Lost Trail (Goecha-la Trek)

This is the first day of trekking, So today we start a day with an easy steady rising trail through dense semi tropical forests for the first 3-4 hours where we cross the river on a suspension bridge and after last cemented bridge we come close to our first day campsite and stop for a picnic or lunch where our staff will be waiting with fresh lemon juice and after sometime we will have a hot lunch.( 4 to 5 hours walking overnight Camp.)

Early morning after breakfast we pack our things and we are now ready for next campsite. We follow the same trail till we reach another suspension bridge called Prek chu.

From the bridge, a steep climb brings us to the tiny hamlet of Bakhim from where there are good views of the trail up from Yuksom.

A teashop here provides a plentiful supply of refreshing tea before we resume our steep climb for another 200 metres through forests of silver fir and cypress to the ridge top village of Tsokha. On a clear day, we can see the distant lights of Darjeeling to the south while the summit of Pandim (6770 metres) can be seen behind a ridge towards the north. Tsokha is a growing village with a mixed population of Lepchas yak herders and the more recently arrived Tibetan refugees

We start early up a trail that initially zigzags through mixed temperate forests that give way to large swathes of rhododendron as we gain height. A 2-3 hours climb brings us to the large clearing at Phedang where we camp(4 to 5 hours walking) Overnight Camp.

Early Morning as usual we wake up with bed tea and breakfast. After breakfast as we start to climb now we can feel the breathe and altitude and by now we walk completely through rhododendron forests and we are at the top of a ridge from where the trail undulates to the Dzongri campsite at 3990 metres. Dzongri, being in a natural depression can be rather cold and often shrouded in mist. (4 to 5 hours walking). Overnight Camp.

A pre-dawn climb to the top of the nearby ridge will reward early risers with a spectacular view of sunrise on Kangchenjunga and a host of other peaks close by like Rathong, 6683 metres, Kokthang 6150 metres, Kabru Dome 6604 metres, Forked Peak, 6116 metres to name just a few.Afternoon we go for a side walk.
Overnight Camp.

After breakfast we set off along a trail that climbs up to a ridge that we follow for the next 5 km. The trail is through dwarf rhododendron and scrub juniper; there are increasingly close views of Pandim peak now directly ahead of us and of a succession of ridges fading into the distance towards central Sikkim. A steep descent follows bringing us to the Prek Chu river that was crossed on the first day's trek. We cross via a log bridge before we resume the gentle climb towards the large grassy area of Thangshing below Pandim ridge. Visible ahead is the old terminal moraines of the Oglathang Glacier that forms the head of the valley and the southern ridge of Kangchenjunga. (5 hours walking). Overnight @ Camp.

A short walk of about 2 hours -through the Rhododendron and Juniper bushes and we cross small streams and river the trail gradually ascends to the place called lamune where we camp. This is one of the very windy place. (2 to 3 hours walking). Overnight @ Camp.

Early morning we walk up with the tea and breakfast ,The highlight of the trek is the close view of the massive eastern wall of Kangchenjunga rising sheer 4200 metres above the Talung glacier as seen from the 4900 metres high Goecha La pass. It is an early start for the strenuous walk to Goecha La. The trail flanks the lake before climbing steeply on moraine ridges above the lake. As we gain height the mountain views are increasingly more spectacular. From the prayer flagged Goecha La the scene is dominated by the spectacular eastern wall of Kangchenjunga, which is only 5km away and rises more than 4000 metres above the Talung glacier. We return to camp. Overnight @ Camp.

As we decend to Kokturung we follow the same trail and we camp close to the riverside, where we will have a hot lunch. (3 to 4 hours ) Overnight @ Camp.

We return to Tsokha avoiding the higher trail via Dzongri, we take a long walk through dense rhododendron forests along the slopes that lie to the right of the Prek Chu river emerging eventually at the Phedang clearing where we stop for lunch. Since this is a quiet trail through thick forests, we have excellent chances to see some of the birds and pheasants that live in these forests. A further 2 hours descent brings us back to Tsokha village. (7 hours walking). Overnight @ Camp.

A long descent back to Yuksom. A farewell dinner with the trekking crew and the yak men accompanied by generous amounts of Thomba (the local millet beer served in tall bamboo containers with a thin bamboo straw) and much singing and dancing makes for a fitting end to the trek. (6 hours walking). Overnight @ Camp.