Duration of travel : 09 nights / 10 Days
Destinations : Sikkim – Dzongri Trek (Goecha la Trek)
Trek Route : Yuksom – Tsokha – Dzongri La
Best Time To Trek : June To September & October To Mid November
Day 01 – Darjeeling – Yuksom :
Drive to Yuksom from the tea plantations along narrow streets that falls almost 1700m. Crossing the Rammam river , we enter Sikkim. After 3 & 1/2 hrs drive we arrive in Yuksom, the old capital of Sikkim. Overnight stay in Lodge/Guest house.
Day 02: : Yuksum – Bakhim :
After breakfast, start of our trek from Yuksom (1,785 m) passing through the village and its terraced hills before entering oak and pine forest over Rathong River. The trail is well defined, with bridges above the side rivers. At the confluence of the Rathong and Prek rivers the trail descends steeply and there is 600m ascent up the forest trail to the small settlement of Bakhim (2750m), offering fine views down the Rathong Gorge to Yuksam. Overnight at Camp. Trek for 6/7 hrs.
Day 03: Bakhim- Phedang :
The trek from Bakhim moves through grazing meadows, and through vegetation of rhododendron and magnolia trees, and we arrive in the village of Tsoka (3000 M), and we have fantastic views of the mountain ranges. Tsoka is new village, founded in the early 60s when the Sikkim government granted this land to Tibetan refugees who had fled over the chinese border in 1959. The village has a dozen houses, a gompa (Tibetan Buddhist monastery), and some buddhist monuments. From Tsoka, the path goes uphill , After 4 hrs of walking, we reachPhedang ( 3650m) where we pass a night for acclimatisation before going up towards Dzongri. Overnight camp at Phedang.
Day 04: Phedang -Dzongri :
After a brief uphill climb we reach Deorali view points from where we have amazing views of snow clad mountains, we continue upwards and arrive at Dzongri from where , the views are breath taking. Overnight camp at Dzongri. Trek for 3/4 hrs.
Day 05: Dzongri
Early morning start to see sunrise at the Dzongri Top and After breakfast side walk to Dzongri La , a pass leading to the Bikbari valley towards Nepal. Overnight camp at Dzongri.
Day 06: Dzongri – Thangshing :
After breakfast, move along the right bank of the river. and after crossing a hill we arrive into the valley after crossing a bridge over Prek Chu river. we reach Thansing (3,800 m), after an hour’s climb. . Overnight tents. Trek for 4/5 hrs.
Day 07: Thangshing – Lamune :
After breakfast, we start climbing gently north, up the valley by crossing stream and alpine meadows. We have superb view of the south face of Kanchendzonga and the peaks of Pandim , Tingchinkhang and Juponu hover above the valley. We have our camp at Samiti Lake at Lamune ( 4000m) little below the lake. Visit of emerald green lake at Samiti (4,150 m). Overnight camp at Lamune.
Day 08 : Lamune -Goecha La :
After early breakfast we move towards Goechala, crossing the Samiti Lake and in half an hour following the glacial moraine north-east and a dry lake at Zemathang. The climb from Samiti to Goecha La(5,002 m) would take around 4 – 5 hours. This day will be long, and we come back to our camps for the night.
Day 09: Thangsing – Choka :
Trek to Choka and we take another route till Phedang for 3 hours and another hour and half of down the hill upto the village of Choka where we have camps for overnight.
Day 10: Choka- Yuksom :
Trek to Yuksom for 6 hours. Overnight at Lodge, and our tour guide, porters and cooks take leave as Trek services ends.