Audens Col Trek - Sep-Oct 2024

Seven of us did this iconic trek in Sep-Oct this year. It lived upto its reputation of being a demanding

trek which is done in expdition style. Here is a quick summary of how it went.

September 21: Dehradun to Gangotri (By Road, 10 hours)

The day’s highlight was buying some heirloom-like apples at Sukki Top. They were small, slightly
blemished, but an intense blood-red color.

September 22: Gangotri (Elevation: 3,078 m)

I set out early, hoping to spot some birds along the trail. As I crossed the Bhagirathi River and followed the Kedar
Ganga stream, a White-Capped Redstart made its appearance. A little farther down, I encountered a group of
Coal Tits hopping between pine trees. The most striking sight, however, was a Blue Whistling Thrush attempting
to swallow a mouse whole. After that, my birding luck seemed to run out.

Hoopoe

Coal Tit

Blue Whistling Thrush with a prey

Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well, and there was no medication to be found in Gangotri. All I could do was hope
my stomach wouldn't get worse. The rest of the day was spent revisiting the packing list, strolling through the
one-street village, and paying a visit to the temple

We had initially planned for the Kalindi Khal trek but were unable to secure the required permit. We met a couple
of groups who did manage to get theirs and chatted about how to improve our chances next time.

September 23: Gangotri to Nala Camp

• Distance: 9 km

• Time Taken: 3.5 hours

• Elevation Gain: 660 m

• Terrain: Dirt trail

The first day of any expedition-style trek is always busy, mainly due to the logistics of distributing the load among
the porters. After weighing the supplies, we finally set off around 10:30 AM. Our group consisted of seven
trekkers, two trek leaders, two kitchen staff, one guide, and 14 porters.

We crossed over to the Kedar Ganga side and began the ascent along the Rudugaira stream. The trail was scenic,
lined with Himalayan Birch trees. At one point, we crossed the stream and climbed above the treeline. Along the
way, we passed a few shepherds tending to their livestock— the last people we'd see until the end of the trek.
Earlier groups attempting to cross Auden’s Col this post-monsoon season had been forced to turn back due to
bad weather. The fall colors were just beginning to show, with the grass on the meadows turning a beautiful
reddish hue.

The initial hour of trekking was a moderately steep climb, though manageable. We diverged from the Kedar Tal
trail to our left and navigated through a small rockfall zone, but it wasn’t too daunting. The porters, however,
were overloaded—carrying anywhere between 25 kg (single load) to over 40 kg (double load)—making it tough
on them.

From Nala Camp Towards Gangotri

We arrived at Nala Camp, took a break, had our packed lunch, and played with a shepherd's dog before washing up in the stream. With little else to do, we embarked on an acclimatization walk, climbing about 150 m up a steep slope. By 5 PM, the camp was still not set up, and the cold draft began to settle in. We tried to light some dry leaves, but it didn’t work. At sundown, the camp was finally ready, and we had tea followed by dinner. To ease the load for the porters, some of the equipment was left behind, and we decided to start earlier the next day.

September 24: Nala Camp to Rudugaira Base Camp

Rudugaira Trail

• Distance: 4.1 km

• Time Taken: 3.5 hours

• Elevation Gain: 767 m

• Terrain: Dirt trail

The day began with a steep 200-meter climb, but the weather held, and soon we found ourselves walking across a
beautiful grassland. The trail remained visible for quite a while, and the gradient was gentle for most of the day
except the beginning and the end. I stopped for half hour in the meadow and saw few birds.

Tree Pipit

Black Redsart Female

White Wagtail

In the final hour, we climbed nearly 400 meters in a very steep ascent before stopping for lunch. The water at this
campsite wasn’t ideal—full of sediment—but it was still better than the water at the nearby alternative campsite,
which smelled of sulfur. We considered pushing on to Gangotri Base Camp, but our porters wouldn't have
managed the trek. We spent the evening chatting with our guide, Balwant Ji, who has over 30 years of trekking
experience. He shared stories of combining the Rudugaira summit (around 6,000 meters) with Auden’s Col.

September 25: Rudugaira Base Camp to Gangotri Base Camp

• Distance: 3 km

• Time Taken: 1 hour 45 minutes

• Elevation Gain: 142 m

• Terrain: Rocky/dirt trail

This was meant to be a day for acclimatization. Since we were walking slow, it was decided that we would press
on and not take a rest day. We headed to Gangotri Base Camp, a short walk from Rudugaira. The campsite had a
great water source but, unfortunately, was littered with trash, likely left behind by the previous team who seemed
to have left abruptly due to bad weather.

With the short hike done, we had plenty of time to wash up and spend the afternoon playing cards. The camp was
close enough to the mountains to witness rockfalls, avalanches, and glaciers hanging over the valley. For
acclimatization, we climbed up a ridge without a proper trail—a mix of rocks and loose soil. After an hour of
climbing and gaining about 300 meters, the weather turned. With visibility dropping to about 30 feet, we quickly
rushed back to camp. It was probably our last easy day.

Auden's behind us

September 26: Gangotri Base Camp to Auden’s Col Base Camp

• Distance: 4.9 km

• Time Taken: 4 hours 20 minutes

• Elevation Gain: 229 m

• Terrain: Scree, boulders, and loose dirt (no trail)

The real challenge began once we left camp. The old route to Sukha Tal, previously used, was cut off by an
avalanche. Balwant Ji decided we would descend the ridge and climb back up again—without a trail. Navigating
the scree and loose rocks was tricky, and I slipped, earning a light slap on the wrist—literally—but nothing
serious.

Descent in between the ridges

Climb up the ridge

Stream crossing at the bottom

Descending to the stream, we crossed it without much trouble. But the path up was steep, unstable, and covered
with soft ice and loose soil. As we climbed, we were hemmed in by two ridges on either side. The sound of rocks
grinding against melting ice echoed across the opposite ridge.

We slipped and slid our way up until we reached a steep wall, where we had to be physically pulled up. The entire
team let out a collective sigh of relief. Watching the porters carry heavy loads along this path was nothing short of
awe-inspiring.

From the ridge, we could see Sukha Tal below us—nearly dry, with only a few shallow streams flowing through
patches of snow. It looked surreal.

The sight of Auden’s Col was breathtaking, with Jogin Peak to the left and Gangotri Peak to the right, and the Col
nestled between them like a gateway beneath the iconic Rabbit Ear rocks. We planned an early departure the next
morning, aiming for 5:30 AM, to take advantage of the hard snow and avoid the afternoon weather.

September 27: Audens Col Base Camp to Khatling Glacier Upper Camp

• Distance: 4.7 KM

• Time taken: 10 hours

• Elevation gain: 460 m

• Terrain: Snow/Glacier

We woke up early, had breakfast, and packed up, ready to begin the traverse. However, we were told to hold off
until the weather cleared. Thankfully, our cook, Deshraj, and his assistant Sachin had been providing amazing
food throughout the trip, which kept us going. After an hour of waiting in the tent, we were woken up and quickly
set off, knowing how crucial an early start is in these conditions.

Audens backdrop

The journey began cautiously on soft snow, with Balwant Ji leading the group, and the trek leaders assisting the porters. Within an hour, the weather cleared, and the sun came out, but that also meant the crevasses began to reveal themselves. We crossed our first ice bridge, barely a foot wide, connecting two masses of ice.

A bridge

The fresh snow made the going tough, as we sank knee-deep with each step. Once the snow compacted around our
feet, it became almost impossible to pull them out without an immense effort. Every step felt like a battle, and
extracting each foot required us to catch our breath before continuing.
Amritash gave me a useful tip—not to put weight on my trek poles as they sank into the snow, causing me to lose
balance. Somenath, our trek leader, also gave me one of his snow wheels for the trek pole, which helped
tremendously. As the sun rose higher, the snow softened, making walking even more exhausting.

Roped Up With Avalanche Visible in the Background

Before long, Balwant Ji roped us together as we approached an avalanche-prone section of the slope. After 6.5
hours of slogging through the snow, we finally reached the Audens Col around 1 PM.
Clouds swirled above us, but there was still a sense of accomplishment. We celebrated, taking photos, marveling
at the pristine Jaonli peak and the intimidating sight of the Khatling Glacier on the other side, crisscrossed with
crevasses. Ahead of us was a daunting 70-degree descent on rocks, scree, and snow.

Clouds Fly Above us on Avalanche Slope

On Auden's Col

We spent about 45 minutes at the top before starting our descent. Balwant Ji and Sachin went ahead to set the
ropes, and we followed slowly, gripping the rope tightly. Even after reaching the end of the rope, we were still
high above the glacier. While waiting for the porters to come up from the other side, we took a break on a rocky
ledge overlooking the glacier.

The weather became unpredictable, switching from sun to snow every 15 minutes. At one point, it started snowing heavily, and we had to get our rain gear out. The situation became tense as the porters struggled with their heavy loads, and one even lost his pack, which tumbled down to rest on the edge of a crevasse. Luckily, it didn’t fall in, and we were able to retrieve it.

Descent using ropes

On the rocky ledge 

Khatling Glacier

                                      

Snow was pouring as we descended on the rope
and landed on the glacier. The fixed rope snaked
through pitons and rocks as we clambered down.
At one point, I sank waist-deep into the snow and
had to shout for help. Sachin rushed over to dig me
out, and we crossed the crevasse, though the
unstable ground made every step treacherous.

Sanjay, our second trek leader, was already busy compacting the snow to make space for our tents. The porters,
still struggling to descend, had their own challenges, with one even losing the bag that contained all of our
sleeping bags, which nearly tumbled into the glacier. Balwant Ji ran up to retrieve the bag and dragged it through
the snow while the porters were struggling to come down the slope themselves. Losing the sleeping bag load in he
crevasse would have been disastrous for all of us. By the time we had the tents set up, everything was wet and
freezing. I crawled into my tent, exhausted, trying to find some warmth in my sleeping bag, though even my shoes
were half-frozen.

Despite being completely drained, some of the crew was still out, helping the last of the porters. Some porters
were showing signs of sickness, likely from the altitude, which was worrying. Dinner was announced, but I
couldn’t bear the thought of leaving my sleeping bag. Most of us opted to skip dinner and rest.

September 28: Khatling Upper Camp to Khatling Lower Camp

• Distance: 5 KM

• Time taken: 4 hours 40 mins

• Elevation loss: 650 m

• Terrain: Snow/Glacier/Rocks

We woke up to a sunny morning tat cheered everyone up. The Khatling Glacier stretches for about 11 km, and
today, we had to cross half of it. The fresh snow from the previous night had hardened, which made walking
easier, but unfortunately, our shoes were also rock-solid from the cold.

As we began, the hard snow allowed us to walk without sinking, but it didn’t last long. Soon, we were sinking
again, even deeper than the day before, navigating around crevasses and gasping for breath after every few steps.

Khatling-Up Close

Khatling Crevasses

Overlooking Kedar Range

Lower Camp site on Khatling Glacier

Looking up at the porters from the campsite

View of peaks in Kedar valley

We tried walking in each other’s footsteps to reduce the sinking, but that only helped marginally. At one point,
someone stepped into a crevasse and had to be pulled out, though thankfully, no one was injured.

Eventually, we reached a patch of rocky terrain where the snow and soft ice gave way to harder glacier ice and
scattered rocks. It felt like a miracle to walk on solid ground again, even though we were still technically on the
glacier. Walking on boulders and scree was just as difficult even though we were off the soft snow.
By the time we reached camp, the porters were still hours behind us. We used the time to try and level out the
ground for our tents, watching the distant pass that would lead us toward Kedarnath. It was hard to believe how
far we had come—from the Bhagirathi valley, through Rudugaira, and now into the Bhilangana valley, where the
Khatling Glacier feeds the Bhilangana River.

September 29: Khatling Lower Camp to Khatling Kharak (Meadow)

• Distance: 8.2 KM

• Time taken: 6 hours

• Elevation loss: 1000 m

• Terrain: Ice/Glacier/Rocks

The snow had finally disappeared, but we were still navigating the unstable terrain of the glacier. Loose rocks,
shifting ice, and unstable earth made the trek slow and precarious. At one point, we had to descend an 8-foot drop
across a waterfall that emerged from the glacier itself, in a single file. Balwant Ji was the scout leading us out of
this maze each time (there was no trail).
We eventually made it off the glacier, only to enter a landslide-prone area. Compared to the challenges we had
already faced, it seemed minor, but the loose soil and scree still caused everyone to slip and fall multiple times.
Finally, we reached the beautiful meadows of Khatling Kharak, and for the first time in days, we felt a sense of
relief. The day ended with a much-needed break, and though we had been behind schedule most days, we were
now faced with a decision—whether to press on and attempt the Mayali Pass or exit through the Bhilangana
valley due to the worsening weather and physical strain.

September 30: Khatling Kharak to Kharsoli

• Distance: 12.5 KM

• Time taken: 6 hours

• Elevation loss: 750 m

• Terrain: Rocks, Dirt trail

Today was a long walk, but the trail was far more manageable than what we had been through. There were a few
detours where we had to hop over boulders, but for the most part, we could just enjoy the scenery—the lush
meadows and dense forests. We even spotted signs of wildlife, including evidence of bears and leopards in the
forest.

October 1: Kharsoli to Gangi

• Distance: 18 KM

• Time taken: 7 hours

• Elevation loss: 300 m

• Terrain: Dirt trail

The final day of our trek took us through a beautiful forest, though we had to navigate several detours where the river had eaten away at the trail. The trek was long, with many small climbs up and down, but we finally reached the village of Gangi. The sight of the fields full of amaranth flowers was breathtaking. We stopped for tea at a village shop, content to relax and wait for our cab to pick us up, knowing our journey was finally over.

Some of the pictures above were taken by Abhjit, Harish and Amritash.