Going to Gomukh

Gomukh is on the top of Gangotri and it requires around 18 kms of trekking to reach there.Unless you are going on a pony,you need basic fitness and good health .Gangotri national park is a protected area , you need permission from Uttarakand forest department to go here.There are two offices which you can reach out for this, one at Uttarkashi and another one at Gangotri. If you need to go ahead beyond Gomukh ie Tapovan-Nandanvan , you need to get permission from Uttarkashi office.Also there is a maximum limit of 150 people per day


Getting started

For people from South , you need to travel to Delhi , by flight or train. From there you need to go to Rishikesh.From Delhi, buses are available from ISBT-Kashmere gate. ISBT can be reached from delhi airport via shuttle services in front of Terminal -ID. Also it is connected by Delhi -Metro.

Buses to Rishikesh can be frequent , but it can be crowded . Avoid going there on friday nights.Buses can take 6-7 hours to reach Rishikesh.Its only 220 kms ,but traffic can be really messy.

From Rishikesh , you need to go to Uttarkashi . Buses and shared jeeps are available. For shared jeeps , you need to go to Nataraj chowk. Rishikesh to Uttarkashi requires less than 6 hours(154 kms).
Avoid sitting in the back seat in the jeep.

Uttarkashi is a modest town and you can get affordable places to stay. Try ashrams , you can get good food and descent rooms(yes its important to keep your stomach intact).

From Uttarkashi ,you can get shared jeeps to Gangotri .Road is very narrow and traffic jams are very frequent.For covering 97 kms , it may take 4-5 hrs depending on traffic snarls.

Things to carry.

Carry basic things , 1-2 pairs of dress , camera , medicines , winter clothes including monkey caps and gloves.
The more you carry , more troublesome it will become.

-Carry dry fruits ,it can give quick calories.
- Water is available from natural sources.
- Carry some food as a backup .
- You need an excellent trekking shoes . (My reebok shoes got completely torn).

Before you start

Start ideally at morning.
Go to forest department at Gangotri to get the permission. There you have to give declaration stating "I wish to go to Gangotri on my risk .Forest dept will not be responsible for any accidents or mishaps". They will charge Rs10 for the form.

Go only in a group. Travelling alone is not recommended or safe. Join some group there itself.
There is a clear trail and its important to stay on it.


Trekking
The route is Gangotri-Bhojbhasa-Gomukh-Bhojbhasa-Gangotri.Total distance is 36 kms .Gangotri to Bhojbhasa is 14 kms and it will take minimum 5 hrs ,but usually it will take more than that.

Head towards checkpost ,where you need to purchase the pass for Rs 150 .They will examine your bag for plastics and will ask to deposit Rs 100 if you carry any plastics. They will count no of plastics items and will refund the amount once you bring everything back.(bottles/bags/chocolate cover/etc).

There are no shops in between except once in chaiwasa which is 9.5 kms from the starting location.There are couple of places where you need to pass through wooden logs to cover the streams.Walk slowly. Your aim is to enjoy the terrain and the beauty around it ,not for any race.

Some parts of trail are very fragile or affected by landslides . Be careful while walking.

Give way to pony ,else it can push you down.

There is one so called "ashram" where people stay overnight at Bhojbasa.They charge Rs 250 for food and accomdation. Accomdation is very basic , toilets are clean and they will give food two times, one at night and next day morning (around 11).

Nights at Bhojbhasa can be really cold .

Next day morning ,you can start towards Gomukh wearing adequate winter wear. Its another 4 kms from Bhojbasa and will take another 90 min to reach. The trail ends 500 meters before actual Gomukh. The Ganges or Bhagiridhi comes from the melting of snow and you can see the ice there.You need a guide to go beyond that (Tapovan) since there is no clear trail.You can get guide from Gangotri.

Once you come back from Gomukh to Bhojbhasa , you can have good brunch and start towards Gangotri same day .

Pictures