chirbasa, the abode of Chir trees. After 3 km of Chirbasa comes the dangerous Gila Pahar, the place well known for its landslides even prior to the 2013 destruction of much of the trail here; near-sheer cliffs down to the river must now be traversed. Here the Bharals, a type of mountain antelope are sometimes seen. The Bharals are found above the altitude of 10,000 ft. Only 4 km from here is Bhujbasa, the only night halting place on the way with buildings. One can stay at the GMVN Bunglow, or at the Lalbaba's Ashram or at Ram Baba's ashram; both ashram charge Rs 300 for a day that includes lodging and food. After trekking 41/2km from Bhujbasa, one reaches Gomukh, the snout of the Gangotri Glacier.A little before Gomukh, the majestic view of Mt. Shivling welcomes the trekkers to the place. On the trail no horses are allowed, so one must take preparations to walk on foot. The trek to Tapovanan and Nandanvan starts from here.
Snout point of Gongotri Glacier, Gomukh
The route after 'Bhujbasa' can be quite difficult, more so since the 2013 floods. One has to cross a boulder zone to reach the Gomukh snout. The trek beyond Gomukh is quite difficult. Crossing the glacier & going towards Tapovan has become quite dangerous nowadays (because of the landslides). There is no track and one must have a guide and should be prepared to face any type of accident which can even be a life-threatening one. The last climb to reach Tapovan is very stiff, within 2 km a climb of around 1500 foot and is quite a challenging experience.
The trail to Gomukh begins from Gangotri, about 18 km (11.2 mi) from Gomukh. It was heavily damaged by rockslides by the 2013 North Indian Floods as was road access to Gangotri. 9 km ahead of Gangotri is Chirbasa, the abode of Chir trees. After 3 km of Chirbasa comes the dangerous Gila Pahar, the place well known for its landslides even prior to the 2013 destruction of much of the trail here; near-sheer cliffs down to the river must now be traversed. Here the Bharals, a type of mountain antelope are sometimes seen. The Bharals are found above the altitude of 10,000 ft. Only 4 km from here is Bhujbasa, the only night halting place on the way with buildings. One can stay at the GMVN Bunglow, or at the Lalbaba's Ashram or at Ram Baba's ashram; both ashram charge Rs 300 for a day that includes lodging and food. After trekking 41/2km from Bhujbasa, one reaches Gomukh, the snout of the Gangotri Glacier.A little before Gomukh, the majestic view of Mt. Shivling welcomes the trekkers to the place. On the trail no horses are allowed, so one must take preparations to walk on foot. The trek to Tapovanan and Nandanvan starts from here.
Snout point of Gongotri Glacier, Gomukh
The route after 'Bhujbasa' can be quite difficult, more so since the 2013 floods. One has to cross a boulder zone to reach the Gomukh snout. The trek beyond Gomukh is quite difficult. Crossing the glacier & going towards Tapovan has become quite dangerous nowadays (because of the landslides). There is no track and one must have a guide and should be prepared to face any type of accident which can even be a life-threatening one. The last climb to reach Tapovan is very stiff, within 2 km a climb of around 1500 foot and is quite a challenging experience.
A night at Mt. Gangotri base camp resulted in this image. A short window of clear sky for me to capitalize and I did what was necessary :)
End of another day over the Gangotri range of Garhwal Himalaya as seen from Musoorie,Uttarakhand,India.
Ice breaking loose and floating away from the glacier
This huge mass of ice, mud and rocks is one of the sources of Indias most sacred river - the Ganga. The Ganga is the primary source of water for most of northern India.
The glacier is called Gaumukh or Gangotri glacier. The river here is called Bhagirathi, named after the peaks seen in the background. The river is cold, very rough, and one of the highest silt carrying rivers.
The glacier is huge. It extends to around 28 km into the Himalayas from this point.
Note: Global warming is causing this glacier and others sourcing the Ganga to recede rapidly - could mean the end of the Ganga
For more details about the glacier please take a look at:
www.flickr.com/photos/mm_india/3635622215/
www.flickr.com/photos/mm_india/3635622349/
www.flickr.com/photos/mm_india/3636438308/
www.flickr.com/photos/mm_india/3635622533/
www.flickr.com/photos/mm_india/3635623131/
Location: 20 km away from Gangotri, Uttaranchal, Himalayas India
Altitude: 4120 meters
Camera: FM10
Shivling peak above the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas. The Gangotri glacier (gaumukh) is one of the sources of the Ganga river.
Name: Shivling
Location: Garhwal Himalayas, Uttaranchal, India
Altitude: 6,543 meters
Camera: Nikon FM10
Shot taken at early morning from half way up the glacier. During this time of the year June/July/August the mountains are covered by clouds. I had to wake up early and start climbing the glacier in low light to get this shot. Picture shows clouds coming in and covering the mountain.
This huge mass of ice, mud and rocks is one of the sources of Indias most sacred river - the Ganga. The Ganga is the primary source of water for most of northern India.
The glacier is called Gaumukh or Gangotri glacier. The river here is called Bhagirathi, named after the peaks seen in the background. The river is cold, very rough, and one of the highest silt carrying rivers.
The glacier is huge. You can see a man in the left bottom corner of the picture. He is standing around 300m away from the glacier.
Location: 20 km away from Gangotri, Uttaranchal, Himalayas India
Altitude : 4120 meters
Note: Global warming is causing this glacier and others sourcing the Ganga to recede rapidly - could mean the end of the Ganga
For more details about the glacier please take a look at:
www.flickr.com/photos/mm_india/3635622215/
www.flickr.com/photos/mm_india/3635622349/
www.flickr.com/photos/mm_india/3636438308/
www.flickr.com/photos/mm_india/3635622533/
www.flickr.com/photos/mm_india/3635623131/
Camera: FM10
Gangotri is a town and a Nagar Panchayat (municipality) in Uttarkashi district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is a Hindu pilgrim town on the banks of the river Bhagirathi and origin of river Ganges. It is on the Greater Himalayan Range, at a height of 3,100 metres (10,200 ft). According to popular Hindu legend, it was here that Goddess Ganga descended when Lord Shiva released the mighty river from the locks of his hair.
The shrine of Gangotri through stretched wings of trees as viewed on way up towards Kedartal.
Garhwal Himalayas, India.
4 Majestic peaks of Bhagirathi massif in this frame along with the huge expanse of the Gangotri glacier, these peaks are part of Gangotri Group.
From where I stood and took this photo, the mountain flanks are roughly 6.5-7km away. One can image how big the glacier is .. ~4km wide.
Friends, I am back from my most difficult mountain adventure so far. Took a couple of weeks to do one of India's most difficult - 'The Auden's Col'.
This was a celebration jump done by our team leader at the top of Col (~5500m alt). What a dream run it was to reach to the top of this mighty pass. How do you find this one? :)