1st day of trek.. Gangotri to Bhuj Kharak
Track alongside Rudgaira Nala
Bhuj Kharak can be seen at distance
Bhuj Kharak.. 1st day of camp
Rudgaira Kharak (or Rudgaira base camp)... 2nd camp
Patangini Dhar at north.. Kedartal is on the other side
Gangotri III peeping out of the cloud..
Gangotri III
Rest day at Rudgaira base camp
Deoban & Hanuman Tibba at north-west
4th day.. Forced to make an unplanned camp due to bad weather... This is the place where Goutam Dutta died of exhaustion 2 yrs back while descending from Gangotri III..
Clear morning next day..
5th day.. Rudgaira Bamak (glacier) target for the day
A steep climb up to the left lateral morain of Rudgaira Bamak
On the ridge of the lateral morain..
Jogin.. and Rudgaira Bamak
Flat ground between two parallel lateral morains
Camp (camp no. 4 including the forced one) on the morain..
1st view of Auden's Col
Gangotri III wall at right
Avalanche from Jogin wall..
The largest and most prominent of all the glacial tables I've ever seen..
Fresh snow.. The depression on the ridge in front is the col..
Looking back.. Rudgaira Bamak..
Trying to flatten the camp ground.. as much as possible. Camp 5
Looks so easy!!!
7th Day... Trek starts.
Avalanche
Finding our way through crevasses.. some were quite huge and deep..
Need to be very careful at places...
This part was quite critical.. crossing through a very thin snow-bridge..
Our guide Attar
Looking back..
Steep climb through fresh and soft snow deposition
Gangotri III.. from the other side of the col
On the col.. the route through the gap in front descends down to Phatling Glacier at right.. (Phatling Gl merges with Khatling Gl downstream)
Auden's Col can be identified from distance by a very prominent feature made of two adjacent rock towers.. known as the 'Rabbit's Ear'.. One of them is at behind..
Arranging for the 'Puja' atop the col
A 200 ft straight rappelling down from the col.. reaching Phatling Gl at the base..
Bergshrund at the base of Phatling Glacier.. The ice-bridge seen at the pic was more or less stable but was heaped with irritating soft snow..
Couldn't proceed further after crossing the col.. poor weather condition and exhaution due to heavy soft snow.. Forced to establish camp 6
A clear morning next day on Phtling Glacier.. Day 8
Draupdi Ka Danda and Jaonli.. just oppsite to the glacier.. so near.. If one can find a way through he can reach Dokriani glacier/NIM base camp on the other side.. Serious trekkers can think of it..
The famous 'Rabbit's Ear' identifies the Col on the ridge..
Gangotri III wall ascends up straight from the base of glacier
'Rabbit's Ear'
Along Phatling Gl.. to south
Fresh & soft snow again..
Knee-deep soft snow.. and bright sunshine on fresh white snow.. made us exhausted too soon..
In search of water.. our guide went down a snow covered creavsse
Countless treacherous crevasses covered with soft snow made the passage harder than crossing the col itself..
Still the 'Rabbit's Ear' cab be seen
Looking for a drop to drink
Draupadi Ka Danda. Magestic !!!
Crossed the snow line
This is Khatling Glacier.. Crossing this glacier at this point would be a nightmare!!!
Again no visibility.. white out.. forced to camp on the glacier.. Camp 7 on medial morain of Khatling Glacier
Day 9.. tents packed at morning.. long day walk today..
Most critical part of this trek.. The rotten rocky cornice..
The cornice.. broken, unstable, slippy , filled with rotten rocky flakes.. a 40 feet of length is to be traversed on this face.. might be difficult for many of the trekkers but not much of worry for trained/experienced ones..
Looking back.. Khatling glacier
The view at front.. towards south-east direction.. Mayali Pass region on the opposite side of Khatling valley..
Khatling Snout
Khatling Cave.. after a very long tiring trek.. Camp 8
Day 10 starts with stunning views.. unparallel beauty of this trek-route.. very few of others can match
Tamakund.. known place for Mayali trekkers.. one route deviates towards Chauki
Kharsholi.. thick dense forest of 'Kharshu' trees.. Awesome beauty!!!
Day 11.. Camped at Kalyani Bugial last night (camp 9). Another long trek through one of the most scenic route in Garhwal Himalayas..
Vilangana
At Gangi village..
