Bagini Glacier

Bagini Glacier 

The Bagini Glacier drains the snows of several peaks that form part of the near-impassable Northern Rim of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary in Eastern Garwhal. The glacier seeds the Dronagiri Gad, a feisty stream that descends a valley north-westwards to meet the west-bound Dhauli Ganga at a village called Jumma. In turn, the Dhauli meets the Alaknanda at Vishnuprayag, the first of numerous major prayag’s below Badrinath that serve as markers for the high course of the Ganga.

On this trek, though we couldn’t see the iconic peak, we were well aware of its presence. In 1934 Eric Shipton, legendary British mountaineer of his time, along with the American Bill Tillman, made history by pioneering a route via the Rishi Ganga to gain access to the Inner Sanctuary of Nanda Devi. Two years later, Shipton returned to the sanctuary, and climbed out of it via the “Bagini Pass”, part of this Northern Barrier. He exited via our exact trekking route. The geography and the history of exploration of the surroundings were weighing pleasantly on my mind as we planned and embarked on this trek. It would also mark a step up for the kids (Ishan 8, and Samarth 12) in terms of difficulty levels, remoteness, and altitude.

This trip was over a year in the making. Plans fell through in 2021, and we ended up trekking the popular, but nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable Har-Ki-Dun and Ruinsara Valleys.  Finally, things fell into place this year. The four of us, and three friends from Runners High – Atrei, Paroma and Ravish – planned this trip during the Durja Pujo/Dussehra holidays of 2022. Our friend and guide Gyan would help with logistics.

Sep 23: Bangalore to Delhi and Overnight in the Nanda Devi Express

An 8:30 pm arrival into IGI Delhi and an 11:50 pm departure from Nizamuddin Railway Station provides enough buffer for reasonable delays and the 45 min drive from the airport to the train station. In 2019, we had to kill over two hours in the cafeteria outside Nizamuddin. This year, that was not to be repeated, partly because the cafeteria had shut down, but mainly because our flight was 2 hours late, thanks to torrential rain in Delhi which delayed the departure from Bangalore. To compound matters, there was significant traffic congestion in the New Delhi airspace. I managed to forget my backpack on the conveyor belt, words were exchanged at the Prepaid Taxi booth, and we found new ways to cram ourselves with our backpacks into the interiors of two kaali-peelis where CNG cylinders had usurped most of the boot space, and the rooftop luggage racks were out of commission thanks to the downpour. For some reason, our driver had his wipers set to intermittent even though the rain was pouring in sheets. He peered his way through New Delhi’s fast-moving but poorly lit tree-lined avenues. Paroma said their guy made it a point to run every red light he encountered. Amazingly, both taxis reached Nizamuddin in one piece each, giving us about 20 minutes before we boarded the Nanda Devi Express (also known officially as the less exciting “Kota Dehradun Express”).

Sep 24: Dehradun to Rudraprayag (Shivanandi River Lodge)

We arrived at Dehradun station soon after daybreak, and hiked the 500m or so to Hotel Ashrey, a convenient pit-stop for breakfast and showers before the long dusty road trip up the Alakandanda Valley. Our start was delayed due to suspect brakes on the first vehicle we were assigned. The replacement Bolero only arrived at 10:00, which gave us an opportunity to have a hearty parantha and omelet breakfast (which made up for the missed dinner the previous evening), take a walk around the hotel area, and browse through the interesting collection of photos, posters and “stuff” in the Ashrey lounge. This included a real-life Bullet Motorcycle, suspended from the ceiling, under which the kids played a couple of rounds of snakes and ladders.

Devprayag

Shivanandi River Lodge

GMVN Eco Lodges at Auli

Chair lift to get there

The road trip was uneventful, but remarkable for the improvement in quality of road surface, signage and safety barriers. We made steady progress with no major hold ups due to landslides, past the landmarks of Rishikesh, famous for its ashrams and hippie culture, Devprayag, where the waters of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda merge to form the Ganga, Srinagar, the medieval capital of Garwhal, and Rudryaprayag, the meeting point of the Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers, and turn off for Kedarnath. About 12 km beyond Rudraprayag, at around 4 pm, at a non-descript bend on the highway, we stopped and hiked a hundred meters down a rocky forested path to the left into a lovely guest house by the banks of the Alaknanda River, called “Shivanandi River Lodge”. 

Shalabh, who runs this place in the company of his three dogs (Prince, Chocho and Suru) was a knowledgeable, helpful, and considerate host. Strongly recommend his place to while away a few days, or use it (like us) as a staging point for deeper forays into the higher Himalayas. The kids loved the company of the dogs, the rooms were large and comfortable, the food was fresh, homely, and nutritious. and the supply of tea was endless. We got a room with a loft, and Ishan and Samarth made a beeline for the cosy upstairs. Our driver Ali wasn’t too happy about the lack of facilities for him, but he couldn’t suggest that he wasn’t warned.

Sep 25: Rudraprayag (Shivanandi) to Auli (3050 m / 10,000 ft)

We reached Auli at about 3 pm with the intent of spending one night for acclimatization. It was more built up than what we saw on our 2007 visit. A fragile “chair lift” took us up to the cottages of GMVN’s “Eco Nature Resort” where we had reservations. The lift was an interesting experience – little to no instructions were provided for safety, one moment we were waiting with our packs, and a few seconds later, we were off, lurching in our seats, looking at the ground falling away from underneath us with more than a little alarm. From the drop-off point it was a couple of hundred meters of hiking to the cottages. The cottages were spacious, interconnected by sloping paths. The facility was thinly staffed, a little incongruous in its use of concrete for the paths and tin roofs for covering them. No views were on offer that evening except for an arguable outline of the Goddess.

Sep 26: Road Closure and Joshimath

The morning was clear, with a smattering of clouds hovering around the peaks of the Zanskar Range to the north, beyond which lies the Valley of Flowers. We hiked uphill from the cluster of cottages towards the high point of the chair lift, enjoying the cold mountain air and the sunshine. I was particularly tickled by a question from a local who asked if I was a guide and the others were my party. I guess my trekking clothes look worn enough! Nanda Devi (7816 m) made her appearance, in shadow since the sun rises behind her. We returned quite quickly for breakfast and prepared ourselves better for the chair lift.  After some confusion we sorted out which driver was supposed to take us back towards Joshimath and on towards the trail head.  

Nanda Devi (7816 m), from Auli

Gyan joined us en-route in another vehicle. Soon enough we learnt that the road was closed ahead of us due to falling rock and were forced to turn around. We returned to Tapovan (not to be confused with the meadow near Gaumukh), and snacked in the hope things would settle, but they didn’t. We found ourselves back in Joshimath for lunch, which we had the deplorable “Block Canteen”. As redemption, we followed this with incredible jalebis on the opposite side of the busy market road. 

Jalebis in Joshimath

We also witnessed and joined in a protest march for women’s rights, triggered by a grizzly murder (which we were not aware of at the time) that had made it to the national press a few days earlier. A torrential downpour in the afternoon cut short our visit to the Shankaracharya Jyotirmath, and we scampered back to the trekker lodge. The shabby rooms were fairly close to getting flooded by the rainwater. In anticipation of said shabbiness, Ranjita, Paroma and Atrei had bought some sheets and towels from the market, and we survived the rain, crummy accommodation, and an evening of out-of-tune bhajans blaring on nearby loudspeakers.

Earlier in the day, we met a trekker from Bangalore who had just trekked the Panpatia Col, a high-altitude route connecting Kedarnath to Badrinath. He seemed like a fiercely independent solo trekker, with lots of experience.

Sep 27: Joshimath to First Campsite (Beyond Ruing), about 3050 m / 10,000 ft

We left Joshimath at 8:00, hopeful that the road would be open. Fortunately, we passed the site of the landslide uneventfully, and stopped for a Maggi breakfast soon after. The village had posters of the upcoming Nanda Devi yatra, a 2-3 week-long festival in these parts, and an important event in the cultural calendars of both Garwhal and Kumaon. Our driving route hugged the Dhauli Ganga as we headed east. It was a beautiful valley with not much traffic and a  surprisingly good quality road. The road leads up the valley all the way to the vicinity of Mt Kamet, at 7756 m, the second highest peak in this region (after Nanda Devi) near the Tibet border. An hour or so after breakfast, our route turned right onto a jeep track, and we were able to drive to the village of Ruing. At 10:30 am, we bade the jeeps farewell.  

Somewhere beyond Ruing

It was a lovely morning. The trail snaked around contours of the narrow valley, gradually gaining elevation, climbing steadily through forests of pine. It remained perched a couple hundred feet above the furious Dronagiri Gad below. Occasionally side streams on the other side of the valley crashed into the river. Gyan wasn’t very sure of the location of the campsite (this was only his second trip on this trail), so we waited for the mules to catch up. Eventually we settled on a clearing that had a small trekker shelter around 2:30 pm. Unfortunately, the site had no level ground, which made for an uncomfortable first night in our tents. After lunch we hiked out a bit in our slippers to get a feel for the trail ahead, and seeing more of the same, came back pretty fast. Paroma, Ravish and Atrei had their first experience camping in the Himalayas. The kids got their own tent, and kept themselves entertained.

Sep 28: Beyond Ruing to Longatulli (3800 m / 12,500 ft)

The next day we left camp at 8:00 am, and hiked through a landslide area that was far less initimidating than what online trip reports had suggested. We took the upper route on the advice of locals and Gyan, the opposite of what is recommended by Indiahikes. Our mules took the lower route. The trail remained “Nepali Flat” for a while, before steadily ascending a broad face towards the perfectly perched village of Dronagiri at the base of the eponymous mountain. Dronagiri village faces north, where across the Dhauli Valley, stands the Zanskar Range, containing several peaks over 6000m (Hathi & Ghori Parvats, and Brahmakamal), beyond which lies the Valley of Flowers. In fact, my reading companion for the trip was “Valley of Flowers”, Frank Smythe’s 1937 account of exploring and documenting its geography and flora.  

Dronagiri Village

We hiked up the eastern part of the slope on which Dronagiri village was perched. The village itself was almost deserted, a common characteristic of a lot of high-altitude villages in these parts, where the younger generation has migrated to growing urban centers at lower elevations, leaving the elders to preserve what is left of traditional lifestyles. The buildings were of traditional architecture: stone walls, wooden facades, and stone roofs. The slopes had some terraced fields, and a smattering of folks working the land. We hardly saw more than 5 people. I later read the official population of the village is only about 90. We were told that the residents of Dronagiri Village have a complicated relationship with Lord Hanuman due to local legend which ostensibly states that Hanuman stole the Sanjeevani Parbat from these parts on his quest to find the medicinal herb that Lakshman needed for treating his injuries.

The trail crossed a ridge to the east of the village (our left), with the rock and ice walls of the 7000 m Dronagiri peak standing over it’s western parts. It then descended into the broader, glacier-fed Dronagiri Gad valley. We lunched in the shelter of a large boulder just where the trail crossed over to the true right of the river. From here on, the views gradually opened up, with Rishi Pahar (6992 m) increasingly dominating the view at the head of the valley. By 1:30 pm, we were at the campsite. We located ourselves a bit away from the river after spotting another group of trekkers (actually the only group that we came across on the entire trip) camped closer to it. Some folks in that party weren’t feeling well and had stayed back at camp while the others had gone day hiking for glacier views. Ishan and Samarth found a large boulder that they scampered up and down, enjoying from its crest, a sun-and-clouds view of the Zanskar range to the north, Rishi Pahar to the south, and flanks of Dronagiri to the west.

Longatuli Campground (2nd campsite), Rishi Pahar at the valley head

Sep 29: Longatulli Rest Day (3800 m / 12,500 ft)

Paroma, the kids, and I decided to stay put at the campsite, attending to chores, cleaning up, playing endless rounds of Uno, Contact, and Pictionary, while Atrei, Ravish and Ranjita moved up the valley for a day hike on the same trail that we would hike up the next day.

Company at Longatulli

Sep 30: Longatulli to Bagini Glacier Camp (approx. 4300 m / 14,000 ft)

I woke up early and hiked up the large boulder to grab some sunrise shots, and was amply rewarded with views of what was possibly Hathi Parvat (6727 m) in the Zanskar range. To the west, a snow peak that likely was a subsidiary peak of Dronagiri showed itself. At around 8:30 am, in clear sunshine, we packed up our stuff, and started to inch up the valley towards the giant moraine, with the expectation of views of the glacier later in the day. I was moving slowly (even slower than my usual uphill trudge), feeling the effects of altitude as we progressed. By about 10:00, we were on top of the moraine, looking back at the broad river valley and glacial melt we were leaving behind. The higher elevation gave us views of a set of new peaks, which together formed the Northern Barrier of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. We would get to know their names as we got closer and would correlate their positions with the topo map.

It was a slow but inspiring climb up the moraine

Rishi Pahar (6992 m) and the Bagini Terminal Moraine

Hathi Parvat ? in the Zanskar Range

Sat Minal (6911 m)

Bagini Glacier

Chortens or chimneys?

The walk along the true right of the Bagini Glacier was well under way. The terrain had largely flattened out, the tree line had been left behind, and a landscape of rocky debris surrounded us with violet and yellow wildflowers dotting the ground in the spaces between boulders. Dronagiri towered over us to the right (though the peak was not visible), and the snow giants protecting the Goddess awaited us in front, fortress like.

Finally, around 2 pm, we reached our campsite: a few steps from the glacier’s right lateral moraine. Standing alongside a few chortens on the moraine, we received views of the (expected) boulder strewn, wave-like Bagini Glacier, a freeze frame of moving ice and rock, draining the snows from all the peaks at the head of the valley. At this time, the clouds rolled in, obscuring the blue sky and snow peaks, making the desolation of the glacier even more pronounced. It was at least half a kilometer wide, and judging by what we ascended, at least a couple of hundred feet deep.

That evening we decided not to move camp any higher to avoid any risk of AMS, and would limit ourselves to an optional day hike the next day to see if we could spot the the “Shining Mountain”, the elusive Changabang (6864 m).

Oct 1: Bagini Glacier Day Hike (15,500 ft) and Return to Dronagiri (11,000 ft)

Thin clouds with bright blue patches of sky in between greeted us at camp early in the morning. Through them Rishi Pahar shone through, our constant companion since the day before. On our right, clouds were lifting from the glacier, giving the chortens a chimney-like appearance. Frost on our tents and on flat boulders told us the temperature had fallen below zero overnight. The sun, piercing through the clouds, bounced off the snowy patches on the glacier.

Since the weather wasn’t guaranteeing us views of Changabang (6864 m), Manoj led rolling up the campsite and descending (with Atrei) while the rest of us, along with Gyan, got started on the day hike to give ourselves a closer view of the peaks. 

Changabang notwithstanding, the walk was spectacular. The ground gradually morphed from rocky debris into meadow-like terrain. The grasslands were interspersed with patches of red wild Ramdana (amaranthus). Small streams flowed down the western slopes towards the glacier. Delicate flowers dotted the landscape. Though not cloudless, the sky remained a brilliant blue, and as we walked towards the amphitheater of peaks at the head of the valley, it built up some anticipation for views of Changabang. There were none to be had. But we were more than content with views of Tirsul (7074 m), Hardeol (7151 m), Rishi Pahar (6992 m), Sat Minal (6911 m) and Kalanka (6931 m).

Sat Minal (6911 m)

Wild Ramdana

Near the turn around point. 15,500 ft

Kalanka (6931 m)

Bagini Glacier

Tirsul (7074 m) and Hardeol (7151 m)

Meadows above Bagini

Poorvi Dronagiri

Rishi Pahar (6992 m)

Sat Minal now lay directly ahead, with Rishi Pahar to its left. To their left were partial views of Tirsul and Hardeol. Looking right from Sat Minal, we could see a colossal ice wall, rising to a second peak after level ridge. We initially spent some time debating whether it was Kalanka or a subsidiary peak. The topo map supported the latter theory. A short walk later we could see the ridge line fall away and rise again steeply, to the summit of Kalanka (6931 m). The peak was unmistakable though partly shrouded by thin clould cover. However, views of Changabang remained off the table. It was clear from where we stood that the valley forked into two in front and below us. Another hour’s walk towards the right branch would have put us in position to view Changabang properly, but it seemed likely that the clouds would thwart our efforts.

15 years ago, several folks (including myself and Ranjita) spent many hours at and after Kuari Pass debating whether we saw Changabang and Kalanka from that vantage point, and if so, which ones they were. I revisited that dilemma from Chandrashila Peak a few years ago. The hope was that this trip would put matters to rest, by viewing both those magnificent peaks at close range. But we succeeded only partially!

GPS reports variously suggested we were between 15,500 and 16,000 ft. At this point (around 10:30 am) we decided to turn around, enjoy the rest of the morning’s walk back, and catch up with Atrei.  

We retraced our steps through our last campsite. At some point looking back the way we were descending, I spotted a tiny protuberance on an otherwise flat ridge between two of the peaks heading the valley. It seemed very possible that it was the summit of Nanda Devi. We continued past Longatulli, where the kids quickly scampered up and down their favorite boulder. Soon we met Atrei, a little before the descent to the river crossing before Dronagiri village. Her guide, a camp-helper, had mistakenly taken her on a 45 min detour earlier. At her (wise) insistence, he turned around to catch up with us. Later the staff would make fun of him by calling him “guide-saab”. Relieved and reunited, we scrambled down the steep gravelly trail to the river (collectively wondering how we couldn’t recall this difficult stretch on the way up), and then made the trudge up to Dronagiri village.

At Dronagiri, we camped a couple of hundred feet above the village. A GMVN guest house was under construction at some distance, and it’s unimaginative modern design looked out of place amidst the traditional architecture. I also wondered if it would be commercially viable given how remote and deserted Dronagiri village is. I

It was considerably warmer than higher up. Most of us washed up, lounged about in the meadow, and had pakoras made from local potatoes for snacks.

Dronagiri Village

Celebratory snacks!

Boulder at Longatuli

Oct 1: Walk out to Ruing (9000 ft)

We got started at 7:30 am, and walked through the village on a concrete path, and then through some tall grasses down the wide slope. Very quickly, we were back in the narrow gorge we started the trek in, and made fast progress through the landslide, past our first campsite (by 9:00). By 11:00, we were at the jeep road. We had to wait till about noon before our jeeps showed up. As we drove back to Joshimath, we were treated to a hit song (played on repeat) that extolled the virtues of prominent Gujaratis, including Modi, Ambani, and Gandhi. What it lacked in artistic merit, it made up for in catchiness. Soon we were all humming the song with peals of laughter as we made our way past the confluence of the Rishi and Dhauli Ganga, gawked at brief but stunning views of Nanda Devi, and enjoyed an unexpectedly good meal at the Bawarchi Restaurant in Joshimath (followed by jalebis at anti-inflationary prices).

We parted ways here – Gyan and Manoj left quickly for their long trip back to Uttarkashi and Dhunda. Samarth, Paroma, Ravish and Atrei headed down to Rudraprayag for the night and to Rhishikesh and beyond from there. Ranjita, Ishan and I found a willing cab to take us to Badrinath for the night. Badrinath was in general, a mess, thanks to a “smart city” project, and dense crowds thanks to "Maha Ashtami". Next morning, Ranjita nursed a minor bug, while I made the short march out to Mana and back. A day later, we were back in Shivanandi River Lodge near Rudraprayag, followed by an unexpectedly difficult road trip back to Hardwar, where we took the evening train to Delhi.

Closing Thoughts:

There’s a lot of misinformation about this trail online. It’s not as hard as it is made out to be. It is high altitude though, so extra days on the ascent are crucial. We lost a day due to the road closure, so we didn’t have time to explore the higher reaches of the valley. With one more day, we could probably have done one more camp, or a longer day hike to allow for higher success with viewing Changabang and other peaks. 

Trekking through these high valleys makes you marvel and worry about the fragility and serendipity of the geography and ecology that sustains most of Northern India. A minor glitch in monsoon patterns, or a tectonic shift that forces these headwaters to change direction --- it could change life as we know it for the hundreds of millions in the Gangetic Basin.