Trek from Gangotri to Gaumukh

Gaumukh is the origin place of one of the sacred rivers of India i.e. Ganga. The place is situated between the serene beauty of the Inner Himalaya in the state of Uttarakhand. It's a very pleasant trek, snow covered mountain will follow you all along and the beauty you will come across is beyond words. Gaumukh is situated in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state of India. It is 18 km. ahead of the main temple of Ganga in Gangotri, so most of the pilgrimage goes to the Gangotri but a few daring ones complete their journey by traveling the trek of 18 km to Gaumukh.

Bhojwasa

The journey starts from Dehradun the capital city of Uttarakhand. You have to depart early in the morning if you want to complete the journey to Gangotri in one day. You can either go by jeep or the state government bus service to Uttarkashi.

Gangotri is again 100 km from Uttarakashi, usually, you could find a jeep to Gangotri till 3 PM. After reaching Gangotri arrange for a hotel or you can also accommodate in an ashram.

Get your permit from the forest office at the cost of 150 rupees. This permit is a must for the trek because the trek and the Gaumukh itself lie inside the boundaries of Gangotri National Park. The permit will be checked at the check post 2 km ahead of the main office, without a pass you can not proceed from there.  You can also get the permit at the Uttarkashi office of the forest department, we did not know where it was so we took ours from Gangotri. However, arranging a pass early in Uttarakashi will save you some time in Gangotri and you can start early in the morning for the trek. After you have arranged your permit, purchase some eatables. Now get ready for the trek.

Start your trek in the morning, the best time is not later than 8 AM if you want to stay at Bhojwasa. Gaumukh is 5 km from Bhojwasa, there you can either stay at Lal baba Ashram paying 300 rupees for a day including food or you can stay in a GMVN guest house which is much more costly.

If you want to complete your journey in one day you have to move early in the morning. You can hike further to the Tapovan, which is 4-5 km from Gaumukh, but there you will need a Guide which is costly. After Bhojwasa you may feel difficulty in breathing, for this, you can keep naphthalene balls, and smell them whenever you feel difficulty in breathing.