Gangotri, Uttarakhand, India
Auden’s Col is the holy grail of trekking in the Western Himalayas - hailed by many as being more difficult than Kalindi Khal, which is one of the most dangerous treks in India. As a mountain pass hanging at the impressive altitude of 5,490M, this impossibly high, glaciated pass between the ginormous Gangotri and Jogin massifs is the climax of a long, treacherous journey between the pilgrimage towns of Gangotri and Kedarnath.
Starting from the high mountain town of Gangotri, which is possibly one of the best trailheads in the country, the trek takes you high in the Garhwal Himalayas in the massive Gangotri glacial region. The mighty Bhagirathi flows loud and proud, from its glacial source at the foot of Chaukhamba, down through vast meadows and dense deodar forests. Auden’s Col is by no means a monotonous landscape. You climb through dense birch and oak forests on the first day, onto vast, unending meadows with panoramic views of the Gangotri and Jogin peaks. You leave the meadows for harsh, alpine terrain - over moraine fields with hidden lakes, onto steep snow slopes for the final pass climb. Once you climb the pass, you walk through one of the most heavily glaciated regions in India - the crevassed Khatling glacier. Then back onto moraine and through dense forests once again before visiting the holy Vasuki Tal lake and the snow-covered Mayali Pass.
Itinerary
Day 1: Make your way to Gangotri (3,415M)
Day 2: Rest and acclimatization at Gangotri (3,415M)
Day 3: Gangotri (3,415M) to Nala Camp (3,760M)
Day 4: Nala Camp (3,760M) to Rudugaira Camp (4,350M)
Day 5: Rest and Acclimatization at Rudugaira Base Camp (4,350M)
Day 6: Rudugaira Base Camp (4,350M) to Auden's Col Base Camp (4,720M) via Gangotri Base Camp (4,500M)
Day 7: Auden's Col Base Camp (4,720M) to Khatling Glacier Camp (5,000M) via Auden's Col (5,490M)
Day 8: Khatling Glacier Camp (5,000M) to Zero Point (3,870M)
Day 9: Rest Day at Zero Point (3,870M)
Day 10: Zero Point (3,870M) to Chowki (3,580M)
Day 11: Chowki (3,580M) to Masar Tal (4,135M)
Day 12: Masar Tal (4,135M) to Vasuki Tal (4,135M) via Mayali Pass (5,000M)
Day 13: Vasuki Tal (4,135M) to Kedarnath (3,590M)
Day 14: Kedarnath (3,590M) to Gaurikund (1,985M)
Day 15: Gaurikund (1,985M) to Dehradun (430M)
Day 16: Reserve Day
What's Included
What's Not Included
