I went to Uttar Kashi to visit the Sivananda Ashram and to go visit a cave in Gangotri. The cave is where Swami Vishnu Devananda did his practice before going to the west and where he returned many times. I had heard about it in Canada and always wanted to see it. While I was at the ashram we did the 5 hour drive to Gangotri to see the cave, and returned to Uttakashi. While there I found out Gangotri is the setting off point for the pilgrimage to the source of the Ganges but I didn't feel too inspired to do the trek.
Back at the ashram I was talking with a girl from Switzerland who was thinking of it, and she convinced me to go. It turns out that later she decided not to go but I was now inspired. The second inspiration came from a Mexican friend who suggested going to Topovan, a climb higher than the glacier itself.
There was another guest visiting the yoga center, Arun Jit who came from Kerala, south India and he wanted to go to the source as well. He had never done any hiking and was ready to leave in sandals, so I had my worries but leave we did!
We hired a jeep to do the drive to Gangotri, and it was beautiful and a little scary seeing a car that had fallen off the road and dropped about a kilometer into the river... we stayed a night buying supplies that we needed. He got some shoes, which proved to be useful and we got GORP...good ol' raisins and peanuts.
We woke up early, had some food and set off.
The journey is one that most Hindus dream of taking once in their lives and there were many people of all ages on the trail. The Trail was the best one i have ever been on in the mountains. It is wide as a sidewalk, and so smooth you dont need to watch where you are walking. I have never been so high in the mountains walking so easily!
We came across many babas, holy men and swamis on the journey. What exactly makes a man holy I don't know but it did add a touch of magic to the trek every time we crossed their paths. Many of them have been walking all the way from Rishikesh, adding weeks to the journey, and adding obstacles to the crazy roads!
Back at the ashram I was talking with a girl from Switzerland who was thinking of it, and she convinced me to go. It turns out that later she decided not to go but I was now inspired. The second inspiration came from a Mexican friend who suggested going to Topovan, a climb higher than the glacier itself.
There was another guest visiting the yoga center, Arun Jit who came from Kerala, south India and he wanted to go to the source as well. He had never done any hiking and was ready to leave in sandals, so I had my worries but leave we did!
We hired a jeep to do the drive to Gangotri, and it was beautiful and a little scary seeing a car that had fallen off the road and dropped about a kilometer into the river... we stayed a night buying supplies that we needed. He got some shoes, which proved to be useful and we got GORP...good ol' raisins and peanuts.
We woke up early, had some food and set off.
The journey is one that most Hindus dream of taking once in their lives and there were many people of all ages on the trail. The Trail was the best one i have ever been on in the mountains. It is wide as a sidewalk, and so smooth you dont need to watch where you are walking. I have never been so high in the mountains walking so easily!
We came across many babas, holy men and swamis on the journey. What exactly makes a man holy I don't know but it did add a touch of magic to the trek every time we crossed their paths. Many of them have been walking all the way from Rishikesh, adding weeks to the journey, and adding obstacles to the crazy roads!
After walking for 14km we came to:
We stayed in an ashram there...I think ashram means guest house...and there are also yoga ashrams in India and the world where you stay and do yga..but this was a regualr ashram...but also irregular in its own way. It is the place with the pointed white triangle. There we stayed for 5 dollars including all meals. Food time was great with lots of people in a big open sided room freezing together and eating sloppy food! The rooms were quite musky and maybe if you lean real close to the next picture you can smell what was growing on the pillows!
The rooms were half underground with a corrugated tin roof and many people crammed into some of them... One was full of swamis, the most crowded but that is probably because they don't pay. Some of the swamis, who are renunciates were interesting, and some seemed to be people unning away just living off everyone else. Some appreciated if you gave them some nuts and some would take huge handfuls thinking you live to support them.
When we arrived at the ashram I treid to do some yoga, starting with some sun salutations, the more aerobic part. At the Sivananda ashram we had done up to 40 in one set, and here I couldn't breathe after one and a half! It was the first time I felt the full effects of alttude! It was interesting and a little scary...Had a bear started shasing me it would have mauled me in a split second as opposed to the full second it would take lower down (no one can out run a bear) Luckily there are no bears here, but we did see some nice deer and goats.
We had heard form the forest officers that you can only stay in the park for 2 days and that it was illegal to go to Topovan, a climb above the source. We also met some girls who did go to Topovan so we were a little perplexed.
At the ashram we met a guide who said he could take us up to Topovan...I was a little unsure with the idea as my partner seemed to struggle on the easy trail to Bhojbaso, and boots were recommended to go up higher. Arun had been awating quite a bit on the first day but he was so adamant about heading up higher that I gave in. Out guide sad hew worked fr the foresty deoartment so we wouldnt get into trouble. We planned to head to Topovan for the day, jump into the Ganges ont he way down and sleep again at Bhujbaso.
Two swamis asked if they could join us if we hire a guide as they wanted to go but hiad no money. We set off with one more Indian friend. After 20 minutes the guide said Arun and the other Indian could not go on as they were not fit enough and we were going to go much higher. I said this would be a probblem as that left me as the only one paying and I didnt want to foot the whole bill. after almost no time the guide decided that Arun was ok to make it up! I immediately lost faith in the guide, and Arun was as determined as ever to go. And go we did! Straight up!
It was quite an arduous climb and I had to keep screaming at the guide to wait for Arun as he was almost out of sight. The guide was not even breathing hard and kept smoking! It was incredible, but he was used to the elevation...We were vlimbing up to just over 4000 meters if my info is correct. I too had to stop every minute and catch my breath, it was very challenging.... I felt like I had put on 2oo kilos and tried to run the New York Marathon backwards in 40 degree weather....
Once we reached the top it was great to see a wide open valley with nothing in the immediate vicinity to climb!
The frst thing we saw is a guy who built his home under this rock! Zoom in if you can!
Then we met a lady with a similar set up, most of the 'home' is under a rock but they build walls with smaller rocks and keep warm enough..I thin kthese are some people praticing true yoga, isolating themsleves and gioing deep iunside...But they do still get some visitors...As a matter of fact they get enbough visitors to keep them busy all day...so I revise my statement, I have no I dea what they are doing there, but they are fortunate to have sauch a swell place to live!
When we arrived at the ashram I treid to do some yoga, starting with some sun salutations, the more aerobic part. At the Sivananda ashram we had done up to 40 in one set, and here I couldn't breathe after one and a half! It was the first time I felt the full effects of alttude! It was interesting and a little scary...Had a bear started shasing me it would have mauled me in a split second as opposed to the full second it would take lower down (no one can out run a bear) Luckily there are no bears here, but we did see some nice deer and goats.
We had heard form the forest officers that you can only stay in the park for 2 days and that it was illegal to go to Topovan, a climb above the source. We also met some girls who did go to Topovan so we were a little perplexed.
At the ashram we met a guide who said he could take us up to Topovan...I was a little unsure with the idea as my partner seemed to struggle on the easy trail to Bhojbaso, and boots were recommended to go up higher. Arun had been awating quite a bit on the first day but he was so adamant about heading up higher that I gave in. Out guide sad hew worked fr the foresty deoartment so we wouldnt get into trouble. We planned to head to Topovan for the day, jump into the Ganges ont he way down and sleep again at Bhujbaso.
Two swamis asked if they could join us if we hire a guide as they wanted to go but hiad no money. We set off with one more Indian friend. After 20 minutes the guide said Arun and the other Indian could not go on as they were not fit enough and we were going to go much higher. I said this would be a probblem as that left me as the only one paying and I didnt want to foot the whole bill. after almost no time the guide decided that Arun was ok to make it up! I immediately lost faith in the guide, and Arun was as determined as ever to go. And go we did! Straight up!
Once we reached the top it was great to see a wide open valley with nothing in the immediate vicinity to climb!
The frst thing we saw is a guy who built his home under this rock! Zoom in if you can!
Here is Arun and I up in Topovan...He had never seen snow before and it was fun to be there with him for that experience...I also threw a snowball at him...I couldn't resist.
5:30 am Topovan...right after my moring business I noticed the surroundings and couldn't go back inside... The sun was playing all kinds of games on the peaks!
Here is where we stayed up in the moutnains! It was an awesome guest house run by a 23 year old guy practicing silence. He still spoke with hand gestures and grunts so I didn't see what the difference was but he was funny and made good food.
The guy was also a little weird.Fot instance at night after dinner was done (which we all eat in silence, a nice idea), I wanted to wash my dishes, use the facilities (there are no facilities to speak of but I am giving the tamer description and go to sleep. He would allow me to leave. I felt a little awkward, so I sat listening to the Hindi for another half hour. It was a nice time up until then...It was myself and Arun, our friend and co-hiker Rahul, and 3 monks. I did some chanting for them which they seemed to find amusing and mostly listened to a conversation I didn't understand. When I needed to go though it was weird to be told no. After a while I jsut got up and went to do my business and wash my plate in the freezinf water...I went to bring my plate back and the silaent monk gestured and grunted m\for me to come back in, but nknowing we had a 23km hike in the moring I jsut said goodnight and went to bed. In the moring Arun said he had the same problem when he tried to leave and ended up stayiiing until everyone decided to go sleep.
In this pic is Rahul and the silent monk who was dressed like a cowboy. One minute he is like that, then in the traditional robes doing a Hindu ceremony then dressed like a hiker in old long jons...he was a weird one!
The silentm monk wanted to see some yoga postures, I thought ot learn some yoga, but h ejust wanted to watch...when it was clear he wouldn't participate I stopped showing off :) I was holding the hope for a while that he would turn out to be an asana master and show me a few things I needed for my practice but he seemed to be as lost as the rest of us...and quite in need of friends by his deep attachment to us amusing him the night before. He did make some great food and have a contagious laugh!
Here is our bedroom...It was quite chilly especially cause we didn't know we would be sleeping over, we had decided to stay again at Arun's insistence and shivered the night away.
In the moring we headed down the steep slope and finally made it to the source of the Ganges! The white in the back in the glacier!
It was quite cold but we all made it in and washed away all our sins!
The hike out was quite beautiful and we made it back to Gangotri before dark.. We passed out and got ready to head back early the next morning.
I highly recommend this trip to anyone who loves nature, glacier water, and sin cleansing....
