Theres Always a Bigger Mountain

Surely there is not always a bigger mountain?  Well, where we went hiking it sure seemed like it!  I just returned from a 4 day trek with my friends Eric, Prem, and Travis up the Ganges River Valley from Gangotri to Gaumukh glacier which is the source of the Ganges.  It seemed like all 300 km of the drive, and all 36 km of the hike, every time we turned a corner, there was a bigger mountain.  It was something incredible to see.  The road we took winds along the cliff faces above the Ganges for about 200 km before we even reached Gangotri, so we were treated to some spectacular views of the river and the snow covered Himalayas.

After stopping in Uttarkashi to pick up our passes into the national park, we continued up the road until we found a nice little hotel in Darsil to spend the night.  Mom, you would be so proud of our deal.  The room cost us 150 rupees per person ($3.75 American).  See, I learned from the best :)  The next morning we headed up the road the last 25 km to the park, where we loaded up our packs and started walking.  It didn't take long for us to notice that the altitude was going to be more of a killer than we thought.  We started hiking at about 10,000 feet, with our final destination coming in around 14,000 feet.  Our plan was to hike 14 km (about 9 miles) the first day up to Bhojwasa, where we heard that the Lal Baba's Ashram was open.

I think we all still look happy in this picture because we had only hiked about a half a kilometer.  Later, these faces would definitely reflect the fact that we were beaten senseless by the lack of air at this altitude.  As we started hiking though, we were treated to some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen.  The trail is literally carved out of the side of the mountain and across rock slides several hundred feet above the river.  The constant beautiful views and the constant sound of the river really do make it a picturesque setting.  So we hiked, and hiked, and hiked for what seemed like forever.

After about 9 km, we reached Chirwosa, where this picture was taken and rested for awhile.  We almost stopped, but we knew if we were to reach Gaumuhk the following day, we had to make it to Bhojwasa the first day.  However, about 20 minutes after setting out, we were enveloped in a near blinding snow.  Let me just say that the combination of cold, snow, wet, and altitude was not the most pleasant thing that I have ever experienced.

After two and a half hours of the most miserable hiking I have ever done, we rounded a corner in the trail and were blessed by the sight of Bhojwasa sitting down in a little bend in the river valley.  I don't know that a few metal and concrete buildings have ever looked quite so good to me. 

Fortunately for us, the Baba, who is a guy that lives up here year round providing food and shelter to people hiking up here, had an open room so we were able to drop our gear and dry off, then warm up with a nice cup of chai.  After paying the small fee, we joined everyone for dinner, where we discovered there were actually about a dozen other foreigners there besides us.  And dinner was quite an experience.  We had rice and dahl, which is pretty standard Indian fare, along with subsy (vegetables).  The only problem is that the subsy was so funky, even our Indian friend Prem didn't know what was in it.  We just didn't ask, didn't want to know, and were thankful that it didn't make us sick.  After a much more comfortable night than we would have had in a tent, we were treated to a beautiful sunrise over the mountains towering around us.

Since we decided that we would stay at the Baba's the following night, we decided to do the last 4 km up the glacier light, only carrying one pack with snacks for lunch.  That way we could go up, hang out for a bit, and then head back down early, before it started snowing again.

The sign on that rock says that we are passing 4,000 meters altitude (13, 400 feet) and as you can see the glacier in the background, we have not even gotten up there yet.  When we did arrive though, the view was breathtaking.  The glacier itself is probably about 500 feet of vertical sheer rock wall, with a cave in the bottom that the river just flows right out of.  I don't think all rivers start quite this way, but it is pretty cool to see.

This is our group shot.  to give you an idea of the scale of the glacier, we are still over half a kilometer from it in this picture.  After taking some really cool pictures, we headed back down toward Bhojwasa, because we could see snow being blown off Shivling peak above us, and also clouds starting to roll up the river valley.

We just beat the snowstorm back to the Baba's, and spent an afternoon in the if not warm, then at least dry shelter of our room trying to sleep off the whipping that the altitude put on us.  The next morning, we packed up early and headed out, determined to make it back to Gangotri by noon so that we could head on back home.

I think it's safe to say that as tough as the uphill trek was, the downhill ride the whole way was enjoyable.  the scenery was just so beautiful, I have never seen anything like it.  Plus, on the way up, we didn't realize when we left the treeline, but as we approached Chirwosa, we could see the trees just appear out ahead of us.  It was a really cool and comforting sight.

All in all, it was an awesome trip spending time with some awesome old and new friends.  By the time it was all said and done, we had hiked about 23 miles in just a little over 48 hours, and seen and experienced one of the most remote and beautiful places on our planet.

And now the hard work begins.  The rest of our team arrives in town today, and we start orientation.  After the next few days of training, we will get out to our locations and start our primary mission.  I will update as soon as I can

'Till next time
Josh