Auden’s Col Trek

Fly into the Jolly Grant Airport by 9AM. Then board waiting vehicles to be driven straight to Kuflon Basics in the Assi Ganga valley. Enjoy lunch en route.

After breakfast, you will depart from Kuflon for a four-hour drive to Gangotri. This small town is centered around the temple of the goddess Ganga and the impressive falls of the Bhagirathi at Gauri Kund. Gangotri was built by the Nepalese General Amar Singh Thapain in the early 18th century.

Leave after an early meal and acclimatize with a walk on the trail leading to the lake of Kedartal. The trail goes through birch forests and is steep all the way to the small campsite at Bhoj Kharak (3780m). Head back to Gangotri in the late afternoon.

Have an early morning breakfast and set off on the true left of the Bhagirathi River. Walk for about half an hour before turning south towards the Rudragaira Nalla. Looking back, you will revel in beautiful views of Chirbas Parbat, Matri, Yogeshwar and the other snow-capped mountains. The climb is a gradual uphill through the forests of birch and maple. Nalla Camp is just above the tree-line and can get chilly during the night.

The day starts off with a steep climb to a huge meadow followed by a river crossing and another steep climb right up to the Rudragaira Base Camp. After lunch at the grassy campsite, you will continue over the glacial moraine to the Gangotri I Base Camp.

A day to relax and acclimatize. You can read, take a short walk near camp, or try and spot some wildlife.

You will proceed towards the head of the valley with the Gangotri Range to the north and Jogin group to the south. Auden’s Col is at the head of the valley in the depression between the two massifs. You will camp at the foot of the Col.

You will leave very early today to make the climb to the Col easier in the firm morning snow. The climb is steep and can easily take 4-6 hours depending on the snow conditions. Auden’s Col offers excellent views of the Khatling Glacier and the mountain peaks of Jaonli, Kedarnath, Jogin & Gangotri. From the Col, abseil down near-vertical walls of ice on fixed ropes to the heavily crevassed Khatling Glacier.

Get ready for a long and epic day! Bask in the surrounding high mountains massifs, with small glaciers feeding the main trunk of the Khatlingglacier as you descend towards the snout of the Khatling, negotiating crevasses along the way. You will be roped up initially for the overall safety of the group.

Descend through moraine to get to the snout of the Khatling Glacier, from the mouth of which emerges the Bhilangana river, a tributary of the Bhagirathi. You will continue to camp on the true right of the river near a natural cave.

Enjoy a rest / contingency day to allow for bad weather and to have some flexibility in the itinerary. Spend another night under the stars!

Walk through dense mixed Himalayan Forests of oak, birch, deodar, fir and rhododendron. The gradient is gradual and this walk in the woods gives a great opportunity to commune with nature. You are allowed to enjoy the walk at their own pace and guides spread out a bit. Kharsoli has a beautiful campsite in a clearing next to a gushing stream. It’s hard to resist the temptation of jumping into the stream. You will find plenty of driftwood by the stream to enjoy a big campfire in the evening.

The walk continues through dense forest, shepherd hutments and the first signs of civilization.

During a long day’s walk, you will slowly descend to pine forests and go past the village of Reeh to finish the trek at the roadhead, 4 km upstream of Ghuttu. The road has come quite close to the village of Reeh.

Enjoy a relaxing start to the day before packing up and driving to Dehradun Airport for your flight back home. The tour ends at the airport!