The glacier is constantly retreating. This rock marks the terminus in 1935. The coordinates near this rock are: 30° 56.270N, 79° 04.132E, and at my closest approach to the glacier: 30° 55.633N, 79° 04.748E. Calculate the distance between these two points to get an idea of how much the glacier is retreating.
Mountain goats?
Some of the more unusual structures on the mountains.
On the way back down from Gangotri, I could enjoy some of the scenery I couldn't see on the way up.
Gaumukh.
Gaumukh, a little closer.
Gaumukh, even closer.
Gaumukh, as close as I dared to go. A glacier is unstable and large chunks of ice could break off at anytime. 3962m is the elevation at this location, according to my handy dandy GPS unit. I really wanted to get to 4000m. I'll have to try another location sometime in the future.
Ah...Bhojvasa. It took me 8 hours to get here! Other people did it in 4.5 hours. But because of the elevation, I took my time, not wanting to get altitude sickness. I still got a headache once I arrived. In the distance, about the center of the photo, you can see Gaumukh, where the river begins.
I stayed in the ashram, sleeping on the floor, in a room with 5 other guys. Although it was very cold, the blanket (and my jacket) kept me warm.
Late afternoon moon from Bhojvasa.
A Shiva Temple on the way to Gaumukh.
Another Shiva Temple.
View of the scenery along the trail. The morning sun made it difficult to capture the color.
Another view.
And another.
Yet another.
I don't know what this sign says. But I know it is warning that I am about to enter a landslide area. This is a potentially deadly area, as rather large rocks come tumbling down regularly.
Yes, it was cold in Gangotri. I went for a short walk. It was surprisingly peaceful. Everyday, bus loads and bus loads of pilgrims come to Gangotri to visit the temple. But most get right back on the bus once they've been to the temple and the river.
The white domed building is the temple. Here the river is disappointingly unattractive.
I never know what I'll get when I order a banana pancake. This pancake tasted more like a chapathi.
Ah...finally, Gangotri National Park. This check post is located at about the 1km mark on the trail. It was a cold morning. I could not feel my toes. And I was already tired at this point.
Some of the rugged peaks visible from the trail.
The tiny log building in the middle of the picture is the forest office in Uttarkashi. No one in the office spoke English or they pretended not to. There was no map of the park or any useful information at all. A permit is needed to go trekking in the Gangotri National Park.
It was raining when I arrived in Gangotri. There are spectacular views on the way from Uttarkashi to Gangotri. Or so they say. It was cloudy.
On the way to Uttarkashi, we were stopped by road construction for more than 1/2 hour.
Uttarkashi panorama. It seemed that the Himalayas were conspiring against me again. On the day I decided to head for the mountains, the skies became hazy. There had been many fires, as it had not rained in months.
Late afternoon sun in Uttarkashi, reflected on the Bhagirathi.
Thali. My mistake was in poring all the Dhal onto the rice. It was way too spicy. I could eat only half of it.
Lizards are my new fascination. I've had enough of cows.
Another view of the deceptive river.
Meet my friend, Pankaj. Everyday he does a ritual that involves some smoking, drinking the water, and washing his face & hair.
There are many monkeys in Rishikesh. One day, I was chased down the road by two of them when I was returning from the river.
Here is a small Shiva Temple.
I am used to English mis-spellings on menus, but sometimes they are still funny. Take a look at the cold drinks.
Welcome back to India for another 6 months. This border crossing from Nepal is quite open. Dispite the military presence, Indians and Nepalis cross back and forth freely. I was therefore not surprised to hear that militants from Pakistan, wishing to cross to Indian Kashmir, find it easier to fly to Nepal and cross into India at this border crossing.
I am back in Rishikesh, enjoying the Ganga with other creatures.
I think pigeons might be the most populous birds. I think this is a pigeon. It made pigeon-like noises.
Another bird on the Ganga.
There were more signs warning people not to swim in the river. Today is April 26, and this guy lost his brother at this location on April 26, 2006. He was there warning people not to swim. One day while I was there, 2 Israelis drowned at 2 different locations. I don't know for sure, but I think someone drowns every few days.
