Uttarakhand is known for picturesque views, pleasing weather, several pilgrimages sites, peace and adventure activities. While rafting, paragliding, mountain biking, and camping are familiar adventure activities in several popular places, Gartang Gali is only known by a few people.
This exciting trek is situated at a distance of 90 km from Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. It is one of the world’s oldest routes made by cutting huge mountains. Made up of wood, this extraordinary trek offers a skywalk experience. It was inaccessible for almost 59 years and reopened for tourists in 2021. Since then, the trek has attracted thousands of tourists and allowed visitors to explore the natural beauty and history.
Read this blog till the end to learn everything about Gartang Gali, from the facts and complete guide for the journey.
Know About Gartang Gali
Trekking the mountains and walking on the wooden trek offers a fantastic experience. But the journey becomes more interesting when you know the facts behind the trek. The Gartang Gali was built almost 150 years ago with the aim of trading between China and Barhat Market Uttarkashi. The official trek route was closed in 1962 after the Indo-China war, but later Gartang Gali was founded.
It is said that before independence, the people of Uttarkashi had built the trek via Nelong Valley. The trek was prepared by cutting the mountains and furnishing them with a combination of wood and iron. The major items transported from Tibet to Badahat of Uttarkashi were wool, leather, cloth and salt. The trek is situated at an altitude of 11,000 ft and gives an exciting view of Nelang Valley.
About The Route
The trek is almost 2 Km and starts from Lanka Bridge, located 90 km from the district headquarters of Uttarkashi. A mix of modern and traditional architecture, the trek will take you through the dense Deodar and Kail forests. If you are lucky enough, you can glimpse Himalayan blue sheep and goats. There are also chances to see the snow leopards in the Nelong Valley. However, Gartang Gali is a challenging trek route offering excitement.
Besides the surrounding nature, the stunning wood structure will definitely leave tourists amazed. The beauty of this wooden pathway can not be neglected by the tourist’s eyes. Since the trek is challenging, tourists with a big heart are recommended to walk slowly close to chiseled stone without holding the wood rallyings. Tourists can see the beautiful Jadh Ganga majestically flowing 200m below. The views from the Gartang Gali are worth shooting, so you must take your DSLR camera.
Best Time To Trek Gartang Gali
The best time to visit Gartang Gali is from May to October. At this time, you can enjoy the beautiful view of greenery and snow, which makes your trek spectacular. Moreover, the weather during these months is quite pleasing and trek friendly. The temperature during the daytime varies from 10-15 ℃, which drops to 5-10 ℃ at night.
How To Reach Gartang Gali Trek?
Gartang Gali is located almost 247 km away from Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand. The trek begins from Lanka Bridge which is situated at a distance of 12 km from Harshil. You need to reach Dehradun from your city, easily accessible by road, train or air. And from Dehradun, you must travel by road through Mussorie-Suwkholi- Chinyalisour-Dharasu-Uttarkashi-Bhatwari-Gangnani-Harshil-Gartang Gali.
Why Is Gartang Gali Popular?
Gartang Gali is an ancient trek and holds a significant history of India. People reach here to witness the oldest trek route nestled in the lush green mountains. Moreover, tourists also see nature at its best here. Other reasons most tourists are attracted towards this trek are-
- Offbeat destination for adventure junkies.
- Connect you with Indian history.
- A captivating place for nature lovers.
- It takes you to ancient tourism.
If you have outstanding trekking experience and still want to witness historic skywalks, you should not miss a walk to Gartang Gali. Since this trek has reopened, it has become the most popular route among other dare devil routes in Uttarakhand.
Guidelines For Tourists
Before you start trekking Gartang Gali, there are several necessary items you need to keep with you. You won’t find any canteen, dispensary or shop for other essential items in the entire trek. So it is better for tourists to pack-
- Water bottle
- Snacks
- Umbrella
- Raincoat
- Necessary medicines, ointments, bandages, etc.
Other things to keep in mind-
- Wear comfortable shoes for trekking.
- Keep your bag lightweight.
- Carry semi-woollen clothes.
- Extra pair of socks.
- Wear comfortable, stretchable clothes.
- Carry a camera or phone with a high-resolution camera.
- People with acrophobia and having health complications related to the heart should avoid trekking.
Gartang Gali is the most thrilling and exciting trek in Uttarakhand, offering picturesque views to the eyes. Visiting here will prove soothing to people who are nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. Most importantly, this trek will take you back to the history of Indo-China relations. You will see a beautiful combination of nature, history and architecture.