Kali Gandaki Trek #2 : Tatopani Hot Springs EarthCache
Hidden : 9/9/2009
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3.5 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Altitude : 1227 m

Hello Cachers,

on our trek through the Kali Gandaki gorge we saw so many interesting places that we decided to publish some of them as earth cache. Please feel free to download our gpx track (Garmin notation, ZIP archieve) here.

Introduction

Mustang
This trek guids you through Mustang and especially Upper Mustang, also known as Lo or "The last forbidden kingdom". It was an independent buddhistic kingdom until the end of the 18th century. As a district of Nepal it was an autonomous teritory and forbidden for any foreign people. The kings own the title "Raja". The last Raja, Jigme Palbar Bista, lives now in Lo Mantang. With the end of the Nepal monarchy in late 2008 also Jigme Palbar Bista lost all his titles. Mustang was opened for foreigners in 1992. To read more about Mustang please see here.

Kali Gandaki
The Kali Gandaki River (also Narayani, Gandak) is one of the major rivers of Nepal. It is known as the river with the deepest gorge in the world. The river flows between the mountains Dhaulagiri (8167 m) to the west and Annapurna (8091 m) to the east. The gorge begins at Kagbeni. The river flows southwards to Jomsom, Marpha and Tukuche. The deepest part of the gorge is in the area of Lete (see Kali Gandaki #3). The gorge then broadens past Dana and Tatopani towards Beni. The Kali Gandaki gorge has been used as a trade route for centuries. Today, it is part of a trekking route from Pokhara to Muktinat and belongs to the 'Annapurna Circuit'. The gorge is within the Annapurna Conservation Area (trekking permit!). The Kali Gandaki rises in the Tibetan plateau north of the Himalayas in the Mustang District of Nepal, close to the tibetian border. The two headwaters of river, Nup Chhu and Shar Chhu ("West River" and "East River") meet near the town of Lo Manthang in upper Mustang. The river then flows southwest with the name of Mustang Khola. In Kagbeni Kak Khola, coming from Muktinath, meets Mustang Khola; from there, the river is called the Kali Gandaki. To learn more about the Kali Gandaki please read here.

The Himalayas
The Himalayas belong to the youngest mountains on the planet. They consist mostly of uplifted sedimentary and metamorphic rock. According to the modern theory of plate tectonics, their formation is a result of a continental collision between the Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. This is referred to as a fold mountain.
The collision began in the Upper Cretaceous period about 70 million years ago. At this time the Indo-Australian Plate was moving at speed of about 150 mm per year (today ~67 mm ). This leads to the Himalayas rising by about 5 mm per year, making them geologically active. About 50 million years ago, this fast moving Indo-Australian plate had closed the Tethys Ocean and the growing mountains lift up its marine sediments. To learn more about the Himalayas please read here.

To understand what you will see on the treck, please keep in mind that:
  • Kali Gandaki is a very old river, older than the Himalayas
  • so Kali Gandaki deposits sediment before the mountains grow
  • it cuts its gorge through a growing mountain
  • valleys are filled up with river sediment, sand by wind and erosion of mountain walls
  • at some places (very often the edge of the Tethys ocean) you find vulcanic hot spots caused by deep magmatism
  • the Himalayas cut off the prehistoric ocean Thetys and lift up marine sediment

Tatopani Hot Springs

A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are hot springs all over the earth, on every continent and even under the oceans and seas.

The water issuing from a hot spring is heated by geothermal heat. The temperature of rocks within the earth increases with depth. The rate of temperature increase with depth is known as the geothermal gradient. If water percolates deeply enough into the crust, it will be heated as it comes into contact with hot rocks. If the water becomes so hot that it builds steam pressure and erupts in a jet above the surface of the Earth, it is called a geyser. If the water only reaches the surface in the form of steam, it is called a fumarole. To learn more, please read here.

Though the Himalayas are fold mountains there exists some vulcanism. Very often these active spots mark the edge of the prehistoric Tethys ocean. There exist a lot of deep fissures in the ground.

The Tatopani hot spring (Tato is Nepali and means 'hot' or 'warm' and Pani means 'water') is located near thrust faults where rain/surface water penetrates into the high temperatures there, and ultimately rises again to the surface through fissures or outcrops of rock. Mineralization of the spring depends on the chemical composition of the soils. The water of this spring is alkaline with sight sulphuric odur.


Local peaple built bathing pools here. You may take a relaxing bath after youre walk to Tatopani or on your Anapurna trek.





The spring



To log this cache:
About pictures of you at the location we would be very happy.

Write us an email and answer the following questions:
a) Measure the temperature in the pools. What is it (°C)?
b) Measure the temperature of the original spring. What is it (°C)?

If you have no thermometer with you you are allowed to ask the staff.

Greetings
Gamelan and Rheinflut1995

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