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The view from Thansing campsite. The path ahead goes to Lamuney through Thansing meadows with Mt. Pandim and Mt. Tenchenkhang on the right.
Samiti lake is a glacial lake in the Onglathang valley in the Indian state of Sikkim. Located at an elevation of 4250 m, it lies on the route to Goechala Pass.
Panoramic view of Mt. Pandim and Mt. Tenchenkhang from Thansing meadows before the clouds rolled in en route Lamuney on Goecha La trek.
The alarm chimes in at 3:00 am at our Dzongri campsite. I slowly slither out of the tight strait jacketed sleeping bag, yes like a snake shedding its skin & wonder who else wakes up at this unearthly hour. My tent-mate Sanjay Hosali is still asleep but his aircraft idling on the runway like snores makes me jump outta the tent in a flash. Complete darkness surrounds me. I realize it is our Hindu New year & I whisper Happy New year to my family a good 1200 kilometers away. The Mercury reads a few notches below freezing and I pull my four layers of clothing closer to the skin. The sky has cleared up all the fog & mist of the earlier evening & the hike to the Dzongri Top to have our first eyeful of the grand Mount Kanchenjunga looks promising.
Our group assembles in half an hour & we start the early morning grind up to the Dzongri Top. The long line of headlight-bearing zombies silently walk in a single file up the mountain. No one is talking or singing like the previous noon hike. It is too freaking cold & spooky. I stop periodically, get my racing pulse rate down, inhale & exhale ten times & continue to climb up the mountain. The younger lot slowly overtakes me one by one. In spite of the Type A Personality that I am otherwise, here on the mountain I do not get annoyed at them outdistancing me. The mountain teaches you to be patient! It does! :D
The double hill climb is a long drawn one & needs some careful steps as there is a deep fall on the left. The dawn slowly glows from the eastern banks of the Himalaya. It is almost an hour & a half or maybe more. I hear the squeals of joy as our group has summited the Dzongri Top. I stop for the last time, look at the light around, wipe the frozen sweat, or maybe the nose dribble off my lips & pump up that last bit of Adrenaline & Testosterone through my engorged veins & speed up.
13,630 feet. Dzongri Top at last. The mighty Kanchenjunga & his family of massifs break into applause. I take a bow in front of these majestic mountains as I quickly set my tripod.
Lots of photographs quickly get registered on the memory card but the one that will stay with me for a long time is this photo of two trekkers returning back from the frosty top, somehow symbolizing the ups & downs of life.
Panoramic view of the warm glow of sunlight on Himalayan peaks seen at Goecha La view point 1. Kangchenjunga looked majestic!!
Welcome to Dzongri Top (4200m)!!
Enjoy the summit of Mt Kanchenjunga and other Himalayan peaks light up.
Peaks from left to right: Mt. Rathong, Black Kabru, Kabru South, Kabru North, Kabru Dome and Mt. Kangchenjunga.
Our guide showing us the way amidst reducing visibility when clouds descended. This was right before reaching Dzongri on Goechala trek.
The mighty Kangchenjunga in all it's glory from Goecha La view point (4600m). It is called Five Treasures of Snow after its five high peaks, and has always been worshipped by the people of Darjeeling and Sikkim.
Forked peak (6108 mts, often confused as Goecha Peak and Talung Peak) with Kanchenjunga in the background as seen from Samiti Lake.
The pedometer clocked 27.8 kilometers for the day. The retreats post the summit push are equally arduous as the climb up a mountain. The constant downwards movement first through the mountain, then the Prek Chu river boulders and the last logwood carpeted pathway through the forest is a knee pummeling torture.
In spite of the tiring drill keep your eyes open for the photography opportunities that abound on the trek.
Photo Credit: @wanderlust_dil_se
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One more panoramic photo of crystal clear Samiti lake. The Sikkimese name for it is Sungmoteng. It is a sacred lake and is located enroute Goechala trek.
The peaks Pandim, Jupono, Tenchenkhang etc taking their time to reveal themselves amidst thick cloud cover. This panorama was taken between Tshoka and Phedang on Goechala Trek
Early morning scene at Kokchurong (West Sikkim) after quick snowfall with Mt. Pandim (left) and Mt. Tenchenkhang (centre) standing majestically in the background.
On the way down from Dzongri to Kokchurong, you are passing thtough meadows of Dzongri. If weather is clear, you will be presented with stunning views of Kangchenjunga and Mt. Pandim while you cross the meadow. You can also see yaks grazing by on your trail.
Dzongri Top (4200m) on goechala trek. This place provided 360 degree view of Himalayan range and peaks including Kangchenjunga.
Samiti lake is a glacial lake in the Onglathang valley in the Indian state of Sikkim. Located at an elevation of 4250 m, it lies on the route to Goechala Pass.
Panorama of Samiti lake which is a glacial lake in the Onglathang valley high up in the Sikkim Himalayas. Located at an elevation of 4250 m, it lies on the route to Goechala Pass.
These stacked stones are makeshift Stupas of Pagodas. These are also offered to the local gods, such as deities of mountains or other natural features. They are usually seen in mountain passes and are offered as a request for the deity of that place to give the traveler safe passage. This photo was taken near Lamuney on Goecha La trek.
Sun kissed Himalayan peaks early in the morning from Dzongri Top. We can see following peaks (from left to right): Mt. Khang, Mt. Rinok, Mt. Sangri, Mt. Koktang, Frey's peak, Mt. Rathong, Black Kabru, Kabru South, Kabru North, Kabru Dome, Mt. Kangchenjunga, Mt. Simvo, Mt. Pandim, Mt. Tenchenkhang, Mt. Jupono, Mt. Lama, Mt. Lamuney, Mt. Narsing, Mt. Siniolchu
Summit point on Goecha La trek. This point is still little away from actual pass but the entry to the actual pass have been restricted.
From Tshoka to Phedang en-route Dzongri on Goecha La trek, the trail is beautifully laid amidst rhododendron shrubs/trees.
This is part of the stretch between Tshoka and Phedang on Goecha La trek. The trail turned red. Even the sunlight that seeped in was red, through the filter of flowers!!
One of the several bridges on Goechala Trek; some big suspension bridges and other small wooden ones like this one over Prek Chu at Kokchurong. The weather was cloudy which is completely hiding the peaks of Mt. Pandim in the background amidst green forest all around.
Thansing is one of the most photogenic camp-sites on the Goechala Trek. Mount Pandim (6691 m), a very holy mountain for the Sikkim people and hence never climbed upon, glows a radiant aurum at sundown as the Prekchu river, which originates from the glorious Mount Kanchanjunga and serpentines its way down the valley.
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A mix of light sprinkle of overnight rain, greenery all around with perfect mix of blooming rhododentrons thrown in and you walk through it. From Tshoka to Phedang, this is in store for you on Goechala Trek.
Chortens (Stupa) at Tshoka which is last village on Goecha La trek. The thick cover of clouds are hiding what otherwise would be Himalayan peaks of Pandim, Tenchenkhang, Jupono etc.
Opposite to the Mt. Pandim near Lamuney (on Goechala Trek), stood this tall barren mountain devoid of any snow with Prek Chu flowing right beside it.
Sikkim is home to 36 species of rhododendron and it's a sight to see when they all bloom. This photo was taken just before Tshoka. From here on, the landscape changes into pine, rhododendron and magnolia forests
Thunderous roar of Prek Chu - the river which originates high up in the hanging glaciers of Kabru Mountains.