Day 4 - Descending to Gaumukh - Als Expats in Indien

For us the night passes very peacefully, unfortunately not for all our hiking mates. During the night we hear a fellow hiker throwing up terribly. We feel very sorry for him. Whether it is due to the altitude or the different mineral composition in the water cannot be determined. Both he and his tent partner have a hard night, but bravely continue walking the next day.

During the night it drizzled slightly but in the morning the sun laughs and drives away the last clouds. After breakfast we climb together on a small hill. We reverently enjoy the moment, Nandita leads us through five ohm shanties. Afterwards, we get to write a postcard to our future self. This is followed by the obligatory finisher pictures.

The descent is finished quickly. Not everyone is used to a steep descent, but despite some hesitation, everyone makes it down safely. Especially in the difficult parts you realize how helpful it is to be on the road with four guides. Thus, everyones needs can be addressed individually.

We reach the Gaumukh glacier. This is a particularly sacred place and our Indian hiking mates bottle water from the river that starts here at the end of the glacier tongue. They bring this water to relatives and family. The water from the spring is said to have healing properties and so it is drunk and used in poojas.

After a longer break, we quickly cover the remaining kilometers. The path leads directly along the glacier moraine. It looks like a lunar landscape. Rocks, boulders and fine sand were moved by the glacier over centuries and exposed after its retreat. The white stones reflect the sunlight.

Again and again we stop, pick up individual stones and admire them. Some are deep black with tiny glittering particles, some are streaked with rusty-red coloration, indicating a high iron content. Some stones are completely white, from far away they look like rock crystals and again others have large glittering pieces, which are also professionally mined for makeup. We let the fine white sand run through our fingers, enjoying the feeling that tastes of days long past on the beach. However fossils we do not find, despite eager looking.

After another short march across the meadows, we again reach the lorry that takes us across the river. This time it goes much faster, our packers have already crossed the Bhagirathi a few hours ago and so it is only the participants of two groups who arrive one by one and are directly transported on.

In the camp we make ourselves comfortable in the tent after lunch. In the afternoon we go to collect garbage around the camp. Again we collect a lot. We don't want to condemn anything. Only a generation ago food was transported wrapped in newspaper and banana leaves. This could be dropped on the spot without any doubt and rotted in a short time. Meanwhile, here every single candy and gum, every single cookie is wrapped separately in plastic. What is also very popular is a caraway-anise-sugar mixture, which is also packed in small plastic bags.

Unfortunately, the plastic garbage doesn't decompose that quickly. And even if it were not thrown away, it has to be further processed, receycled, professionally incinerated or otherwise disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. There is no large-scale system for this in India. So not only must education take place - not even the rangers in the national park can separate waste properly - but above all the waste must be systematically receycled.

To the garbage collection I take my camera with me, maybe one-two snapshots result. Back to the camp I come without camera. I realize that on the way to wash my hands. What a bummer, I left the camera behind. I run up the mountain when I meet another group. Hastily and without hope I ask if they had found a camera. And what luck, the leader of the troop hands me my camera.

Snacks are served in the communal tent. There is Pani Puri, which makes everyone very happy. Puri are small chip balls. You make a small hole in them, fill them with chickpeas or tomatoes, cucumbers and onions (there are probably a thousand other ways to prepare them) and then dump a tablespoon or two of watery sauce (puri) filled and then quickly shoved into your mouth in one piece. This is also my favorite snack in India.

When we come out of the communal tent again after the snack, we see that the troop, my camera found, set up their tents very close to ours. Their kitchen tent is almost in our tent, a gasoline stove stinks to us. We inquire where the troop is going, you really only drag a gasoline stove with you when it gets too cold for a gas stove.

We are right, this group is doing an expedition on Mount Shivling. Twice our guide Mike asks me if I want to come along, of course rather in jest, if he had asked a third time I would have said yes and seen what would have happened. But so we have to retreat into the tent. One last time, our guide Lukas makes his evening rounds, asks each individual if he / she is well and wishes a good night.

Did you miss the first part of our hike? Here you'll find what happened:

Reaching Gangotri: Himalaya here we come

Day 1: the way along the Ganga river

Day 2: a stone's throw

Day 3: Reaching Mount Shivling