Adventure
The Goechala (Sikkim) Trek-Part I
Credits*
Day 1 14km
Yuksom(5600ft) to Bhakim(8636ft)
Day 2 12km
Bhakim(8638ft) to Dzongri(12981ft)
Day 3
Dzongri(12981ft) to Dzongri top (13676ft)and
back to Dzongri
Day 4 10km
Dzongri(12981ft) to Thansing (12894ft)
Day 5 10km
Thansing(12894ft to Lamuney(13600ft)to Samiti
Lake(14100ft) and back to Lamuney
Day 6 20km
Lamuney(13600ft)to Zemathang(16000ft)and back to
Phedang(12068ft)
Day 7 15km
Phedang(12068ft) to Yuksom (5600ft)
The map
Flags Yuksom
Yuksom
Yuksom is a historical town in west Sikkim. It was the first capital of Sikkim established in 1642 A.D. Yuksom literally means the "meeting place of the three learned monks". The three monks came from Tibet and selected Phuntsog Namgyal as the first king
of Sikkim, as they met in Yuksom.
Yuksom has a small monastery which we visited in the evening. The kids on the premises were glad to have us over and posed enthusiastically for our photographs.
And they threw attitude. And a hint of mischief. And innocence.
The pretty little town has enough to offer for even a week long peaceful stay. Choose a nook in a restaurant, grab the locally brewed beer, have steaming hot momos, and admire the sight of the locals carrying out their daily chores, and pretty little children
in their bright red uniforms returning from school.
Yuksom kid
Dzongri
A day of rest at Dzongri gives you a chance to slow down, talk to the locals and enjoy their stories while relishing the delicious food. Of course with no electricity, the
sun streaming in through the window is the only source of light during the day. At night, everyone sleeps off early ad candles and lamps form the sources of light.
There is usually a fire burning through the day, also used to boil water for making food and for day to day uses. The locals stay there for the better part of the year, leaving for Yuksom for 3-4 months during the winters. That is when they get reunited
with their families. After all, they stay in Dzongri to make a living providing food nad saleable items to the trekkers.
Wai wai noodles is a specialty here, and often cooked in different styles and mixed with vegetables or chicken pieces to yield different types of what they called Thukpa. And then there are momos, again of different varieties. They are best had steaming hot,
but be careful. They can get spicy at times! And lastly, what goes along well at any time of the day is the local aromatic tea-ready to rejuvenate tired trekkers and add a spark to a thousand discussions.
Dzongri trekkers
Dzongri peak
To be contd.
*The names of photographers are: Deepak Maloo, Piyish Rathore, N. Abhinav, Harmohit Singh Toor and Rahul De.
The text was a joint effort of the team. Apart from the above photographers, the members of the team included Sandeep and Lapcha (Guides)
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