Trekking in the Gangotri Glacier. Things to know before you go for a Gangotri Gomukh Tapovan Trekking.
Gangotri Glacier (30 43 ́ N — 31 01 ́ N and 79 00 ́ E — 79 17 ́ E) is the largest glacier in the Garhwal Himalayas India. Trekking in the Gangotri Glacier. Things to know before you go for a Gangotri Gomukh Tapovan Trekking.
This glacier surrounded by Legendary peaks like Mt Shivling, Mt Thalay Sagar, Meru Parvat, Bhagirathi III, which originates from the Chaukhamba group of peaks at an elevation of 7138 meters.
Raktavaran glacier, Chaturangi glacier, Bhrigupanth glacier, Meru glacier, Kirti glacier, Swachhand glacier, Ghanohim glacier, and Maiandi Glacier are the tributary glaciers of it.
The approach to the snout of the glacier includes a trekking of about 18 km distance starting from the Gangotri town.
The Gangotri glacier is fed by four major tributary glaciers.
· Kirti Bamak (bamak meaning glacier in local dialect in garhwali)
· Ghanohim Bamak
These two flow into the glacier from the left bank
· Swachhand Bamak
· Maiandi Bamak
These two flow into the glacier from the right bank
Gangotri basin is a part of Bhagirathi Ganga. It is enclosed by Jahnvi Ganga basin in north,Vishnuganga basin in east, Mandakini basin in south and southwest and Bhilangna Ganga basin in the west.
The Gangotri glacier moves from the southeast to northwest direction. This is not a single valley glacier, but a combination of several other glaciers that are fed to it for years after the years.
Tributary Glaciers:
1. Raktvarn Glacier :
Raktvarn Glacier is located in the right bank of Gangotri glacier and is 15.90 km long covering an area of 13.53 sq.km. It originates from southern slopes of Sri Kailash peak. The snout of Raktvarn Glacier is located at 4500m and from this point a melt stream flows into the Gangotri glacier just above the Gaumukh.
2. Chaturangi Glacier :
Chaturangi Glacier is situated on the right bank of Gangotri glacier and left side of Vasuki Tal from three km upstream of Gaumukh. This glacier is east-west running and is the longest tributary glacier of the Gangotri glacier system. It joins the main glacier about 3 km upstream of the present snout. The left bank of the Chaturangi Glacier is popularly known as the Nandanban.
3. Kirti Glacier :
The Kirti glacier originates from the northern slopes Bharte Khunta peak. It is located on the left bank of the Gangotri glacier, and joins the main valley about 5 Km upstream of Tapoban. It is about 7 Km long when the distance is taken from Kirti Stambh, but when left tributary is considered it is 11 Km long.
4. Bhrigupanth Glacier :
Bhrigupanth glacier originates from northern slope of Bhrigupanth peak (6772m) and flows upto Bhojbasa. It is located on the left valley wall of the Bhagirathi River, about 4 km downstream of the present snout of Gangotri glacier. Meru Bamak and Manda Bamak are located in the western side and eastern side of this glacier respectively.
5. Meru Glacier :
Meru Glacier is the only glacier flowing towards the left side of Gangotri glacier, whose melt water contributes directly to the water discharge of the Gangotri glacier .Tapoban is situated in south eastern part of the Meru glacier and the Shivling Parvat (6543m) is situated in the eastern part of this glacier. One uncommon aspect of Meru glacier, is that, its valley is 300 m higher than that of Gangotri glacier and the two glaciers do not meet.
6. Swachhand glacier :
Swachhand Glacier, located on the right bank of Gangotri glacier, is 8 km long and covers an area of six sq.km.This glacier meets the Gangotri glacier from the right side at a place about 19 Km upstream from of Gaumukh.
7. Maiandi glacier :
Maiandi glacier, meets Gangotri from right side about 24 Km upstream from Gaumukh and about 5 Km upstream from the confluence of the Swachhand with Gangotri. It has a north south trend and is about 5 Km long.
8. Ghanohim glacier :
It is a small glacier to the east of Kirti glacier which comes from the slopes of Mahalaya Parbat. Meru and Ghanohim are the tributary glaciers which feed the main gangotri glacier from the left.
9. Dokriani glacier :
Dokriani Bamak is a medium-sized glacier of the Bhagirathi basin. The glacier is formed by two cirques, originating at the northern slope of Draupadi-Ka-Danda and Jaonli peak, 5600 m and 6000 m respectively.
The glacier is easily approachable from Uttarkashi nearly 56kms from Uttarkashi on the road to Gangotri. Bukki village is 2 km from the bus terminus situated on the right bank of Bhagirathi river. Because of its accessibility, Nehru Institute of mountaineering Uttarkashi does most of its training in these region.
10. Satopanth Glacier and Bhagirath Kharak Glaciers:
The Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak glaciers are approximately 13 and 18.5 km long with an average width of 750–850 m, covering an area of 21.17 and 31.17 sq. km respectively. The sources of the glaciers are in the eastern slopes of the Chaukhamba group of peaks. On the west, the Chaukhamba ridge (6288to 7068 m) divides the Alaknanda catchment from the Bhagirathi catchment.
Srikailash and Raktavaran bamak are the glaciers originating from the Sri Kailash Peak, and flow into the Jahnvi Ganga basin (north) and the gangotri catchment in the south.
From Sudarshan Parbat(6529meters), the water divide passes through northern hills and joins the SriKailash peak(6932m).
Mana Bamak originates from northern slope of Mana Parbat, and flows into the Jahnvi Ganga Basin.
Satopanth Glacier originates from the eastern slope of chaukhamba group of peaks, and flows into the Vishnuganga basin, whereas from the western slope the main gangotri glacier originates from the Chaukhamba group of peaks at an elevation of 7138m.
Kalandani Bamak, a tributary of Chaturangi Bamak originates from the western slope of Kalandani khal. The Swachhand Bamak of Gangotri basin and Bhagirathi kharak of Vishnuganga basin originate from the western and eastern slope of the hill top (6190m), respectively. From here the water divide passes through hill top (6721m) in south and takes a turn towards SE meeting hill tops (6458m), (6736m) and (7138m), thereafter following the Chaukhamba group of peaks (7068m) and (6974m) in SW.
From the eastern slope of Chaukhamba group of peaks, Satopanth Bamak originates and flows into Vishnuganga basin, whereas from the western slope, the main Gangotri glacier originates. The water divide then turns towards west and meets Maiandi Parbat (6193m) from where the Maiandi Bamak originates and flows into Mandakini basin.
The water divide passes through Sumeru Parbat(6350m), Mahalaya Parbat (5970m), Kedarnath (6940m) and Bhartekhunta(6578m) in NW. Bisali Bamak originates from southern slope of Sumeru Parbat and flows northern slope of Mahalaya Parbat.
I was introduced to this glacier some 20 years back, when my parents saved every single penny and took me to the Himalayas for the first time to the famous Char-dham pilgrimage called the Kedarnath-Badrinath-Gangotri-Yamunotri. For a teenage boy like me viewing the holy ganges for the first time in my life by sitting on the banks of Haridwar or Rishikesh was a bliss.
But ever since I witnessed the beauty of Gangotri with my own eyes, I had been romanticizing the mountains. I still remember that we had to stay a night at Uttarkashi, and take a bus early in the morning at 5AM to reach gangotri. In our way we came across the mesmerizing beauties of Dharali and Harsil famous for its apple orchards and the picturization of the movie “Ram teri ganga Maili”.
The eternal bliss, that Gangotri had to offer you, no other place can match that feeling for sure. Gangotri and its surrounding peaks will take you to a trans state of mind. It will let you forget your worries, your struggles in daily life for some time for sure, just as most pain killers do !
Source : (Vohra, 1988). (Tewari,1967), (Dutta et al., 2004).
