Gangotri 3 passes trek - One of the most coveted trek in the Indian Himalayas, the Patangani Dhaar, Auden's Col and Mayali Pass trek is a dream for any trekker who loves the Himalayas to the core and dares to go deeper and extreme to seek the spiritual blessings of a High Altitude Himalayan Trek.
However, this trek is not for the faint hearted. Its a semi technical trek not advisable for novice trekkers at all. Only very few of the experienced trekkers dare to do this trek. Towering peaks of the Gangotri region, high altitude and rugged terrain of the Garhwal Himalayas, glacial moraines and crevasses makes the crossing of the passes extremely challenging. Only the ones with a calm head and daring attitude are successful on this trek. Experience and previous exposure helps. On the other side, its a mazes of longitudinal and lateral crevasse of the Khatling glacier. The trek is very remote and once you cross Gangotri, no proper civilization is witnessed until you finish the trek and reach Kedarnath.
Auden's Col is named after Sir John Bicknell Auden, who first crossed the pass in 1939. Since then, this route has fascinated lots of trekkers and mountaineers who loves to accept challenges and gets high by the rugged Himalayan Aura.
Starting the trek from Gangotri, the route crosses 3 passes to reach Kedarnath. Both Gangotri and Kedarnath are 2 of the most pious destinations of Hinduism. We cross by Gaumukh, the snout of the river Bhaghirathi, which is a tributary of River Ganga, also believed as India's Lifeline. A mythological story goes like there used to be a saint in ancient India, who used to worship all of the 4 holy shrines of the Hindus - Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, on the same day. As I write this, I am also imagining the Himalayas and snow condition of Ancient India.
There are other smaller routes and direct approach to Auden's Col and return, but we believe that if you are to experience this trek in all its might, this is the itinerary you should follow. We have listed other different itineraries of taking on ther Auden's Col as well in the below pointers.
AUDEN'S COL - GHUTTU TREK