Let's Go Travel: Treks of Uttarakhand "Treks From Uttarkashi"

Treks of Uttarakhand "Treks From Uttarkashi"

TREKKING

The hilly terrain of Uttarakhand provides plenty of opportunities for mountaineering, trekking and rock climbing. The easternmost hill district Pithoragarh, bordering Nepal and Tibet, often dubbed as ‘Miniature Kashmir’, is abundant in natural beauty, making it

the perfect base for many an exciting trek. Several interesting treks interlace the Gori Valley with some of the well-traversed trekking routes running along the Munsiyari – Martoli – Milam – Ralam Glacier. These treks are not just walks of adventure, but are also an interesting way to interact and understand the social and cultural life of the people in the Chaudans, Byans and Darma Valleys. The Bageshwar – Sunderdhunga – Pindari – Kafni Glacier trek is another highly preferred trekking route in the area.The Garhwal region also offers several thrilling treks, some of them being the Panch Kedar trek, Kedarnath – Vasuki Tal trek, Gangotri – Kedarnath trek and the Gangotri – Gaumukh – Nandanvan – Tapovan trek. The Panch Kedar trek passes through the five Kedars represented by Kedarnath, Madmaheshwar, Tungnath, Kalpeshwar and Rudranath. The fascinating routes are profusely intermingled with the widest range of flora and fauna. The Valley of Flowers and Hemkund trek start from Govindghat and lead to Badrinath. Other treks like the Kalindikhal trek, the Khatling – Sahasratal – Masartal trek, Har Ki Dun trek, Rishikesh – Pauri – Binsar trek and Roopkund trek are equally invigorating for both the eager amateur and the veteran mountaineer.

THE NEHRU INSTITUTE OF MOUNTAINEERING (NIM)

For the past 40 years, with the aim to produce trained mountaineers and mountaineering enthusiasts, NIM has trained thousands of Indians and hundreds of foreigners. The

proposal to set up such an institute was first declared by the Ministry of Defence in 1964. NIM was established on November 14, 1965 at Uttarkashi to honour the desire of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, who was passionate about mountains. Bachhendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb Mt. Everest, was trained at this Institute. The core of the training covers a high degree of technical exposure and expertise, along with safety applications to instill the correct mountaineering ethos. Although it is one of India’s youngest institutes, it has managed to get ahead of most others and has become a trusted anchor when it comes to mountaineering training. The excellent training standards, good administration, along with dedicated staff, make it one of the finest mountaineering institutes in the world.

Trek From Uttarkashi The town of Uttarkashi is located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. This town is a very important tourist destination in the region and it is located in the Uttarkashi district. The place is known for its stunning natural beauty, and is also called as Devbhumi, which can be literally translated to ‘Land of the Gods’. Pilgrims from all around the country flock to this region too, due to its religious heritage. There are many temples in Uttarkashi that you can visit during your trip to the place and the most famous one among these is that of Lord Vishwanath. This is the largest temple in the region, and the most frequented one as well. There are several smaller temples in Uttarkashi as well, and these are dedicated to the chief deities Hanuman and Durga. Many other shrines are present in Uttarkashi and they cater to a wide variety of Gods, including Parshuram, Annapurna, Dattatrya, Bhairav, Laksheswar and Ekadashrudra. The Nehru Mountaineering Institute, which is located in Uttarkashi, is also a famous tourist spot in the region. You can also visit the hot water springs in the region of Gangnani during your trip to Uttarkashi. Gangotri is a popular pilgrimage spot located in the region, at a distance of 99 kilometres from Uttarkashi. Yamunotri can also be visited from the town as well.

S. No.	Name of Trek Route	Distance in Kms.	Duration of Trek	Gradient of Trek
1	Gaumukh - Nandanvan-Tapovan Trek (Alt. 4460 Mtr)
Gangotri - 12 km trek- Bhojwasa - 6 km trek - Gomukh- 6 km trek - Nandanvan - 5 km trek - Tapovan		29 Kms.	7 day	Strenuous
2	Gangotri-Kalindi Khal Trek (Altitude 5950 Mtrs.)
Gangotri - 12 km trek- Bhojwasa - 6 km trek - Gomukh- 6 km trek - Nandanvan - 10 km trek - Vasuki tal - 8 km trek - Kharapathar - 6 km trek - Kalandibase - 14 km trek - Arwa tal - 18 km trek - Ghastoli - 17 km trek - Badrinath		97 Kms.	12 day	Strenuous
3	Sangam Chatti-Dodi Tal-Hanuman Chatti Trek (Altitude 3307 Mtrs.)
Gangori - 13 km motorable - Sangamchatti - 5 km trek - Agoda - 10 km trek - Manjhi - 6 km trek - Dodi tal - 32 km trek - Hanuman Chatti		66 Kms.	6 day	Strenuous
4	Dayara Bugyal Trek (Altitude - 3048 Mtrs.)
Bhatwari - 10 km motorable - Raithal - 6 km trek - Dayara Bugyal - 8 km trek - Barsu - 12 km motorable - Bhatwari		14 Kms.	2 day	Medium
5	Harki Doon Trek (Altitude 3566 Mtrs.)
Dehradun - 193 km motorable - Sankari - 10 km trek - Taluka - 11 km trek - Osla - 12 km trek - Har-ki-dun		33 Kms.	6 day	Strenuous
6	Ruinsara Tal Trek (Altitude 3566 Mtrs.)
Dehradun - 193 km motorable - Sankari - 10 km trek - Taluka - 11 km trek - Osla - 20 km trek - Ruinsara Tal		41 Kms.	9 day	Strenuous
7	Uttarkashi- Nachiketa Tal Trek (Altitude 3034 Mtrs.)
Uttarkashi - 22 km motorable - Chaurangi khal - 3 km trek - Nachiketa Tal		3 Kms.	1 day	Notmal
8	Gangotri-Bhojkhark-Kedar Tal Trek (Altitude 4500 mtrs.)
Gangotri - 8 km trek - Bhojkhark - 6 km trek - Kedar Tal		14 Kms.	3 day	Strenuous
9	Sankri-Jakhol-Bharasar Tal Trek
Sankri - 29 km motorable - Jakhol - 5 km trek - Bharasar Tal		5 Kms.	2 day	Strenuous