Trek to the Source of the Ganges

Itinerary

Day 1 - Travel from London to Delhi - Travel Overnight - and arrive into Delhi early morning. (Late afternoon departure)

Day 2: Delhi - HARIDWAR - transfer approx 6 hours. - Time in Haridwar to Explore Holy City - bathing ghats, and possibly even take a Puja - a blessing by a local Holy Saddhu.

Day 3: Haridwar - HARSIL (2745 M / 9000 ft) - We will drive 245 km to the beautiful village of Harsil - exploring foothills of Himalayas. Overnight in lodge.

Day 4: Harsil - GANGOTRI (3048 M / 10000 ft) - BHOJWASSA (3792 M / 12440 ft) - Early morning drive for about hour to reach Gangotri (20 km). We visit the temple at Gangotri - another sacred spiritually auspicious location, and from here set out on our trek towards Bhojbasa. This trek of 14 km will take us about 5-6 hrs. Overnight in tents.

Day 5: Bhojwassa - GAUMUKH (3890 M) - TAPOVAN (4463 M / 14640 ft) - After an early breakfast we start on our hike to Tapovan via Gaumukh. Today's trek is of 10 km and will take us about 6-7 hrs, moving at a leisurely pace. Overnight in tents. This day is the highlight of our trek - as we shall visit both the sacred 'Cow's Mouth' - where the Ganges emerges from the Gangotri Glacier, and also we shall climb to Tapovan - where we shall be treated to a stunning Himalayan Vista - taking in the sacred peak of Shivling.

Day 6: TAPOVAN (4463 M / 14640 ft) - Exploration day in Tapovan. Explore the meadows of Tapovan, attempt a short climb or just chill out, soaking in the beauty of this truly amazing landscape - many options exist here to get out and about around the smaller peaks. Overnight in tents.

Day 7: Tapovan - CHIRBASSA ( 3606 M / 11828 ft) - Retrace your steps to Chirbasa (15 km / 4-5 hrs). Overnight in tents.

Day 8: Chirbassa - GANGOTRI - HARSIL - We will trek down to Gangotri for a couple of hours and from here drive down to Harsil. Evening at leisure. Overnight in tents.

Day 9: Harsil - HARIDWAR - Early morning drive 245 km to reach Haridwar. Overnight.

Day 10 - Return to Delhi - overnight and time for some brief sightseeing around the Old and New Cities of Delhi - possible visits to the Rajpath, India Gate, The Red Fort and Chadni Chowk - and maybe time for a nice meal in a good restaurant!

Day 11 - Onwards to home - return flight to London. - depart early morning - direct flight arriving into UK lunchtime. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS AN AAPPROXIMATE OUTLINE ITINERARY…. SUBJECT TO CHANGE PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. Substantially it will remain the same.

Accommodation

We shall use a mixture of comfortable hotels, basic lodges, and tented accommodation - we essentially use the best of that which is available to us once we are underway on this adventure. Accommodation can be fairly simple…..

What is a Level 3.0 Trekking Challenge Like?

These challenges are either longer, higher, or span several days. In the case of single day events, you can expect up to 9 hours trekking. In the case of a multi day trek, you can expect a lower daily duration, but of course the effort is sustained over a longer period. You need to be keen on physical exercise for these events, and to enjoy taking exercise, and do it regularly. Longer duration long haul treks are likely to be easier in terms of the physical walking, however you will need to be more resilient, due to simple living conditions. UK single day or weekend level 3 treks are suited to walkers and trekkers with some previous history of upland walking or alternatively a good amount of lowland training behind them.

How Fit Do I need to be to join a Level 3.0 ‘Trek’?

You need to have good endurance for these events. You must be used to doing very long walks in the countryside; 7 hours plus . You should be doing regular exercise, possibly with some running. Your running speed will be fairly steady; nothing too fast, and you should be able to run a minimum of 4 miles. If you do not run, you should be concentrating on other types of exercise but for longer periods of time (i.e. sessions in excess of 1.5 hrs). These other forms of exercise should be at a moderate to high level. e.g. spinning, circuits, swimming, or other sports.

Medical Issues

Please note, it is extremely important for this physical challenge that you are in good health. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, please consider carefully whether you should be joining the challenge. Please ensure you fill in the booking form accurately and honestly, this is important. In the case of serious conditions (epilepsy, diabetes, heart conditions, recent illness or operations), please discuss the challenge with your GP. Please also ensure you notify us of any allergies or similar.

You should be used to walking reasonable distances each day to contemplate this trek. It requires stamina and good aerobic fitness - but good willpower will also come in handy! Failure to disclose medical conditions is a serious omission - that could have serious repercussions on any of our challenges.

Visas / Redtape

You will need an Indian Visa - either available through Travcour or directly at the Indian Embassy in London. You must have appropriate Travel Insurance - vailable through the Adventure Café website - click the link on the front page.

Included In Trip

Leaders - both UK and Indian, Transfers, All accommodation, all breakfasts, some lunches and dinners.

Excluded From Trip

International flights (around £400). Some lunches and some dinners are excluded.

Equipment Required

Medikit
Suncream, Blister Repair Kit, Plasters, Vaseline
Rehydration Salts, Painkillers, Sunbloc, Immodium
Anti-Malarial Medication, Hand Disinfectant Lotion (optional)
Insect Repellant

Washkit
Pack Towel (lifesystems recommended), Soap (small bar)
Shampoo (not a full size bottle!)
Toothbrush, Toothpaste (small size)

Hill Walking Items
Sleeping Bag - 4 season rated to -15°C comfort rating
Sleeping Mat (thick Karrimat/Thermarest style)
Day Sack (25-35 litre)
Big Rucksack (to carry all your overnight gear)
Rucksack Liner(s) / Plastic Liner(s) for Rucksack
Bladder System (highly recommended - or other water bottles e.g. exercise bottle/Nalgene bottle)
Walking Poles (highly recommended)
Sun Hat (wide brimmed), Neck Scarf
Snack Foods for time in trek - esp. items that you may crave on the trail

Warm Clothing
Lightweight Fleece, Medium Weight Fleece, Heavyweight Fleece
Duvet Jacket, Lightweight Gloves, Heavy Gloves (mitten type recommended)
Fleece Hat, Balaclava

Trek Clothing
Long Cotton Trekking Trousers, 1 Pair Tracksuit Bottoms
Comfortable Trekking Shirts (long/short sleeved)
Walking Boots (broken in with ankle protection)
Walking Socks, Liner Socks
Underwear, Thermal Underwear
1 Change of Casual Evening Wear

Waterproofs
Outer Fully Waterproof Jacket (Gore-tex, E-vent)
Outer Waterproof Bottoms

Other
Toilet Roll / Pack of Travel Tissues
Diary, Spare Lace
Camera, Film / Memory Card / Spare Battery
Travel Documents, Visa's (if applicable - in most of our long haul countries you may pay for your visa on arrival)
Travel Insurance (compulsory)
Passport
Wallet, Money Belt, Credit Cards, Cash (local currency - please note on long haul treks it may not be possible to get currency before you travel)
Sunglasses, Spare Comfortable Shoes
Penknife, Mobile Phone (packed in a plastic bag deep inside your day pack!)
Emergency Rations (energy foods - for the tough days on trek)
Head Torch with spare batteries and bulb

Specialist Items for Long Haul Trips
Mosquito Nets, Water Purification Kit, Sewing Kit
Non-Caffeinated Drinks - i.e fruit powdered drink / green tea / herbal tea
US Dollars are the most convenient and convertible form of currency in many distant corners of the world - recommended!

Kit Hire

It is possible to hire equipment via our specialist kit hire providers Outdoor Hire Ltd. We have negotiated a 10% discount for all our mountain challengers.

Weather

Expect hot and humid weather in Delhi - and cooler weather once in the mountains. At night at higher altitudes we may encounter cold temperatures down to zero degrees. We expect prevailing conditions to be dry - as we trek outside the monsoon - however, global weather patterns are changing!

Notes on Trekking Events

Trek the Mountains of the World with Adventure Cafe, and our fantastic team of qualified leaders. From the UK, to the Alps, Pyrenees, Atlas Mountains, Himalayas and even Kilimanjaro. Put our International Mountain Leaders to the test! Check.

Adventure Cafe Booking Terms and Conditions

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