5960m
MAX ALTITUDEHome to iconic peaks and passes that have drawn the bravest of explorers from across the world, it would not be wrong to call Garhwal the heart of Indian Himalaya. Expansive glaciers at the foot of Himalayan peaks feed the sacred rivers of Ganga and Yamuna. The region is called ‘Deva-bhumi’ - sacred land belonging to the Gods, as the holiest of Indian pilgrimage sites are located high up in Garhwal’s mountains. The GHT trail connects two iconic shrines of Garhwal, albeit over challenging glaciated passes over 5000m. Our Garhwal section starts from Sankri village in the Tons valley, in the Yamunotri region. From Sankri, we cross the glaciated Dhumdharkandi Pass and descend down to Harshil in the Gangotri Valley after which trek towards the iconic 5950m high Kalindi Khal pass which takes us Badrinath, going over the Gangotri glacier and the Chaturangi glacier, under the shadow of majestic mountains like Shivling, Bhagirathi, Satopanth etc,. We finish the Garhwal section going over the Kauri Pass from where we get a panoramic views of most important peaks of the Garhwal Himalaya.
On a Technical Trek the average day could involve more than 7 hrs of walking. These trips might cover difficult and glaciated terrain where use of ropes and technical mountaineering equipment like crampons, harness, carabiners, descenders etc could come into play. On these trips one is required to stay at high altitudes for lengthy periods of time and hence acclimatization is always a big concern. These treks can also throw a bit of surprise largely because of unpredictable nature of the terrain and the snow/ ice conditions in the high mountains and hence we always have a contingency day of two built into the plan.
These trips could take multiple weeks and go to wild, remote places completely cut off from civilization. Considering this trip involves prolonged periods of glacier travel, one can expect usage of technical gear like snow-boots, crampons, harnesses, etc.