Spread across 28km, Gangotri originates at the northern slope of
Chaukhamba, a range of peaks. It is not a single valley glacier, but a combination of several glaciers that feed to it, resulting in a huge mass of ice. Except for a few ice walls and crevices developed in its upper regions, the glacier flows at a gentle slope and terminates at an altitude of 4000 m. The snout of the glacier is called
Gaumukh.
The glacier can be approached by a 17 km trek from the Gangotri temple. Tourist season ranges from mid April to May - June and September to November.
