Grade 11 went on a trip to Gangotri to learn about travel writing, hiking and the rich heritage of the area. Along the way, the group saw animals, beautiful sights, and they bonded with everyone on the trip, making everything generally more enjoyable.
We left our hotel in the morning and walked up to an office of the forest department to have our documents inspected. Meanwhile, Vikentiy Pashuk (pictured) is terrified by the sudden appearance of a snow leopard.
And so the hike begins. The trail starts with a thin winding path and a picturesque view of an almost perfect split of stone and greenery.
After walking some more, our group finally viewed the alluring valley that we would soon be walking up, full of trees, and snowy mountains in the distance.
We were invited to do a writing workshop with travel writer Ms. Virginia Jealous, a guest on our trip, and we also had the opportunity to do a bit of birdwatching.
About an hour from our first campsite, we saw past a lush pine forest to a picture perfect mountain in the distance.
On the second day, we walked up the side of the valley and watched the water pour over a huge cliff, catching the sunlight as it fell.
We were treated to a view of the majestic blue sheep, also called bharal, standing on the hillside.
We stopped to rest at Gamuk and saw two snowy peaks standing strong as clouds swirled around them.
Walking down from the Gamuk Glacier, we saw the beautiful valley in shadow with a dead tree leaning over the path, marking our return to Woodstock School.
Photos by Rohan Mathias, Markhamsan Lyndem and Tala Bagh
Edited by Mikko Aoki Liu
thewoodstocker.com 