Rudugaira Base Camp Trek
Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
Opens without signal on this phone, with the map file and checklist. Saved for offline →
- Max altitude
- 4,915 m
- Days
- 8 days
- Distance
- 51 km
- Difficulty
- Difficult
A fast climb from about 3,050 m at Gangotri to the 4,780 m Kedartal lake, then a crossing of the 4,915 m Patangini Dhar ridge on a long 8-9 hour day of boulder and scree, and a steep 10 km descent through the Rudugaira valley. Operators call it suited to experienced trekkers only.
Photos
On the trail
The route
Day by day
Day 1
Dehradun → Gangotri
640 m → 3,048 m
Day 2
Gangotri → Bhoj Kharak
3,048 m → 3,780 m
Day 3
Bhoj Kharak → Kedar Kharak
3,780 m → 4,280 m
Day 4
Kedar Kharak → Kedar Kharak (via Kedartal)
4,280 m → 4,780 m → 4,280 m
Day 5
Kedar Kharak → Patangini Dhar Base Camp
4,280 m → 4,542 m
Day 6 · highest point
Patangini Dhar Base Camp → Rudugaira Upper Nala Camp (over Patangini Dhar)
4,542 m → 4,915 m → 4,542 m
Day 7
Rudugaira Upper Nala Camp → Gangotri
4,542 m → 3,048 m
Day 8
Gangotri → Dehradun
3,048 m → 640 m
Ups and downs
Altitude profile
Where it is
Map
Trailhead and high point only — not a recorded track. Use it with a proper map.
Weather
Next 5 days on the trail
Live forecast for the trailhead and the high point. Mountain weather changes fast — check again on the morning you start.
Trailhead · Gangotri
at 3,048 mLoading forecast…
High point · Patangini Dhar ridge
at 4,915 mLoading forecast…
Each day: high / low °C · rain mm and chance · snow cm · wind km/h
Weather data: Open-Meteo.comModel forecast, not an official warning. For alerts follow IMD and the local administration.
Plan the trip
How to reach
- Trailhead
- Gangotri
- Nearest railway
- Dehradun
- Nearest airport
- Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun
- By road
- Dehradun (about 237 km via Uttarkashi and Harsil); Rishikesh (about 240-270 km via Uttarkashi; early-morning buses and shared taxis)
- Drive
- About 8 h from Dehradun
Plan the trip
Permits and fees
We could not confirm the current permit rules and fees from an official source. Check with the local forest department or tourism office before you go.
Plan the trip
Cost
Self-guided
₹15,000–25,000
With an operator
₹34,800–43,600
Per person, ex-Dehradun. Guided prices published by operators (checked October 2026): Great Adventure ₹34,800 + 5% GST ex-Rishikesh; eUttaranchal ₹35,000 + 5% GST ex-Gangotri; Himalaya Shelter ₹41,500 + 5% GST ex-Dehradun. All include the Gangotri National Park entry and camping charges for Indian nationals; foreigners pay more. Self-guided is an estimate: shared jeep or bus Dehradun-Gangotri and back, two guesthouse nights in Gangotri, the park permit, and a local guide and porter for six days with tent, stove and food. A local guide who knows the Patangini Dhar crossing is strongly advised.
Gear
Top picks for this trek
The gear that matters most on this route, chosen from its altitude, season and risks.
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Ad · affiliate link
Store buttons open a search on that store, not a product we picked. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Photos show the kind of item, not a specific product. Affiliate disclosure
Packing checklist
Matched to this trek: altitude, season, days and the risks on the route.
Packed 0 of 35
Nights near 4,915 m can drop close to freezing even in summer. Pack one more warm layer than you think.
Tick each item as it goes in the bag.
Know before you go
Good to know
- Mobile network
- BSNL and Airtel work in Gangotri; there is no mobile signal beyond Gangotri.
- Last ATM
- Uttarkashi, about 100 km before Gangotri; carry cash from Dehradun.
- Nearest hospital
- Uttarkashi district hospital for first care; AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Water
- The Kedar Ganga stream and side streams near Bhoj Kharak and Kedar Kharak; streams beside the Rudugaira Nala and base camps. There are no shops after Gangotri. Boil or treat all water.
Highlights
- Kedartal, the glacial lake under the pyramid of Thalay Sagar, visited on a day walk from Kedar Kharak
- Crossing the 4,915 m Patangini Dhar ridge from the Kedar Ganga valley into the little-visited Rudugaira valley
- Views of Thalay Sagar, Bhrigupanth, the Jogin group and the Gangotri I-III peaks from the high camps
- A loop that starts and ends at Gangotri, the sacred seat of Ganga Maiya, without retracing the Kedar Ganga gorge
Risks
- Very fast gain from 3,048 m to above 4,500 m: acute mountain sickness is a real risk; spend a night in Gangotri or Uttarkashi first and descend at the first serious symptoms.
- Patangini Dhar day is long (8-9 hours) on loose boulders and scree, often with snow in early June and late October; route-finding needs a guide who knows the crossing.
- Rockfall and landslides in the Kedar Ganga gorge and the lower Rudugaira valley, especially after rain.
- July-August monsoon brings landslides and cloudbursts; operators advise against the trek then, and the Dehradun-Gangotri road can be blocked for days.
Know before you go
Questions
What is the Rudugaira Base Camp trek?
As sold by operators, it is an 8-day loop from Gangotri: up the Kedar Ganga valley to Bhoj Kharak, Kedar Kharak and Kedartal lake, then over the 4,915 m Patangini Dhar ridge into the Rudugaira valley, and down past the Rudugaira Nala camps to Gangotri. The trekking distance is about 51 km.
When can I do the Rudugaira and Patangini Dhar trek?
May to mid-June and mid-September to October. Gangotri National Park is closed to visitors from 30 November to 31 March. July and August are monsoon months with landslides and cloudbursts, and operators advise against trekking then.
Is a permit needed?
Yes. The route lies in Gangotri National Park, and entry needs a permit issued by the Uttarakhand Forest Department, available online or at the forest offices in Uttarkashi and Gangotri. Guided packages include it. We could not confirm the current official fee, so check at the forest office.
How difficult is it, and can a beginner do it?
It is a difficult high-altitude trek. Operators describe it as challenging and suited to experienced trekkers, because of the quick gain to Kedartal and the long boulder crossing of Patangini Dhar. Do at least one earlier trek above 4,000 m first.
How far is Rudugaira Base Camp from Gangotri?
On the direct route up the Rudugaira valley, Indiahikes puts Nala Camp about 6 km from Gangotri and Rudugaira Base Camp (about 4,160 m) a further 3 km. This valley is also the approach for Auden's Col and the Rudugaira and Gangotri peaks.
In an emergency
Save these numbers before you lose signal. Tap to call.
- 112All emergenciesIndia’s single emergency number — works in every state
- 108Ambulance
- 1077District disaster control room
You are in
District: UttarkashiUttarakhand
- Nearest hospital
- Uttarkashi district hospital for first care; AIIMS Rishikesh for serious cases
- Last ATM
- Uttarkashi, about 100 km before Gangotri; carry cash from Dehradun.
- Phone network
- BSNL and Airtel work in Gangotri; there is no mobile signal beyond Gangotri.
Before you set off
- Tell someone your route and when you will be back.
- Carry a charged phone and a power bank.
- Download an offline map of the route.
- Turn back if the weather turns bad — the mountain will wait.
Questions about Rudugaira Base Camp
No questions yet. Ask something and trekkers who have done it can answer.
Share your trek photo with #TreksAndTrails
I trekked this
Did Rudugaira Base Camp look different from this page? Tell us what changed and we will check it.
Where this comes from
Sources
Last reviewed:
- Kedartal Patanginidhar Rudugaira Base Camp Trek — Himalaya Shelter
- Kedartal with Patangnidhar and Rudugaira Valley Base Camp Trek — eUttaranchal
- Patangni Dhar Trek — Great Adventure
- Auden's Col Trek (documented trek) — Indiahikes
- Gangotri National Park Reopens For Trek: Date, Permits And What Travellers Need To Know — Outlook Traveller
- Gangotri National Park — Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India) (official)
Photos: Kailas98, CC BY-SA 3.0; Arunsingh, CC BY-SA 3.0; Ravi Pandey, CC BY-SA 4.0
