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GOECHALA TREK
- Region - Uttarakhand
- Base Camp - Yuksom
- Duration 10 Days
- Altitute 4175m
- Stay Rooms/Tents
- Difficulty Moderate +
Detail itinenary
Today you drive to the 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.
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!
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.
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.
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. In the noon we will hike to our next campsite Thangsing (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.
Today it will take around 3 hrs to Lamuney . The trail is through meadows along the Prek Chu (River). As you approach Lamuney the trail gets steep and rocky. The emerald Samiti Lake is about an hour ahead of Lamuney. Overnight in Camp
Today is the final and most arduous hike of the venture, as you start walking towards the Goecha La pass. The trek takes you around the Samiti Lake and descends to the sand of the dried lake Zemathang Plateau. After passing this you will ascend for another 2 hours to reach Goecha La Pass. From here you will witness spectacular views the mighty Kangchendzonga and the surrounding peaks. After spending sometime here we trek to Thangsing. Overnight in trekkers’ hut/Tent.
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.
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.
After breakfast, we drive back to Bagdogra airport. The trip ends here..
About the trek
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.
Sketch Itinerary
Day 1 : Bagdogra Airport - Yuksom (Drive / 7 - 8 Hrs)
Day 2 : Yuksom (1750m) - Sachen (10 Kms) (Hike / 5 - 6 Hrs)
Day 3 : Sachen - Tshoka (3040m) (7 Kms) (Hike / 5 - 6 Hrs)
Day 4 : Tshoka - Dzongri (3930m) (10 Kms) (Hike / 6 Hrs)
Day 5 : Dzongri ( 3930m) Dzongri Top ( 4175m) - Dzongri Thangsing ( Trek / 5 - 6 HRS )
Day 6 : Thansing (3800m) Lamuney (4164m ) (Trek / 2 3 Hrs )
Day 7 : Lamuney ( 4164m ) - Goecha La Pass (4930m) - Thansing ( 14kms ) (Trek / 7 - 8 Hrs)
Day 8 : Thansing - Tshoka (16kms) ( Trek / 6 - 7 Hrs)
Day 9 : Tshoka - Yuksom (17kms) ( Trek / 6 - 7 Hrs)
Day 10 : Yukshom - Bagdogra Airport (Drive/ 7hrs)
Detail itinenary
Today you drive to the 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.
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!
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.
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.
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. In the noon we will hike to our next campsite Thangsing (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.
Today it will take around 3 hrs to Lamuney . The trail is through meadows along the Prek Chu (River). As you approach Lamuney the trail gets steep and rocky. The emerald Samiti Lake is about an hour ahead of Lamuney. Overnight in Camp
Today is the final and most arduous hike of the venture, as you start walking towards the Goecha La pass. The trek takes you around the Samiti Lake and descends to the sand of the dried lake Zemathang Plateau. After passing this you will ascend for another 2 hours to reach Goecha La Pass. From here you will witness spectacular views the mighty Kangchendzonga and the surrounding peaks. After spending sometime here we trek to Thangsing. Overnight in trekkers’ hut/Tent.
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.
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.
After breakfast, we drive back to Bagdogra airport. The trip ends here..
PRICE INCLUSIONS
Accommodation: On single Or double sharing basis- Day 1: Overnight in Good quality Guesthouse / Hotel (Yuksom)
- Day 2: Overnight in Tents (Sachen)
- Day 3: Overnight in Tents (Tshoka)
- Day 4: Overnight in Tents ( Dzongri)
- Day 5: Overnight in Tents (Thansing)
- Day 6: Overnight in Tents ( Lamuney)
- Day 7: Overnight in Tents (Thansing)
- Day 8: Overnight in Tents ( Tshoka)
- Day 9: Overnight in Good quality Guesthouse / Hotel (Yuksom)
Enhanced Menu: We offer enhanced menu where the food is nourishing, fresh & tasty
- Day 1: No Meals
- Day 2: Lunch, Evening Snacks, Dinner
- Day 3: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Snacks, Dinner
- Day 4: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Snacks, Dinner
- Day 5: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Snacks, Dinner
- Day 6: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Snacks, Dinner
- Day 7: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Snacks, Dinner
- Day 8: Breakfast, Lunch
- Day 9: No Meals
Good Quality of Camping Arrangements. The following equipment is provided on the trek
-
Good quality and big size A shaped tents or alpine tents
-
Absolutely clean sleeping bags with fresh inner liners
-
Thick foam mattresses
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Dining tent with camping stool
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1 toilet tent for 5 trekkers. Separate toilet tent for ladies. Toilet tents have good quality portable seats
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Lamp inside the tent
- Professional guide(s) to ensure high safety and more information and personal attention which are necessary to appreciate a trek. All our guides are professionally trained and have many years of relevant experience in guiding treks.
- Porter / Mule charges for carrying camping equipment & rations
- Forest entry charges, permits & camping fee
- Basic first aid for the group
PRICE EXCLUSIONS
- Transport of any nature (to be divided amongst the final number of trekkers)
- Accommodation in any other location not mention above
- Porter/mule charges to carry your personal bag (can be arranged at an extra cost of Rs. 2400 per bag of 10 kgs)
- Any meals/services not mentioned above
- Any charges for video cameras, still cameras, etc.
- Alcohol, soft drinks, beverages, etc.
- Personal expenses like tips, telephone calls, laundry, etc.
- Any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances like landslides, road blocks, bad weather, etc.
- Insurance
- GST 5%
Departure Dates
Departure Dates
Reviews
PAYMENT TERMS & CONDITIONS
- All payments for the trips, transfers, porterage, etc. should be made in full before the trip starts.
- Cancellation Policy: In the event that you need to cancel your booking due to any avoidable or unavoidable circumstances:
- We must be notified of the same in writing. Cancellation charges will be effective from the date we receive the request in writing. Any cancellation sent on a Sunday or any National Holiday(s), will be considered on the next official working day.
- Payment for this trip will not be adjusted towards any future trip(s)
- In the event of any cancellation(s) after trip commencement, there will be no refunds and any costs incurred due to this cancellation will be borne by you.
- Irrespective of when a trip is booked, the above condition will hold true
- Cancellation charges will be as follows
- >45 Days: Full refund (after deducting any expenses that have been incurred for hotel bookings, transport, etc.)
- 30-45 Days: 75% of trip cost will be refunded (after deducting any expenses that have been incurred for hotel bookings, transport, etc.)
- 15-30 Days: 50% of trip cost will be refunded (after deducting any expenses that have been incurred for hotel bookings, transport, etc.)
- <15 Days: No refund
VITAL INFORMATION
WEATHER DETAILS
This snow trek is organized between Dec & mid-March when the region has had good snowfall. Contrary to the popular belief winters is a good time to be in the mountains if one is equipped properly. Most locals inhabiting higher reaches of the mountains don’t mind the problems associated with snowfall and seem to have a good time during these months. Also there are lots of local festivals in these months. In these months weather is generally clear most of the days. Day time is normally pleasantly warm with one getting to enjoy sitting out in the sun. Temperature would be around 12-17 °C. Evenings are quite cold and one would need to be inside a tent/room or sitting outside next to fire with proper winter clothes. The evening temperatures will be around – 3 to 5 °C. Nights can be very cold with temperatures in the range of – 8 to 0 °C.
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.
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.
- T-shirts (Full) – 2/3
- Warm shirt/light micro fleece pullover/full sleeve T shirt
- Trekking Pants (water resistant/repellent & having inside lining for extra warmth) - 2
- Windproof/water resistant outer shell (jacket) of good quality (no flimsy wind cheaters please!) with a proper hood
- Down jacket with min 600 fill power rating
- Thick Fleece / Full-sleeve Woollen sweater
- Thermal inner wear (upper & lower)
- Woollen cap (Balaclava)
- Inner fleece gloves
- Outer water proof gloves
- Thick woollen socks & regular socks (4 – 5 pairs)
- Scarf/muffler (optional)
- Comfortable waterproof (Goretex) Trekking/Hiking shoes (shoes with a thick sole and high ankles are recommended)
- Camp shoes (these can be easy to slip in sneakers/sport shoes)
- Gaiters
- Raincoat / Poncho
- Small light weight towel
- Insulated water bottle & hydration pack (optional)
- Cap / floppy hat to keep the strong sun away from your face
- Sun glasses with UV protection and ability to cut the glare (imp when traversing through snow)
- Sturdy walking stick / Trekking pole
- Sunscreen Lotion
- Lip Balm
- Torch / Flashlight (with extra batteries)
- Medicines, if requiring any specific medication
- Personal toiletries
- Book, 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.
NOTE: In case you are planning to put your bag on a mule or taking a porter please get a duffel bag or rucksack and keep it in mind that there is a possibility that the bag at times might brush against a rock or a tree and get slightly damaged so don't get very expensive bags. Also in case of damage we shall not be held accountable.
TRANSPORT OPTIONS (DELHI – DEHRADUN – DELHI)
For travel to Dehradun/Haridwar/Haridwar, one can choose between air, rail & road. For air travel, the closest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport (Dehradun) and is well connected to Delhi and other parts of the country by Air India, Jet Airways, GoAir & Spice Jet. Train travel is highly recommended with enough options being there. For train details, you could log on to www.indianrail.gov.in and for online railway ticket bookings you could log on to www.irctc.co.in.
There are frequent Public Transport buses including Volvos available from Delhi to Dehradun that cost about Rs. 300 - 800 per person. These buses depart from Delhi ISBT every 30 mins to 1 hr or so and take about 4/5 hrs to cover the distance. The same is also applicable on the return journey. A private vehicle could also be arranged for if you require the same.
OUR TREKKING CODE
We are mountain lovers and have pledged to bring no harm to them in our pursuit of running organised wilderness travel in the Himalayas and seek your assistance too in this regard. We are more than convinced that one can have more fun on a trip if we go about it in a way that no harm is caused to the ecology. In this regard we have a set of guidelines that we adhere to based on the tenets of 'Leave No Trace' & 'Tread Light' policies. These guidelines are very simple and emphasise on travelling in small groups, better planning, understanding impact of camping, proper waste disposal, respecting local cultures, sensitivity towards wildlife and so on. We have a complete section on our trekking code in the 'GIO trekking Manual'. This manual will be couriered to you once you confirm a trip with us.
ACCLIMATISATION & HIGH ALTITUDE SICKNESS
This is one of the most important aspects of traveling in the high Himalayas and cannot be ignored or set aside. Acclimatization basically means our body adjusting to lower levels of oxygen (rarefied air) & reduced air pressure as me move up. In case one does not acclimatize properly there are chances of the person facing extreme discomfort and this can be fatal in extreme cases. While there is no set route to getting properly acclimatized there are general precautions and steps that one can take to initiate good acclimatization. Our trekking guides will assist you with these steps and also once you book a trip with us the 'GIO Trekking Manual' which will cover this aspect extensively will be couriered to you. This is sure to help you enjoy the trek in very good shape.
SELECTING THE RIGHT TREK & TRAINING FOR IT
Most important thing is to select the right trek keeping in mind your experience or inexperience, health, objectives & ability. Our senior team people can assist you with this, so when contacting us do mention if you need guidance on this front also refer to our trek grading system mentioned below. Once the right trek is selected comes your preparation. Once you have booked a trip with us we will courier the 'GIO Trekking Manual' to you which will have a complete practice drill explained in detail.
TREK GRADING SYSTEM
We have broadly classified our treks as below:
Easy: These treks are 3 to 5 days long and involve walking for about 3/4 hrs daily. The trail on such treks is well defined but not always flat. These are great for families and first-timers
Moderate: On these treks, one is not required to trek for more than 5/6 hrs a day. Also the terrain is not too difficult. These treks are normally a week or so long. For these treks, prior trekking experience is not necessary. Very rarely on these treks would one camp at altitudes higher than 3800m. These treks are great for first-timers or for veterans wanting to go on a trail which is relatively less demanding
Moderate+: These are moderate treks with mostly one difficult day. These trails are fine for fit beginners also.
Vigorous: On these treks one can be required to trek continuously for more than a week through remote areas and at times trekking for more than 7 hrs a day. On most of these treks one has to cross passes or areas which are snow-covered and involve camping at an altitude of more than 4000m. Fit people with some kind of hiking experience & a spirit of adventure can contemplate going on these trails.
Strenuous: These treks apart from having continuous trekking stretches are at places technical and might require assistance from trip leader/guide and other staff people. All these treks have rest days in between. Also, all of them involve crossing passes or areas having an altitude of more than 4500m. First-timers are discouraged from walking such routes.
Expedition Style: These involve long walks at high altitudes at times around 6000m. Camping can also be well over the snow line and on glaciers at times. Safety ropes, ice axes, and crampons might be required on these treks. These treks are not technically very difficult but are considerably challenging. Previous vigorous/strenuous trekking experience is required.
DISCLAIMER
Great Indian Outdoors (P) Ltd. takes utmost care to ensure the safety of its clients. However, in the case of any unforeseen mishaps, Great Indian Outdoors (P) Ltd. will not be liable for any injuries caused or for loss of life. All disputes rising due to the above are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts in New Delhi/Delhi only. All participants would be required to sign an Indemnity Form before the start of the program, without which they would not be allowed to take part in the trip/program/activities.
Recognised by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India as an Approved Adventure Tour Operator
Contact Us
GIO Adventures Pvt. LtdDehradun - Uttarakhand
- +91-7895979211
- info@gio.in