Goechala Trek
GOECHALA TREK
- Duration: 11 days
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Distance covered: 75 km
- Altitude: 15,100 ft
- Start and End Point: Yuksom
- Last ATM Point: Yuksom
- Nearest Airport: Bagdogra, West Bengal
- Nearest Railway Station: New Jalpaiguri Station
The north-eastern state of India, Sikkim, is blessed with natural beauty from beautiful snow-capped mountains to sprawling greens and bubbling brooks. The East Himalayan state offers different treks, among which Goechala trek is among the most well-known ones. For veteran trekkers, the Goechala trek is like a beautiful homecoming to the folds and crevices of the evergreen Himalayan massifs. But the trail welcomes rookies and newbies with an open arm as well. Sikkim is a habitat of numerous spectacular treks but Goechala trek stands out to be the most extravagant one with Goecha La at 15,100 feet that gives the magnificent view of the splendid Kanchenjunga from the top. Apart from the breathtaking view, this trek is quite popular and is loved my most travellers because of the extensive varieties of flora and fauna spread in the flourish lavish valleys with wonderful orchards, dense forests and the widespread charismatic and alluring beauty of North. This region is exclusively designated as the Kanchenjunga national park and along with the vertex, there?s a gushing Goceha lake flowing downwards. While trekking the pass, trekkers usually witness one of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets of their lived with snowcapped massive Himalayas surrounding them and the gifted view of sixteen attractive peaks from the Dzongri top is one of its kind experience. The state sees an influx of tourists in Summer and Autumn, which is considered the best for the Goechala Trek. The trek promises to take you beyond 15000 feet and give you a chance to take in the view of the mighty Kanchenjunga and 16 other summits from the Dzongri La top. Apart from the mountain peaks, you get to feast your eyes on the lavish valleys neatly tucked between these mountain ranges, which boast of different floras and faunas. Trekkers who have been on this Goechala trek have experienced one of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
ITINERARY :
Day 1 : Arrival at Yuksom (148 km drive / 7-8 Hours)
The trek starts from the former capital city of Sikkim, Yuksom which is 6-8 hours of a drive from New Jalpaiguri station / Bagdogra Airport / Siliguri Bus Stand. Once you reach Yuksom, before commencing the trek, you need to visit the police station with a photo identity proof along with three photocopies of the same along with the permit fees given to the forest check post. The fee amount is broken down to charges like rent, yak, and porter and miscellaneous. You will have to pay an extra camera charges as well. Overall, the total amount will come down to approximately 700 INR per person. You can take the medicine supply from here and also withdraw the required amount of cash from the ATM as you will not be getting any more on the way. You can stay the night here in the guest house or homestays if you wish to start the trek the next day or you can also continue the trail to Sachen the same day.
Day 2 : Yuksom to Sachen (08 km trek / 6 Hours)
The second day is a moderate to difficult trek from Yuksom to Sachen which takes about 5 to 6 hours. As you enter the fringes of the forest, you be passing through it for about an hour and after some time, a trail will be exposed on your right. From this point, you will take about half an hour to reach the first bridge over the Pha Khola. You will also be witnessing the beautiful series of water walls once you reach Tshushay Khola falls, as you march ahead for 50 meters, a large iron bridge will open up the trail. After you?ve witnessed the mesmerizing waterfalls, walk ahead for an hour till the next small cement bridge towards the Mentogang Khola situated at about 7100 feet. March ahead for another 20 minutes to find the ravishing Sachen standing tall at 7200 feet with a tiny opening that opens up to a single log hut. Once you have reached the camping site, you will be able to hear the Prek rushing below you.
Day 3 : Sachen to Tshoka (07 km trek / 6 Hours)
The next trail from Sachen to Tshoka is a moderately easy one as it will take about 5 to 5.5 hours and the initial ascent from Sachen is a series of long switchbacks which is then followed by an easy gradual climb to Tshoka. As you leave from Sachen, make sure you are carrying sufficient water for yourself. After switchbacks level for the initial first hour at an oak forest, you will witness your first rhododendrons now and it will be a treat to your eyes. From this point, you will rapidly gain the height and the altitude as the air will get cooler instantly. There are also a few forest rest house in Bhakim and some trekkers prefer staying in Bhakim for their first day of trek rather than Sachen. After about 45 minutes of series of long switchbacks from Bhakim, you will find another set of rhododendrons. After some 15 minutes of the dark dense trail, a plateau will open up to a trekkers hut in Tshoka, if you go straight ahead, there?s also a camping area where tents can be pitched for the night. Once you have offloaded your bags, you can spend time exploring Tshoka which has some cafes around, a Tibetan monastery and if you go a bit further you will also be able to see the faint view of snow-covered peaks of Kangchenjunga range from here stretching in your backdrop, this will be a breathtaking view and you can even climb a bit higher to get picturesque spots. Stay the night in Tshoka campsite and sleep early as the next day is going to be an early start.
Day 4 : Tshoka to Dzongri via Phedang (3-4 km trek / 5-6 Hours)
Today you will be trekking till Dzongri via Phedang and the initial climb will include the same route as the previous day?s hike from pond towards the monastery following the trail that moves towards the right direction. There are 30 minutes of a steep climb and it might be a bit difficult for beginners initially, the altitude increases so instantly that within some time, Tshoka will just be visible as a tiny habitat from a distance and once you march uphill, the red rhododendrons trees will welcome you. You will soon be walking over the paved wooden logs and the tiny benches on either side of the trail will make it look like a wonderful park but you will quickly gain a lot of altitudes as you move ahead and the dripping of oxygen levels can be felt. Soon you will reach Phedang which lies at 13,000 feet which boasts the splendid views of snow-clad mountains. Once you move ahead towards Kokchurang, you will be able to refill your water bottles here from a tiny spring that gushes slightly below the trail. Take the trail that moves towards Dzongr and after an initial plain ascent, you will immediately find a trail again along the rhododendrons lines, the trail gets a little muddy from this point, and hence if you are crossing this particular route post-rain, you might want to closely watch your steps. The views of Goechala Trek Mountains, however, will only get prettier from here as you will see Pandim and Kabru ranges. After about an hour of the exhaustive climb, you will finally reach the highest point of your trek, profoundly staged at 13,080 feet, once you reach the top, along with the chilly, shivering winds, you will be bestowed by a shrine and numerous prayers flags. All your exhaustion will scoot away just by the awe-inspiring sight of nature. Take your own quality time here to soak in the beauty that it has to offer and then move ahead with the trail which slowly descends towards Dzongri, you will find snow patches here and the widespread dwarf rhododendrons. After covering a certain amount of distance, you will be able to see the Dzongri trekkers' hut. trekker's hut can accommodate about 30 trekkers at a time, however, there?s also a widespread camping ground and you can choose either of it to spend the night. The whole day will be an eventful one but the pristine sights from Dzongri are worth the efforts. You will be placed at an altitude of 12,980 feet and trekkers tend to feel the climate difference in the body. The camping grounds will have lush green meadows around in all four directions and the views of expansive peaks of Kanchenjunga range will be enough to take you by a stall.
Day 5 : Dzongri to Dzongri Top (2 km Climb/trek / 01 Hours)
You will have an early start today as it is the big day of the trek when you climb up to the Dzongri top which is at 12,778 ft that embraces you with a 180-degree boundless panoramic view of the divine Singalila and Kanchenjunga ranges. From the Dzongri trekker hut, if you start moving ahead, Dzongri top will be a two hill climb from the point and it takes about 45 minutes to cover the distance. The sole reason of leaving for the top before dawn breaks are you cannot afford to miss the sunrise from the top because when those first rays of the sun hit Kangchenjunga rays, you will short of words to describe the sense of beauty. As you climb up, you will see the peaks of the Singalila range start to appear out of the blurred images, moving ahead right before the bend ends at the top, you will finally get the breathtaking view of Kangchenjunga, wait till the sun appears. Goechala trek sunrise will be unlike any other sunrises you have ever seen. Spend as much time as you want in indulging this beautiful affair of nature and then move back to the camp base at Dzongri. Descending and tracing your path downwards will only take you about 20 to 25 minutes max. You can spend the night at the same camp or leave Thansing the same day if you are willing to trek ahead.
Day 6 : Dzongri to Thansing via Kockchurang (4.5 km trek / 5-6 Hours)
The trek gradient today is moderately easy as there?s a gradual descent for around 2 hours which then turns into a steep descent till Kockchurang. As you continue the trail for half an hour initially, you will notice that rhododendron shrubs will occupy the ground again, from this point onwards, there?s a gentle to moderate descent which keeps going on for over 2 hours and these shrubs then opens up to the entire forest of rhododendron. The Kokchurang does have a trekkers hut but no space to have an open place for pitching tents. You can find the water source here from the Prekchu River which flows right adjacent to the trekker hut, you can pitch your tents in the river bank if you?d like or you can also move ahead and trek till Thansing for camping in the night. From this spot, you need to walk down towards the bridge across the river, from there on, the gradient increases and it is followed by an ascent throughout, the distance till Thansing is merely 2 km but the trail includes passing from landscapes of forest to a rocky stretch which ultimately opens up to a beautiful meadow. You will find a trekker hut at the entrance of the meadow itself. From this spot, you can see the pristine views of Kangchenjunga here. However, because of the altitude and strong winds, the temperature drops low in the night making it super chilly.
Day 7 : Thansing to Lamuney (3 km trek / 02 Hours)
The next day includes a trek of two hours from Thansing to Lamuney which is a pretty decent and simple ascending trail at the start and that abruptly turns into a steep climb towards the end. You can carry enough water from Thansing as it?s just two hours of the trail, the water will be enough for you. Once you reach Lamuney, you can also choose to trek ahead towards Samiti Lake as it is a pretty picturesque spot and you wouldn?t want to miss the sight. It is a 45 minutes steep climb from Lamuney and the trail is rocky throughout. After a while, the climb will flatten out and you will witness the deep blue waters of the lake. You can stroll around and relax till the sunset here, there are many mountains goats and sheep around the vicinity. Spending time around here will be one of your most memorable Goechala trek experience.
Day 8 : Lamuney to Goachala View Point 1 & Back to Thansing (18 km trek / 14 Hours)
This day will be the longest and the most eventful day of the entire Goechela trek route as you will be reaching the highest point of the trek today where Goechala trek height would be around 15,100 feet. For this, you need to start as early as 3 am to make the best use of the time. The trail towards the viewpoint is a moderately easy one and the first half requires the same path as the previous day till the Samiti Lake and then towards viewpoint one which is a continuous ascent of 2 hours. Once you reach the Goechala trek summit or the viewpoint one, wait for the sun rays to hit the massive Kanchenjunga range. This will easily be the best sunrise of your life. Many trekkers break down into tears while soaking in this overwhelming sense of joy. If you are doing the Goechala trek solo, you will experience a sense of accomplishment instantly at this point. The spell bounding view of this sunrise will be imprinted in your memories forever. Move back to Samiti Lake to catch the early morning reflection in the lake. If you can reach Samiti Lake before 8 am, it will be a treat to the shutterbugs who can capture the natural beauty of the lake at its best during this time. Trekkers will have about 1 to 1.5 hours to spend near Samiti Lake and then trace your trail back to the point of Kockchurang while descending.
Day 9 : Thansing to Tshoka (16 km trek / 7 Hours)
As you march your way back to Tshoka today, take the diversion on your left that goes inside the forest rather than following the path to Dzongri. The route is mostly flat with small descents and with many Rhododendron trees, the walk becomes an easy enjoyable one as you move ahead with Prekchu flowing below. You will take about 4 to 5 hours to complete the 10km distance till Phedang and after taking a break for some time you can proceed with the descending trail till Tshoka which takes another couple of hours. Have an early night in the camp after the long day of trekking through Goechala trek route map.
Day 10 : Tshoka to Yuksom via Bakhim (10 km trek / 5-6 Hours)
Today's descent is quite a fast an easy one as you move ahead to Yuksom the point where you started the trek from by crossing Bhakim and Sachen on your way. The trail is a continuous moderate descent till Sachen and from there on it moves upwards and downwards in an undulating manner which a bit time is taking. After 6 hours of trekking, you will finally reach Yuksom. You can leave from Yuksom the same day or spend the night here itself to relax for a bit and leave for New Jalpaiguri early in the morning the next day.
Day 11 : Drop (148 km drive / 7-8 Hours)
We will drop you to New Jalpaiguri station / Bagdogra Airport / Siliguri Bus Stand by Car with Sweet Memories...!!!