The Hiking World

Gaumukh Tapovan

OSM hiking route Gangotri–Gaumukh–Tapovan, Uttarakhand (20.52 km line). Not the Gangotri–Khatling line 11234974 — related, not merged. Vertical figures from the GLO-30 resample. Days unknown. Gangotri NP entry 150 persons per day.

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Distance 20.52 km Reported · Ascent provisional (DEM sample) · High point provisional (DEM sample) · T4 · OSM route

Itinerary not published

Last checked 2026-09-18

Cite this record

The Hiking World, Gaumukh Tapovan, read 2026-09-18, https://www.thehikingworld.com/trails/gaumukh-tapovan

How we verify · last checked 2026-09-18

Byline

  • The Hiking World editorial team · author
Gangotri Glacier country toward Gaumukh, Uttarakhand

Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.

Forecast at page generation, 2026-11-04T22:08:38.931Z

Representative point on Gaumukh Tapovan: 30.974°, 79.034°, about 4311 m. A forecast, not a trail-surface reading.

At generation: -18°C, Clear.

  • 2026-11-05 Fog, -22–0°C
  • 2026-11-06 Fog, -22–-1°C
  • 2026-11-07 Fog, -23–0°C

Source Open-Meteo. Mountain weather changes with elevation and aspect.

Life-safety notices on this page come from the issuer.

Altitude weather delta

High 4,311 m minus low 3,045 m is 1,266 m of relief on this record. A standard tropospheric lapse of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m implies about 8.2 °C cooler at the high point than the valley, all else equal.

That is a model (International Standard Atmosphere environmental lapse), not a forecast and not a trail-closure. Wind, snow, and storms stay in Hazards.

derived:lapse-rate · read 2026-09-10 · provisional

ISA 6.5 °C / 1,000 m · wikipedia.org · 2026-09-10

Stored line for Gaumukh Tapovan, from 30.994°, 78.940° to 30.911°, 79.074°. The drawing is the simplified record, not a surveyed GPS track.

Map loads when this section is on screen.

GeoJSON

Line download is the stored OSM geometry, simplified. It is not a surveyed GPS track. GPX · GeoJSON

Facts30.994, 78.940
Distance20.52 km*
OSM line (ODbL, rel 11247852) · read 2026-09-18
Ascent+1,736 m*
Copernicus GLO-30 (30 m resample) · read 2026-09-18 · provisional
Descent942 m*
Copernicus GLO-30 (30 m resample) · read 2026-09-18 · provisional
High point4,311 m*
Copernicus GLO-30 · read 2026-09-18 · provisional
Low point3,045 m
Copernicus GLO-30 · read 2026-09-18 · provisional
Routepoint-to-point
Daysnot published
Seasonunverified
GradeOSM sac_scale: alpine_hiking · SAC T4 · YDS 3

Catalog entry

DifficultyOSM sac_scale: alpine_hiking

Difficult

SAC T4
Alpine hiking. Sometimes pathless; exposure and simple climbing terrain.
YDS Class 3
Class 3. Scrambling with increased exposure; a fall could be serious.
openstreetmap.org · verified 2026-09-18
Elevation
30433678431219.83 km profile length (DEM sample)

Stored distance is 20.52 km. The chart axis follows the DEM sample (19.83 km), not the published line length.

Ingested from OpenStreetMap relation 11247852 (ODbL). The mapped line is that geometry. Distance, ascent, descent, and high/low points are the evidence-sheet figures (adjudicated 2026-09-18). Water and season were not sourced. SAC is OSM-sourced alpine_hiking (T4, ODbL, lastVerified 2026-09-18) — the member-way tag, not an altitude bump. YDS is the site cross-walk, still provisional.

OSM 2D length is 20.52 km (OSM line, ODbL, relation 11247852, lastVerified 2026-09-18). Provisional — OSM line, no cited itinerary. Related record: Khatling Glacier (/trails/khatling-glacier, relation 11234974 among others). Do not merge Gangotri–Gaumukh–Tapovan with the Gangotri–Khatling line.

High 4,311 m is Copernicus GLO-30 (lastVerified 2026-09-18), corroborated by Wikipedia 4,463 m (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapovan, accessed 2026-09-18, CC BY-SA). Low 3,045 m is the same DEM resample, verified. Ascent 1,736 m / descent 942 m remain provisional DEM.

Gangotri National Park entry is required with a limit of 150 persons per day (Uttarakhand Tourism, https://uttarakhandtourism.gov.in/destination/gangotri, accessed 2026-09-18). Authority: Gangotri National Park. Confirm the live tariff. Season is unknown. Water was not mapped to named WaterSource points.

Water

No water sources recorded.

Permits & fees

Conditions, fees and rules change. Confirm with the issuer and local authorities before you go. This is a reference, not a substitute for local advice. Terms

Permit
Gangotri National Park entry (150 persons per day)

Permits and fees

We are not the issuer. Fees and rules change — confirm with the issuer before you pay. Issuer page.

PermitCostQuota / restrictionIssuerSourceChecked
Gangotri National Park entry (150 persons per day)Unverified — not officially sourcedNot recorded—Not recordedIssuer pageUnverified

Report a fee change or correction

Hazards

  • Trail visibility: intermediate (OSM, ODbL, relation 11247852, lastVerified 2026-09-18).

Getting there

No sourced gateway chain yet.

Getting there car-free

  • OSM line start (Gangotri): car-free flag unknown.
  • OSM line end (Tapovan): car-free flag unknown.

Trailheads

  • OSM line start (Gangotri) car-free: unknown
  • OSM line end (Tapovan) car-free: unknown

Questions

Do I need a permit for Gaumukh Tapovan?

A permit is listed as required for Gaumukh Tapovan: Gangotri National Park entry (150 persons per day). Status: Unverified. This desk does not treat that as an official ruling.

How difficult is Gaumukh Tapovan?

Gaumukh Tapovan is graded OSM sac_scale: alpine_hiking · SAC T4 · YDS 3. A sourced hazard on this record: Trail visibility: intermediate (OSM, ODbL, relation 11247852, lastVerified 2026-09-18).

How long is Gaumukh Tapovan?

The length on this record is 20.52 km (reported). Published figures may differ. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail

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