Auden's Col - Mayali Pass Trek
Trip Details
Trip Type: Trekking Holiday India
Region: Garhwal - Uttarakhand
Grade: Challenging
Duration: 12 days
Max Altitude: 5490m
Batch Dates: Custom Trips only
Auden's Col - Mayali Pass Trek Overview
The Auden's Col - Mayali Pass Trek traverse's through the upper reaches of the Garhwal mountains which give rise to the Ganga in the Garhwal Himalayas, this trek goes through two passes - Auden’s Col and Mayali Pass over the course of 12 days. Auden’s Col, the highest point (5490m) on this trek is named after John Bicknell Auden of the Geological Survey of India, who first discovered it in 1935 and crossed it in 1939.
The trek connects two of holiest sites for Hindus - Gangotri and Kedarnath and the towns are thronged by thousands of pilgrims every summer.
We start the walk at Gangotri with an ascend towards the Gangotri 1 Base Camp from here we cross over Auden’s Col to get onto the Khatling Glacier. We traverse the glacier to reach Vasuki Tal and a final ascend to the Mayali Pass and descend into Kedarnath.
Trip Cost
Departure dates available for the month of May 2022 and 2023.
Feel Free to write to us incase you have any questions.
Auden's Col - Mayali Pass Trek Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Haridwar/ Dehradun - Uttarkashi (2850m)
Duration: 6 hours
Arrive in Haridwar / Dehradun in the morning and transfer to vehicles. We drive along the Ganga/Bhagirathi river all day to reach Uttarkashi village. Overnight in a guesthouse at Uttarkashi.
Day 02: Uttarkashi - Gangotri (3042m).
Duration: 3-4 hour drive
Today after breakfast we will drive from Uttarkashi to Gangotri. Gangotri is a small town settled around the temple of Goddess Ganga. There is an impressive water fall on the Bhagirathi river at Gauri Kund. The town of Gangotri dates back to the early 18th Century and is credited to the Nepalese General Amar Singh Thapain. For Hindu pilgrims Gangotri is a very holy space and forms one of the “Dhams” that is part of the Char Dham Yatra. The aarti ceremony at the Ganga temple is a must see. We will stay over night at a guest house.
There are many local legends and stories around the Gangotri town. Be sure to check in with your guide to hear some over dinner.
Day 03: In Gangotri for Acclimatisation.
Today after breakfast we will go up the trail that leads to the Kedar Tal Lake. The trail goes through a beautiful Bhojpatra Forest (Birch). It is quite a steep trail and our objective of the day is to get to the small campsite of Bhoj Kharak (3780m). We will get back to Gangotri by late afternoon. Post lunch you can explore around the Gangotri town. Visit Bhagirath Shila and maybe if you feel up for one more short hike then you can also go see the Pandav Gufa (cave). Overnight we will again stay at the same guest house.
Day 04: Gangotri to Nalla Camp (3760m)
Duration: 5-6 hour
We will have breakfast and set off along the Bhagirathi River for about 40 mins and then veer off South towards the Rudragaira Nalla. Enroute we get beautiful views of Chirbas Parbat and Matri. The trail is a gradual climb through pine, birch and maple forests. Our camp for the night is a little above the treeline. We get our first views of the Gangotri 3 peak from here.
Day 05: Nala Camp to Gangotri 1 Base Camp (4530m)
Duration: 6-7 hours
Today we set off after breakfast. The trail for the day is steep but we cross some meadows and views we get along the trail all the way to the Rudragaira Base camp are amazing. We will have our lunch at this camp. We get amazing views of Rudragaira, Gangotri 1, Gangotri 2, Gangotri 3 and Jogin 1 peaks form here. Post lunch from this grassy campsite we will continue up over lateral moraine to our camp site of the day which is also the base camp should you choose to climb a peak called Gangotri 1. We have some amazing views from this camp.
Day 06: At Gangotri 1 Base camp.
Our objective for the day is to chill and acclimatise. We will do a short walk after breakfast and come back for lunch.
Day 07: Gangotri 1 Base camp to Base of Auden’s Col (4980m).
Duration: 7-8 hours
Today we start a little early and head up to the head of the Gangotri valley. Our days trail is mostly over moraine. At the head of the valley we see the Ganotri range and the Jogin group. Auden’s Col is the depression between the two Massifs. Our tonight’s camp is at the foot of the Col.
Day 08: Auden's Col Base Camp (4980m) - Auden’s Col (5490m) & Khatling Glacier Camp (4970m)
Duration: 8-10 hours
An early start today. It is always easier to climb on harder snow before the sun gets strong hence the early start. The climb to the Col is quite steep and can easily take 4-6 hours depending on the snow conditions. We get onto the glacier and steadily make our way to the highest point on the trek. The pass itself has a few rocky outcrops and we spend some time here soaking in the views of the Khatling Glacier and peaks like Kedarnath, Joanli, Jogin and Gangotri. From the Col we may have to abseil down a section, this may however depend on what time of the year are are doing the trek and how much snow is there. After this steep section we will eventually make our way to our camp on the Khatling Glacier.
Day 09: Khatling Glacier Camp (4970m) - Chowki (3700m)
Duration: 6-7 hours
After a night spent on the glacier, we rope up again to make our way across the Khatling Glacier - the source of the Bhilangana River. Once we get off the glacier there is a lot of continuous down hill section over moraine until we reach our camp at Chowki.
Day 10: Chowki to Masar Tal (4280m) Camp.
Duration: 5-6 hours
Its a relatively easier trek today as we head up to our camp at Masar Tal we cross a small stream along the way and the trail winds up. We get some amazing views of Thalaysagar as we climb up towards Masar Tal.
Day 11: Masar Tal (4280m) - Mayali Pass(4990m) - Vasuki Tal(4210m)
Duration: 6-7 hours
Steep ascent to Masar Top and onward to Mayali Pass, our last pass on the trek. Infact today will be also quite a hard day as we have a big ascent and then maybe a fairly technical descent where we may again have to do a an abseil section down. The view from the top of the pass is quite expansive. We make our way down to another lake - the Vasuki Tal and camp near the lake for the night.
Day 12: Vasuki Tal (4210m) - Kedarnath (3580m)
Duration: 7-8 hours
We make our way to Vasuki Top and then all the way down to the pilgrim town of Kedarnath. Overnight in a hotel in Kedarnath.
Day 13: Kedarnath - Gaurikund (1900m) - Rudraprayag.
Duration: 6-7 hours. 130 Kms drive about 4-5 hours.
Today is the final day of our trek as we descend the pilgrimage trail all the way down to Gaurikund. According to some of the Hindu mythology the goddess Parvati is supposed to have meditated here form many years to attract a consort in Lord Shiva. Gauri is another name for the goddess Parvati and there is a Gauri Temple at Gaurikund. We will drive down to Rudraprayag from here and stay at a guest house overnight.
Day 14: Gaurikund / Rudraprayag - Haridwar 160 kms approx: 6 hours drive.
Wake up early and go for an early morning dip at the confluence (Mandakini and Alaknanada rivers). After breakfast we will have our cabs pick us up and drive us directly to Haridwar.
Trip Ends!!
Day 15: We will use this extra day in case of any delays.
- Camping Tents, Kitchen tents, Sleeping bags (Holofill) and Carry mats.
- Nutritious, high calorie vegetarian food will be served for the whole trek.
- Guide, cook and camp helpers.
- Porters/ Horses to carry loads on the whole route.
- Participants are not expected to carry any loads other than a small daypack with camera, some trail layers and some trail food.
- Two people will be accommodated in one tent.
- Transport Haridwar to Road Head and back to Haridwar.
- Hotel accommodations in Harsil and Kedarnath after the trek.
- All expenses of personal nature like drinks, tips, telephone calls, mineral water etc.
- Sleeping Bags. (We recommend to get bags which are comfort rated to - 5 to - 8 deg C)
- Accommodation and food in Haridwar.
- Medical and evacuation expenses, we strongly recommend purchasing a suitable insurance cover.
Pack:
- Backpack 40 - 50 Lts with rain cover.This you will need in case you choose to offload your larger pack onto a horse/porter
- Day Pack 15 - 20 lts - You will use this to carry your camera, water bottle, Trail layers, trail food etc.
Footwear:
-Trekking Shoes: Please do not wear sports shoes as on most treks as we go higher it gets harder to use the sports shoes. We recommend shoes with a good hard sole and also ankle support preferable water proof. While we do not subscribe to any particular brand you can try the Quechua forclaz 100, 500 or 600.
Socks:
- 2 -3 pairs of cotton socks.
- 2 pairs of woolen socks ( these are ideal to sleep in and best to use when in camp. We do not recommend them while trekking).
Clothing:
- Pants: 3 pairs (including the ones you wear) - Ideal are the quick dry light weight synthetic pants. Alternatively track pants are also comfortable to trek in. We do not recommend you get Denims or Jeans as they get hard to trek in.
- Tshirts 3 pairs (including the ones you are wearing) - Preferable cotton t-shirts that are full sleeves. You can also choose to get T-shirts with collars, they offer extra protection for the neck from sun burns.
- Synthetic Fleece Jacket - 1 pair.
- Wind proof/ Water proof Jacket - 1 pair.
- Down filled / Hollow fiber fill insulated Jacket - 1 -pair ( optional - get this if you want to stay extra warm at camps.)
- Thermal liners - 1 pair upper and lower (optional).
Accessories:
- Raincoat/ Poncho - what ever you get make sure it is something that will cover your daypack and camera too.
- Warm Beanie - make sure it is something that covers your ears. You can also use buffs, scarfs etc in addition to your beanie.
- Gloves - Lightweight synthetic gloves made of Fleece or you can also use woollen gloves.
- Sun Cap- 1 no
- Sun Glasses with good UV protection.
Other necessary things that we recommend you get:
- Toiletries - Sunscreen SPF 40+, Moisturizer, Lip balm, Soap, Toilet paper.
- Repair Kit (needle and thread).
- Headlamp/ Torch.
- Camera.
- Water Bottle- Ideally keep two bottle 1 litre each.
- Trekking Pole - Optional.
- Plastic Packing covers. (Please pack all your gear in waterproof plastic bags so that your clothes etc do not get wet while on horses or porters. Also carry extra plastic bags in case you need to pack wet clothes.)