Itinerary -
DAY 1 : Siliguri - Yuksom (Drive / 7 - 8 Hrs)
Today you drive to the wee town of Yuksom. After introductions, your trip leader will brief you about the trek, some basic and essential pointers that will come handy while on this venture. Enjoy a scrumptious meal, and spend the day at leisure, retire to your beds early, tomorrow will be an early morning.
DAY 2 : Yuksom (1750m) - Sachen (10 Kms) (Hike / 5 - 6 Hrs)
Post a local breakfast we leave the quaint misty village of Yuksom, and enter the endless greens of the Kangchenzoga National Park. Walking on a well paved trail, you cross the first bridge to move in to a sacred world of heavenly sounds and creatures. The pines, and the rhododendrons along with innumerous creepers appearing through the forest mist. Makes your fatigue vanish at a glance. Walking up and down the magical world you arrive at the campsite called Sachen. An open spot in the dense forest. Something like an opening in the tunnel, a window that breathes Sun. We camp here for the night, next morning will be rare!
DAY 3 : Sachen - Tshoka (3040m) (7 Kms) (Hike / 5 - 6 Hrs)
Start your day with some stretching exercises, as post breakfast you start to walk. Today’s hike is through the reentrants and some streams. The unique tropical evergreen forests of the Kangchendzonga National Park will continue to amaze us as we walk up and down the beautiful trails. The last section of the hike is steep, so walking at a regular slow pace is advised. You will camp at Tshoka, an abandoned Tibetan Village, now turned into a campsite by the national park authorities. Make any urgent phone calls from here, before going much deeper into the national park, as no networks can be accessed over there. Spend the evening at ease before an early dinner is served. Stay for the night in trekkers’ hut/Tent.
DAY 4 : Tshoka - Dzongri (3930m) (10 Kms) (Hike / 6 Hrs)
Wake up to an untimely and clear morning as the sun comes out pretty early. You get spectacular views of the Kangchendzonga range from here, although the mighty peak won’t be showing up until you climb up Dzongri top. Today’s hike is a bit strenuous than the last one, as you climb up to the top of the mountain, climbing almost 1000m in less than 6 hrs. Pre-monsoon season in these mountains is pretty cloudy; without much rain, while one can witness clear skies in the months of September till December. On reaching the campsite, you are advised to go for a walk uphill, so as to get proper acclimatized to the altitude. Stay for the night in trekkers’ hut/Tent.
DAY 5 : Dzongri - Dzongri la pass (4417m) (Hike / 6 Hrs)
Wake up early in the morning and go for a hike to Dzongri top catching the first rays of the sun illuminating the snow-capped peaks. The hike is a small one with only chilling cold weather as the real challenge. After witnessing a breathtaking sunrise, descend down to the campsite, have breakfast and rest a bit. Around noon you will go for an acclimatization hike towards the Dzongri La pass. Come back to the camps towards the evening, have a nice cup of tea and some snacks. Stay for the night in trekkers’ hut/Tent.
DAY 6 : Dzongri - Thansing (3800m) (10kms) (Hike / 5 Hrs)
Today we will hike to the next campsite of the journey, at Thansing (3800m), built in the same fashion. Starting from Dzongri the trail goes up and then down straight into the valley, where you cross a wooden bridge on a roaring river. Majority of the route for today goes downhill through a thick population of around 30 kinds of rhododendrons, which makes it more enjoyable. Stay for the night in trekkers’ hut/Tent.
DAY 7 : Thansing - Goecha la pass (4930m) - Thansing (14kms) (Hike / 7 - 8 hrs)
Today is the final and most arduous hike of the venture, as you start at around 3 in the morning and start walking towards the Goecha La pass. The hike moves through the vast moraines of some ancient glaciers that melted away long time back. Enroute, you pass a small glacial lake called Somiti. From here the trail gets a bit rough as you start tackling the moraines. Depending on the condition of the snow and ice, you will first reach view point I, then II and then finally the pass at 4930m, although your guide will give the final call for it; depending on the weather conditions. Spend some time enjoying the views of the mighty Kangchendzonga and the surrounding peaks, then start walking back towards the campsite, as the weather changes dramatically over here in the high altitudes. Reach back at the camp and spend the evening at leisure.
DAY 8 : Thansing - Tshoka (16kms) (Hike / 6 - 7 Hrs)
Today you start walking back towards the first campsite at Tshoka, taking a different route, skipping Dzongri. The trail moves through one of the most magnificent forests of rhododendrons and oaks. The gradient is gradual up and down making it easy to cover the long distance. On arrival to Tshoka, rest for a while, and get ready for the special but concluding dinner of the journey in the mountains. Stay for the night in trekkers’ hut/Tent.
DAY 9 : Tshoka - Yuksom (17kms) (Hike / 6 - 7 Hrs)
Post breakfast; prepare yourself for the final stretch of this venture. You retrace your footsteps back to where you started, marking the completion of one of most beautiful and a challenging trek of the Himalayas.
DAY 10 : Depart to NJP
After breakfast we drive back to NJP/Bagdogra. here After breakfast we drive back to NJP/Bagdogra.
Trip Ends With Sweet Memories !!!
List of Essentials
It is very important for this adventure trip that you need to be equipped properly and with a bit of back up. Mountain/adventure travel requires one to be adequately equipped with the right kind of personal gear. Since one is travelling in the wilderness there will be hardly any opportunity to buy anything once you hit the trail so we urge you to carefully pack everything into your bags. Also please keep in mind you can rent out or purchase equipment from our Gear Store, if required.
Shirts / T - shirts – 2 / 3
Jeans / Trekking Pants - 2 / 3
Windproof jacket of decent quality (no flimsy wind cheaters please!) preferably with a hood
Warm and thick Fleece / Full-sleeve Woollen sweater
Thermal inner wear (upper & lower)
Woollen cap
Woollen gloves
Woollen socks & regular socks (3-4 pairs)
Scarf/muffler (optional)
Comfortable Trekking/Hiking shoes (shoes with a thick sole are recommended)
Lightweight floaters/sandals/slippers
Raincoat / Poncho
Small light weight towel
Water bottle (sturdy ones, no empty Bisleri bottles!!)
Cap / Hat to keep the strong sun away from your face
Sun glasses
Walking stick / Trekking pole
Sunscreen Lotion
Lip Balm
Torch / Flashlight (with extra batteries)
Medicines, if requiring any specific medication
Personal toiletries
Books, if you like reading
Day pack/small bag which you will carry on your back every day and keep your essentials in it
Carry rain cover for your bags
Keep a few poly bags or waterproof bags in your bag in which if required you can put your belongings in case of heavy rain
Camera if you like (with fully charged batteries)
…LOADS OF ENTHUSIASM!! AND A PLEDGE TO LEAVE NO TRACE
Carry your stuff in a duffel bag, soft shoulder bag or a rucksack. Avoid suitcases, trolleys or any other hard luggage. As you will be walking long distances carrying a rucksack, avoid bringing unnecessary items on the trek. Please avoid carrying expensive watches, jewellery and electronic items on the trek
For Departure Dates just call 7350530009 / 7350540009 / 7350550009
Transport Options (Delhi – Bagdogra / New Jalpaiguri)
For travel from Delhi to Bagdogra or New Jalpaiguri , one can choose between air and rail. For air travel, the closest airport is Bagdogra airport. There are a couple of flights that link this airport to Delhi airport.The closest railway station is New Jalpaiguri
Weather Details
May & June : Daytime is mostly sunny and warm. During the day time the temperatures will vary from 15° to 25°C. In the night the temperatures would be 8° to 15°C. In the upper reaches of the trek the day temperatures would vary from 8°C to 15°C during the day and 4° to -2°C in the night.
September & October : In September and October the day temperatures vary from 12° to 20°C in the day time. In the night the temperatures vary between 2° to 7°C. In the higher reaches during the trek temperature vary from 3°C to 10°C during the day and 3° to -4°C in the night.
Please keep in mind that the above information is not exact and does not account for sudden changes. Whatever the temperatures and conditions rest assured we will be prepared to handle it with ease as we use equipment of very high specifications.
Duration: 10 Days
Season: Mar - Jun & Sep - Nov
Grade: Moderate +
Region: Sikkim
Description
Moving through one of the greenest zones on the planet, this trek starts from a small establishment called Yuksom, and takes you to the feet of Mt. Kangchendzonga, the tallest peak in India. Untouched by any effluence, these forests of the Kangchendzonga National Park (KNP) support a fine ecosystem, with innumerous species of unusual flora and fauna. The weather remains clear during the winter and dramatic during the pre-monsoon season, with misty clouds playing around with your imagination. The whole eco-system has maintained itself in harmony as no single tree stands unaccompanied! The giant pine tree supports ferns growing out of the moss that has blanketed the trunk and the branches, coiled by uncanny creepers, on which an army of ants can be seen working really hard, along with various insects and birds forming their nests, colonies and territories distributed all over one single tree, imagine a forest with a million such trees. Its pure joy to see how these big and small figures live in harmony.
This venture can be challenging in terms of distances between two campsites, demanding long and regular walks. One need to get properly acclimatized as huge altitude is gained in small time during this trek. You are advised to drink a lot of water and take proper diet to carry out this venture without any hassle. Once you gain that motion after the first day walk, it becomes easy to tackle the challenging distances, as walking is not the only thing that keeps you busy now on, keep your eyes and ears open to watch the drama that nature has set to play, with thousands of birds that keep singing in the background. At Dzongri one can witness a view so strong, that when the authorities first saw it they decided to feature it on the Rs.100 note, so keep a note in your pocket before heading out to Dzongri top for some re-assurance.