Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

1

• Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

Dial On 07838984471 09718341991 care_at_365hops.
com
2
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• Introduction
• Sikkim is the least populated state in India. The
  most well known trekking route in Sikkim is from
  Yuksom to Goechala Pass known as Goechala trek.
  It is also a base camp for the worlds 3rd
  highest Mountain, Mt. Kangchenjunga. This trek is
  not for the faint hearted.
• History
• Sikkim is dominated by 3 major groups - The
  Lepchas, the Bhutias, and the Nepalis. Lepchas,
  the original inhabitants of Sikkim call their
  land Nye-mae-el i.e, the paradise. They call
  Kangchenjunga as KINGTSOOM ZAONGBOO CHOO, which
  means auspicious forehead peak. The Lepcha people
  are great worshipers of the peak. They believe
  that, one should always respect the mountain and
  must not climb the pinnacle of a holy mountain.
  The first climbers of Kangchenjunga Joe Brown and
  George Band, who were part of a British
  expedition, honored the beliefs of the Lepchas,
  by stopping a few feet short of the actual
  summit.

3
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• The hosting Kangchenjunga National Park was
  established in 1977. The park is home to White
  tiger, a mutant of the Indian Tiger. The trails
  of Goechela trek are used by the villagers, to
  carry forest produce to the villages. This track
  was cut through, by Tensing Sherpa, a Nepali
  India mountaineer, to construct a base camp, for
  mountaineering students, of Himalayan
  Mountaineering Institute, of Darjeeling. This
  track was used later for several Kangchenjunga
  expeditions.
• Permits
• Once you are at Yuksom, you have to take
  permission from the nearby police station/ the
  check post of the Kanchendzonga Forest Reserve to
  continue the trek.
• Keep these following things for the permit
• Photographs- to attach onto the forms
• Medical Certificate - ensuring your fitness for
  the trek
• Disclaimer Certificate - ensuring your
  submission to voluntarily participate in this
  trek
• PAN card is not allowed.

4
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• Adventure Cell of Sikkim Tourism Civil Aviation
  Department issues permits that can be organized
  by trek operators. Solo travelers, Indian or
  Foreign Nationals are not permitted to visit
  protected areas, so please travel to these areas
  in groups of two or more. Restricted Area Permits
  (RAP) is mandatory for foreign travelers only.
  Permit fee may cost you below 1000 rupees. It is
  unfortunate for us to say that foreigners are
  charged much higher. Trek permits that cost only
  a few hundred rupees, Rs 4,000 - Rs 6,000 are
  charged to foreigners. There is no direct window
  from where a foreigner can buy a trekking permit.
  The government has made a rule that only trekking
  agents of Sikkim can get permits for foreigners.
• How to Reach
• By Train-
• The nearest railhead is New Jalpaiguri (JP). It
  is connected with all major railway stations. You
  can choose to come to Kolkata and take one of the
  many trains to NJP.

5
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• By Flight-
• If you are taking a flight then you can fly in to
  Bagdogra airport. From here you can directly
  drive to Yuksom.
• Best Time to Visit
• The autumn months of October-November and summer
  months of April to June are ideal for this trek.
  For the dare devils who can brave chilling
  winter, can do this trek between December to
  February. In Monsoon it gets prone to landslides
  so it is not recommended to go during this
  season. It can get quite crowded on this route
  during October and sometimes during May as well
  but trekkers who can brave the early spring
  (April) and late autumn (mid November to mid
  December) would enjoy at its best. We dont want
  to give a standard itinerary as you will find
  that anyways all over the internet. We have tried
  to cover some basic and relevant information.

6
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• Route/Itinerary
• Day 01 - NJP/Bagdogra/Siliguri to Yuksom 5670 ft
• You have to reach the base village of Goechela
  i.e., Yuksom by jeep. From Gangtok, The way to
  Yuksom is really adorable. The greenish blue
  water of the Rangit River flows through the
  marvelous Himalayan Mountains. It is also
  possible to go directly from Siliguri or Bagdogra
  airport to Yuksom, the journey time would be same
  in both the cases.
• Yuksom was the first capital of the Kingdom of
  Sikkim, established in 1642. Yuksom literally
  means the meeting place of the three learned
  monks. This little town of Yuksom lives on
  agriculture and Tourism. Major produce includes
  maize and potatoes. Yuksom is the last hope for
  one to pick up some provisions for the trek.
  Yuksom plays host to many shops. So there is no
  requirement to stock items from Kolkata, Siliguri
  or Gangtok till this point.

7
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• Day 02 Yuksom 5,600 ft to Sachen 7,150 ft.
• Many travelers like to cover the whole distance
  from Yuksom to Tshoka in a single day, but it is
  very long and tiring. So we recommend you trek
  only till Sachen. (If you still want to go ahead,
  then you can trek up till Bakhim and camp there.
  There is a forest rest house at Bakhim and some
  trekkers love staying at Bakhim. Simply for its
  view of the Yuksom valley) Reaching Sachen won't
  take more than 3 hours.
• Day 03 Sachen 7,150 ft to Tshoka 9,700 ft via
  Bakhim 8,600 ft.
• This path is very steep and the altitude gain is
  considerably huge. Here you will be introduced to
  the beautiful Rhododendron trees. This location
  is much better than Sachen which some great views
  of the valley below. From here you will be able
  to see the first snow peak, Mt. Pandim. Tshoka is
  an idyllic village consisting of 3-4 houses that
  are occupied for half the year and abandoned
  during the winter months. This is the last
  village on the trail Inhibited by about 10
  families. They fled from Tibet with Dalai Lama.

8
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• Day 04 Tshoka 9,700 ft to Dzongri 13,000 ft
  via Phedang 12,000 ft.
• This day is going to be main and slightly
  difficult compared to the other days for the
  trekkers. The trail will be surrounded by
  beautiful Rhododendron trees and flowers
  everywhere. Rhododendron is the State tree of
  Sikkim. After a stiff climb for about half an
  hour, the trail spreads out to a gradual climb.
  The trail changes to a paved one with wooden
  logs. It is a delight with Rhododendrons taking
  over the trek.
• Remember Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin? This
  place exactly depicts like that! By the end, you
  will be reaching some 13,000 meters, which is too
  much. You can suffer from some headache as there
  is some lack of oxygen in such surroundings.

9
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• Day 05 Dzongri 13,000 ft to Dzongri top
  13,675 ft, then to Thansing 12,900 ft via
  Kokchurang (12,000 ft).
• (Some people take this day off to rest so that
  they can get use to such a high altitude.)
• The climb to the Dzongri top is around 40 mins,
  but it is pretty steep. Dzongri Top, where one
  gets view of snow capped peaks including the Mt.
  Kanchenjunga for the very first time. There is
  Kumbakarna, Kabru South, Kabru North, Kabru Dome,
  Black Kabru, Kanchenjunga, Pandim, Jaipan and so
  many peaks. When the sun started to come out, one
  by one the tips of these numerous peaks lit up in
  a golden glow. A truly majestic sight indeed.
• Thansing is actually a meadow, exactly at the
  same altitude of Dzongri. To move towards
  Thansing you will have to descent a slope of 1000
  ft. and after that you will have to again cover
  the altitude by climbing another 1000 ft. from
  Dzongri. At Thansing, The meadows present will
  give an open invitation to set up your tents as
  there is plenty of space. You should be well
  packed inside your blankets as the night is going
  to be very cold.

10
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• Day 06 Thangsing 12,900 ft to Lamuney 13,600
  ft.
• Traversing from Thangsing to Lamuney is not
  difficult. You can do it at a very leisurely
  pace. After reaching Lamuney you can go to (If
  time permits) the serene Samiti lake. You just
  cant get enough of this tranquil lake. There are
  several Myths surrounding this place. It is said
  that, this is home to Kangchenjunga Demon, a type
  of Yeti.
• Day 07 Lamuney 13,600 ft to Goecha La 16,000
  ft via Samiti Lake 14,100 ft, then back to
  Thansing.
• Today you will finally Summit the trek, If only
  you time it correctly. Since camping at Samiti
  lake is prohibited, Trekkers need to make the
  Goechala attempt from Lamuney. You gain an
  altitude of 2,300 feet in scarce air. This makes
  the route very long and hectic.

11
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• Follow this timeline to accomplish the trek
  successfully. It starts at 300am early morning.
• Start End
• 230 - 300 Start from Lamuney
• 300 - 400 Reach Samiti Lake
• 430 - 530 Sunrise point (Viewpoint 1)
• 545 - 600 Descent to the sandy bed of
  Zemathang.
• 600 - 700 Get to the other end of Zemathang
  in another half n hour
• 700 - 730 Reach the summit and walk along the
  ridge to reach View point 2
• 800 - 900 Attempt for the actual Goechela
  pass (optional)
• 900 - 900 Start heading back from wherever
  you are

12
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• As you get closer to the sunrise point, the sun
  would just start to peek behind Kanchenjunga.
  Dont miss the sunrise at any cost!
• A curve later is the start of the ridge climb
  that leads to Goechala. Aim to be at the base of
  your ridge climb by 6.45.
• It is okay to end your trek at Viewpoint 2 and
  head back. Or trek further to the true Goechala,
  which is a straightforward trail for another 30
  minutes. The view from Viewpoint 2 is much better
  and grander than the true Goechala.
• If you are heading back, then start your
  return at 9.00 am from either Goechala or
  Viewpoint 2. If you have not reached either of
  these spots by 9.00 am, turnaround from wherever
  you are. 9.00 am is already late in the high
  mountains of Goechala.
• The Goechala day is easily a 12 hour rigid trek.
  It is thrilling and exhilarating. But it is a
  long day. Plan it well. Stick to the schedule.

13
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• Day 08 Thansing to Tshoka via Phedang.
• Day 09 Tshoka to Yuksom via Bakhim and
  Sachen.
• Day 10 Leave Yuksom early morning and reach
  NJP.
• Emergency Numbers
• Gyazling Ambulance 91 3595 250823
• Sikkim Police, West SP - 953595 250763
• SDPO/Gyazling 250872/250873
• Chief Medical Officer 91 3595 250634
• Gyazling Hospital 250823 Jorethang PHC
  257233
• Tourism Information Centre, Gangtok
  03592-209090

14
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• Some Tips and Guidelines
• - The guides might usually have a medical box
  with them. But it is recommended to carry your
  own medical box. AMS is common here. Consult your
  doctor for what you may require to carry.
• - Yaks are stubborn, eat less and shit a lot. So
  be prepared to walk on the track filled with yak
  shits.
• - There are millions of bugs and they literally
  bite away any exposed skin. Keep your body
  covered, and some mosquito repellent cream.
• - To avoid Blisters and cold one can wear double
  socks.
• - In case you are carrying your Camera or Mobile
  phone with you, make sure you carry enough supply
  of plastic waterproof bags.

15
Goecha La Pass A Footstep To Kangchenjunga

• Some Tips and Guidelines
• This is a moderate level trek. So prepare
  accordingly.
• - Carry a good quality backpack that can ensure
  harsh conditions and also a sleeping bag that is
  durable and comfortable.
• - Things to carry - Camp shoes for Crossing
  River, winter jacket for dealing with cold. A
  woolen cap to protect yourself from cold, 2 liter
  water bottle and a Trekking pole