Part 4 - Sikkim Goechala Trek

Written by Jayne Aw

SIKKIM GOECHALA TREK: 11-29 OCTOBER 2008
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Note by KC: thanks to Jayne for the detailed, informative and interesting account of your trekking trip. You really paid a lot of attention to details. Together with the photos, I understand much better now the journey that you all went through. Stay tuned for Part 5, the final segment on Sikkim trip.

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The charm and mystery of the Himalayan Range never fail to fascinate me. Spurred by this interest and without hesitation, I signed up for a trekking trip to Sikkim with a group of 8 other people whom I have never met before.

Not many people know where Sikkim is. When I told friends where I was about to go, I had to add on to say that Sikkim is a tiny little province of India that nestles in between Nepal in the west, Bhutan in the east and Tibet in the north.

The trip had kept me busy for a while, packing, unpacking and repacking my luggage as I had to be selective on the items to ensure the weight was contained within the 20-kg limit. Finally the big day came and there I went with the excitements to be expected from Sikkim trip.

11/10 Day 01: Kuala Lumpur/Chennai / Kolkata/ New Jalpaiguri

We assembled at KLIA at 0730. There we had our tour leader Carina who is armed with many years of trekking experience; Teresa and Tammy the two die-hard marathon runners who are capable of running non-stop for 24 hours until toe nails drop off; Ah Ho the banker and Doc Lee from Kuching who have done numerous treks in Indonesia, Nepal, South Africa etc.; Ah Lian the nurse from Jeddah who also has some trekking experience in Nepal; Helmut the German business man working in Malaysia with his beloved wife Genie; and yours truly who only have one climbing experience at Mount Kinabalu.

We boarded the 0955 flight from KLIA to Chennai on transit and ETA Kolkata at 1620 by Jet Airways. Met and picked up at Kolkata airport by local agent followed by an evening city tour and later transferred to Kolkata train station to take a night train to New Jalpaiguri.

12/10 Day 02: New Jalpaiguri / Sikkim- Gangtok (1,677m, 5,500 ft)

We arrived at New Jalpaiguri at 0800 and boarded onto two jeeps (without aircon) heading to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. The journey was windy and bumpy with many occasions of close encounters with on­coming jeeps. The meandering mountain road had a way of keeping the suspense alive. You never know what was awaiting you in the next curve. Driving is a daunting feat and most drivers in Sikkim are very skillful. It took about 6 hours to arrive at Gangtok.

Gangtok is a bewitching hill-station located amidst the multiple-hued mountains of Sikkim. Being the capital, Gangtok is the hub of all political and legal activities of Sikkim. Located in the lower Himalayas, Gangtok is certainly an impeccable tourist destination that has many places to see inside as well as around the city.

As we had some time, we visited the Rumtek Monastery which is the most famous monument of Sikkim. From its perch on a hilltop facing the city of Gangtok, the monastery complex at Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre embodies the vision and aspiration of the Sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, to establish his seat-in-exile to help spread the teachings of the Buddha throughout the world.

The monastery, the largest in Sikkim, is home to the monks' community, the place where they perform the sacred rituals and practices of the Karma Kagyu lineage.

Many sacred objects are housed within the complex, and one of the most magnificent is the Golden Stupa, which contains the precious relics of His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa. Opposite that building is the shedra, or college, Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies. There were many young sanghas doing their daily routines while we were wandering in the monastery.

We checked into Hotel Sonam Palgay. After having dinner at the hotel, we took a taxi to Lal Market at downtown for some shopping.

13/10 Day 03: Gangtok / Yuksom (1,780m)

After breakfast, checked out and heading to Yuksom. We stopped at Temi Tea Garden, Sikkim's only tea garden for a brief visit. It was lunch time and the workers were having lunch and some were relaxing and having some game of marbles. Enroute lunch at Ravangla and further onto Yuksom. Overnight at Hotel Tashigang.

Sited at an elevation of 1,780m, Yuksom is famous for offering the best trekking start-off point for high altitude trekking. The term 'Yuksom' literally means 'the meeting place of three Lamas'. Yuksom, being the first capital of Sikkim, observed the coronation ceremony (1641 AD) of the first Chogyal (monarch) by three great Lamas. The coronation throne made of stone, still boasts of the royalty, perhaps with the passage of time, it has got ravaged.

In the vicinity of Norbugang Chorten, this throne is positioned along with the foot print of Latsun Chembo (one of the lamas who consecrated the king). Yuksom also possesses Dubdi Monastery, which is the oldest monastery (300 years old) of West Sikkim.

Despite the fact that Yuksom was the birthplace of Sikkim's Buddhist Civilization, it has been under developed since ages. Perhaps, the main reason could be its seclusion from the center and losing its capital status long back as well. In the recent years, tourism has been promoted to a great extent in Sikkim. Owing to this fact, Yuksom has become an axis for trekkers moving towards Dzongri.

14/10 Day 04 (Trek 1): Yuksom / Sachen (2,300m / 7,550ft / 3 1/2 hrs)

We began our trek today at 0800 through a small village and stopped at the Kanchendzonga National Park, check post for checking formalities. The whole entourage comprised of, besides the nine of us, 16 porters and a herd of dzos and horses. A dzo is a male hybrid of a yak and a domesticated cow, and used by the local for carrying heavy stuff. The team was led by Mingma and his cousin Sonam as the Trekking Guide. Mingma is a Sherpa whose forefather had migrated from Mongolia. Teresa and Tammy had each engaged a personal porter and they were being cared for like a Ching empress; while Genie the princess had booked a pony for a ride during the trek.

The weather was hot and the track was densely marked by dung of dzos and horses, both fresh and dried. I was too engrossed in avoiding the dung that I actually missed enjoying the scenery along the way, but thanks to my camera which captured many scenes that I could reminisce later.

We continued walking through semi-tropical forests, home to a variety of flora and fauna. Crossing the last of the two hanging bridges over rivers Paha Khola and Tshuchey, we arrived at Sachen at 1130. It was a relative easy trek for the 1st day. We had a sumptuous lunch on a decently set up table under the hot sun in open air. There was another group of trekkers having lunch besides us. After lunch, the porters set up the sleeping tents and the dinning tent together with the toilet and bath tents. No bathing as water from nearby stream was too cold so we just settled with wet wipe.

Activity for the rest of the evening was playing cards at Carina's tent. We retired early at about 2100 to have a good rest for next days' trekking. However there were 3-4 dzos hanging near our tent and I was worried that they might march into the tent and kicked us out. These dzos never seemed to sleep as their bells continued to ring and kept me awoke through the night. I did not have a good sleep but nevertheless managed to pull myself out from the sleeping bag and got ready for next day's trekking in time.

15/10 Day 05 (Trek 2): Sachen / Bahkim / Tsokha (3,050m, 10,000 ft / 3 1/2 hrs)

After crossing a long old swinging bridge over river Prek-Chu, it was a steep climb uphill to Bakhim (2,745m) through forests for 2 hours. Continue climbing steeply for another hour and half to the Tibetan Refugee settlement of Tsokha as we trekked through pine and rhododendron forests. Along the way one was greeted by countless peaks covered by snow, sheer cliffs of rock, densely wooden mountains, hanging bridges and prayer flags. Here we also got our first view of Mt.Pandim and Mt. Tenchinkhang which could be seen from all points of our trek. Trekking was relatively easy for today amidst hot sun with cool breeze. Overnight at lodge.

16/10 Day 06 (Trek 3): Tsokha / Dzongri (3,950m, 13,000 ft / 51/2 hrs)

We started at 0830 and continued our uphill journey through temperate forest till Phedang (3,550m), a large clearing in the forest with excellent views of the Kanchenjunga range of mountains. After lunch it was a 40 minutes steep walk, as we reached the ridge's top, Deorali Dara or Windy hill which one gets the awesome views of the Sikkim mountains and their peaks. After a nice leisurely hour walk through the rhododendron trees and juniper bushes we reached Dzongri. Overnight at lodge.

17/10 Day 07 (Trek 4): Dzongri-la (4,250m, 13,950 ft) - Acclimatization

Today was the rest day for acclimatization. We rose early at 0440, took a 35 minutes steep hike amidst thin air at high altitude to Dabla Khang (Dzongri-la's top) to view the sunrise on Kangchenjunga and the neighbouring peaks which comprised Kumbukarna/Janoo (7,710m), Kokthang (6,147m), Rathong (6,679m.), Frey Peak (5,330m), Kabru South (7,314m), Kabru North (7,338m), Kanchenjunga (8,586m), Goechala Peak (6,172m), Kabru Forked (6,108m), Simvo (6,811m), Pandim (6,691m), Tenchinkhang, Jupono (5,936m) and Sinolchu (Phew!! Quite a mouthful list of mountains given by Mingma). We returned to Dzongri camp site for breakfast. The rest was free and easy day for us. We stayed another night at Dzongri's lodge.

18/10 Day 08 (Trek 5): Dzongri / Thangsing (3,930m, 12,900 ft / 5 1/2 hrs)

We departed Dzongri at 0830. The day's walk started with a short climb to a ridge followed by a rapid steep descend of 100m to the bank of the river, where we had lunch at Kockchurung. After lunch, we crossed some boulders and climbed gently to the open campsite of Thangsing, 3,930m with the Mt. Pandim massif in the background and the ridge of Kanchenjunga. As darkness set in, the setting sun sprinkled a coat of gold dust on the crown of each peak, like a golden tiara.
Overnight camping at Thangsing. The distant gurgling water from the stream and the whistling wind amidst the silence of nature formed a perfect orchestra. As I laid inside my sleeping bag, I could feel the weariness of city life melting away under the Sikkimese night. The soothing sound of the gurgling water was far more mellifluous than the din of car engines and screeching tires that numbed one's nerves and ears. It was the best sleep I ever had since day 1.

19/10 Day 09 (Trek 6): Thangsing / Lamune / Goechala Pass (4,940m, 16,200 ft / 9 hrs)

We walked a short distance of 2 hours to Lamune and stopped for an early lunch at 0930 as we needed more time for ascending to Goechala Pass. We proceeded to Samiti Lake with Kanchenjunga looming ahead of us. The trail went past stunted rhododendron bushes and also azaleas and past a prayer wall before ascending a moraine path to a ridge from where one could look down at Samiti Pokhari (4,200m) a beautiful and sacred lake surrounded by numerous snow capped peaks all at a touching distance. On the way one came across the Vz km long desert/sandy plain - Zemathang. We also sighted a herd of Bluesheeps at the distant hill slope. The uphill ascent to Goechala Pass was the toughest of the trek. For every 30 odd laboured steps I took, I would stop to grasp for 5 deep breaths. In this way, I could minimise the chance of getting Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), and thank God I did not get it. It was a gruesome climb for me for I needed extra energy to keep me warm as my body does not carry extra fats.

After 2 !/2 hours, we reached the 1st View Point of Goechala Pass (4,350m) for the spectacular view of Mt. Kanchenjunga. Ah Ho and Doc Lee the two supermen from Kuching had proceeded to the 3rd View Point (4,940m). We stayed on for another !/2 hour to take some pictures before returning to Thangsing camp site for a rest. Dinner was served at 1800. Another night of camping at Thangsing as the weather turned chillier than last night. The biting cold weather had kept me awoke through the night. It was snowing and we realised the tent was frosted when we came out the next day.

20/10 Day 10 (Trek 7): Thangsing / Tsokha (3,050m / 8 hours)

After breakfast we trekked back the same trail till Kockchurung, from where we took another trail via Phedang to Tshoka. It was a scenic trail along the stream with cascading rapids amidst the temperate forest lined with old pine trees and rhododendron. Hot lunch was served at Phedang and thereafter we continued to walk to Tshoka. Overnight at lodge. Phurtemba the chef specially baked a cake for us to celebrate the successful ascent to Goechala Pass. Everyone had a good time during dinner and tips were given out to the porters.

21/10 Day 11 (Trek 8): Tsokha / Yuksom (1,780m, 5,840 ft / 6 hours)

Departed Tsokha at 0750 and stopped halfway at Chusa for lunch. The descent was relatively easier but the journey was quite dusty with the movements of dzos and horses. We finally reached Yuksom at 1445 and had a cup of hot tea at Mingma parents' house. His mum also served us fresh passion fruits from the tree.

Phew! What a relief that we had finally completed the whole Goechala trekking trail. Checked into Hotel Pemathang and everyone had a nice shower to scrub away the dirt and dust that had been accumulated for the past eight days. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I could hardly recognise that person as my face had become so puffy that my double eyelids became single eyelids. Doc Lee said I should be happier now as I look younger with less wrinkles. We had another celebration with beer in the hotel and the next thing I knew was I completely lost my voice for the next two days.

22/10 Day 12: Yuksom / Darjeeling (2,134m)

We took a stroll at Yuksom town in the morning before breakfast at the hotel. After bidding farewell to some of the porters, we departed Yuksom at 1015 in two jeeps and headed to Darjeeling through Singla Tea Garden route. It was an uphill journey passing through tea plantations.

Darjeeling is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarter of Darjeeling district, in the Shiwalik Hills on the lower range of the Himalaya, at an average elevation of 7,000 ft (2,134 m). During the British Raj in India, Darjeeling's temperate climate led to its development as a hill station (hill town) for British residents to escape the heat of the plains during the summers, becoming known as the Summer Capital.

Darjeeling is internationally famous for its tea industry and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tea plantations date back to the mid 19th century as part of a British development of the area. The tea growers of the area developed distinctive hybrids of black tea and fermenting techniques, with many blends considered among the world's finest. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connecting the town with the plains was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 and is one of the few steam engines still in service in India.

We checked into Cedar Inn which is one of the best hotels in Darjeeling and it is categorized as a Four Star Hotel. The pattern of the building in which the hotel is situated looks like a Victorian architecture. The Cedar Inn is located on top of a ridge on Jalapahar Road of Darjeeling and the entire town is visible from here. The hotel also commands a spectacular view of Kanchenjunga which looks like a giant poster hanging in the air.

23/10 Day 13: Darjeeling

A free & easy day for relaxing and exploring the town. Enjoyed and relaxed in its garden overlooking a visual treat of spectacular view of the Himalayas. Bought some souvenirs from downtown and visited Windamere Hotel. Established in the 19th century as a cozy boarding house for bachelor English and Scottish tea planters, it was converted into a hotel just before the outbreak of the Second World War. The Windamere is famous for its unique ambience and charm, and was awarded for its excellence as a Heritage Hotel of India.

We stayed for another night in Cedar Inn.

24/10 Day 14: Darjeeling / Siliguri / Kolkata

After early lunch at Cedar Inn, we drove to Siliguri for the overnight train to Kolkata for departure at 1715hrs.

Extended tour in India from 25/10 to 29/10: Kolkata / Jaipur / Agra / Delhi

We arrived at Kolkata in the morning at 0700 hours. Teresa, Tammy, Helmut and Genie took a flight back to KLIA while the remaining five of us stayed back for an extended tour in Jaipur, Agra and Delhi. Places of visit includes Victoria Memorial Hall, St. Paul's Cathedral and Mother Teresa's Missionary in Kolkata; Astronomical Observatory, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, City Palace, Water Palace and Amber Palace in Jaipur; Monkey Temple and the famous wonder Taj Mahal in Agra; the Red Fort and last minute shopping at the basement bazaar in Delhi before heading to Delhi airport to board an evening flight to Chennai and a connecting flight back to KLIA. Arrived KLIA at 0835 on 29/10 and home sweet home.

Sikkim is one of the most attractive places in the world. It is a hauntingly beautiful song, a most splendidscroll painting that does not cease to unfold; it is a place filled with passion and dreams, peace andtranquility, innocence and vitality. Bye-bye Sikkim, my Shangri-la in the far horizon ...

Written by Jayne Aw

Posted by KC