Goecha Peak view point one - an ode to Kangchenjunga, ten days with strangers

''It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks."– Reinhold Messner

- 'Do you know what I think about the city folks dying in mountain?’

My brother (elder cousin) asked me on the day of Bhai-dooj. He is a simple man. Not a big talker, someone who only talks sense or, stays mum.

We were discussing the recent deaths in Himalayas. Both in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. 17 people have died just a month ago, there was a lot of halla-golla in the newspapers, the death of innocent trekkers. Dada said, they were not innocent, ‘How Rude!’. (I thought…)

- ‘Bhai, you have money now, you go to mountain to prove somethings to others or rather yourself. See I have conquered this pass, that terrain or whatnot. Take a pic, enjoy sharing it in social media. Hurrah to me, boo to the naysayers.’

My head was down with shame. The fierce truth cut me deep. I was realizing it was all just fact, there was no anger in his voice, just a simple man’s thought. One who may have travelled less but has heard enough tall tales in his lifetime to churn out facts from the hubris of self-proclaiming victory tales.

- ‘Were you ever sick during Goechala trek?’

- ‘No Dada, I drank a lot of water, 7 liters daily.’

- ‘Did you enjoy the summit day?’

- ‘Not the journey, but the 30 minutes at top.’

- ‘Were you feeling victorious?’

- ‘No Dada, for the first time in my trekking days, I was content. Mother nature asked me to carry on, I followed her call. She backed me to the hilt.’

- ‘So you see little brother, you won nothing. You conquered your fear, your tiredness. But neither the nature nor the mountains. You surrendered yourself and that’s why you are alive and they are not.’

I nodded.

- ‘Remember, a good mountaineer knows when to turn back. Mountains make you lose your ego. It is not about finishing the trek and being successful. It is about being successful by learning from it. Surrender yourself to the nature and it will nourish you and you will persevere.’

And now, I will write about ‘the most unique experience of my life’, hastily titled ‘ten days with strangers’.

IMPORTANT: The pictures added here are clicked by my trek mates. I have given credit wherever I can remember. Don't reuse them without asking permission and providing credit.

Goecha Peak (~20102 ft.) is situated on the south-west of Goecha La. It is still a virgin peak. In Tibetan ‘La’ means ‘pass’ (high mountain pass), I tried searching the meaning for ‘Goecha’ with no avail. Let me know if you can, till then I will carry on singing, -

‘I am the passenger

I stay under glass

I look through my window so bright

I see the stars come out tonight

I see the bright and hollow sky

Over the city's ripped back sky

And everything looks good tonight

Singin' la lalalalalalala

La lalalalalalala

La lalalalalalala, la la...’

We were a group of 7 people (counting participants only), most of us didn’t know each other. Let’s have a brief intro of the group –

Nitish, the writer of this travel blogs; Meet Patel, the Gandhinagar municipal election candidate from Aam Admi Party aka real estate businessman aka U-19 state level badminton player from Gujrat; Nagendra Prasad, IT firm owner, Overseas (British) Citizen of India from Bangalore; Kritika, IT company’s Product Owner from Gurgaon; Anju, Target’s Software developer from Bangalore, a native of Lucknow; Mohan & Kiran (male) from Bangalore, two natives from Mysore working in PWC. Among these Anju, Kiran and Mohan are the only three who knew each other before, they are old friends.

How did we strangers (mostly) banded together and survived those ten days will be detailed below. Fair warning, this is a tale of heartbreaks. So not all will last till the very end.

Note, brevity is not my friend. I have a habit of veering away from the main topic often, so this tale may be longer than you anticipate.

TEN DAYS WITH STRANGERS

DAY - 0: [SEALDAH - NEW JALPAIGURI (NJP)] – 22nd October 2021(Friday)

It’s a mess this social life. And I am supposed to be the awkward one. You spend years to make relations and all it takes is one lengthy argument to break them. The one who do not participate in those arguments is left juggling both sides. Then we get tired. Tired of this mess. The escapist within pushes you out of your home.

It was 10:05 PM, I was at Sealdah station. Starting a journey for the first time ‘alone’. We ever bickering Bengalis had already filled every nooks and corners of the compartment in Darjeeling Mail. I already had an early dinner. Hence it was time to go to sleep and dream about Sikkim. It was my 5th visit there.

Sikkim the 22nd state of Independent India, was annexed to it in 1975 following a peoples’ vote in a referendum. Before this, the former Kingdom of Sikkim (also called Dremoshong) was ruled by the Namgyal dynasty for a long 333 years, from 1642 to 1975. The rulers/monarchs of this dynasty were called Chogyal.

The ethnic diversity of Sikkim is mind boggling. It is represented by 'Lho-Mon-Tsong-Tsum' tracking origin of three major inhabiting races since 17th century. 'Lho' are Bhutia(s) (also called Lhopo), it means south. They are people whose ancestors have migrated from Southern Tibet. Their language is Drenjongke or Sikkimese, mutually intelligible with standard Tibetan. 'Mon' are Lepcha(s) (Rong) living in lower Eastern Himalayas and the term 'Tsong' refers to Limbu(s), another tribe of Sikkim. The present population of Sikkim is composed of different races and ethnic groups, viz. Lepcha, Bhutia, Nepalese and the Plainsmen. The Nepalese in Sikkim has three sub-cultural sectors: Kiratis, Newaris and Gorkhas.

Another important point needs to be discussed here i.e. Vajrayan Buddhism. This impacts the major architectural variety seen in Sikkim. Vajrayan is Sikkim's second-largest (as per population), but most prominent religion. Kingdom of Sikkim was a Vajrayan Buddhist state under the Chogyal. Sikkim has 75 Buddhist monasteries, the oldest dating back to the 1700s. A slight distraction here, other than this there are Hindus, Christians (descendants of Lepcha), Muslims and Jains. But the interesting ones is the traditional native Lepcha(s) whose religion is Mun, an animist practice which co-exists alongside Buddhism. But I have to discussed them separately, probably sometime in near future.

Back to Vajrayan, it means ‘thunderbolt vehicle’. Buddhist scriptures say, there are three vehicles or routes to enlightenment, -

1. The vehicle of listeners/disciples – Sravakayan or Hinayan (detractors call it small/deficient vehicle too). It asks us to become aware that all we experience in sansar is marked by suffering. Be aware, rid yourselves from this suffering, liberate ourselves on an individual level, and to attain happiness.

2. The vehicle of perfection – Paramitayan or Mahayan. Also called the great vehicle. It is a path of the bodhisattva striving to become a fully awakened Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings, and is thus also called the "Bodhisattva Vehicle".

3. The vehicle of thunderbolt – Vajrayan. A form of Tibetan-Buddhist tradition associated with Tantra and ‘Secret Mantra’, developed in the medieval Indian subcontinent and spread to Tibet, East Asia, Mongolia and other Himalayan states. Its practices include mantras, dharanis (chants), mudras (ritualistic gestures), mandalas (geometric configuration of symbols) and the visualization of deities and Buddha(s). It claims, tantras were originally taught by the Gautam Buddha and others like Bodhisattva Vajrapani (a protector of Buddha) and Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche, a Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayan in Tibet during 8th-9th centuries).Vajrayan is sometimes called a subset of Mahayan.

DAY - 1: [NJP – SILIGURI – DARJEELING – YUKSOM(~5670 ft.)] – 23rd October 2021(Saturday)

I reached NJP at about 8:45 AM. The trekking agency (Bikat Adventures) informed, some participants have delayed flights. Hence, the pickup time was changed to 12 noon from 9 AM to accommodate all. They also changed the pickup spot from Sevoke road to Darjeeling more in Siliguri. I booked an Ola cab, argued with the driver about why he is asking for Rs 50/-, cancelled it, booked another and reached Darjeeling more by 10:15 AM, only to be notified the pickup time has been changed again to 1PM.

After breakfast, the first stranger I met was Meet. He came a day early. We were soon joined by Nagen and Kritika. What followed was a lengthy wait during which we sipped several bottles of water, two coconut water each and some chips. By 1:15 PM finally all had reached. We started for Yuksom in our pre-arranged car via Bikat. The driver informed, the original route is destroyed in several places due to recent landslides and floods. We have to go through Darjeeling. Hence, what originally is a 6-7 hrs. drive will take us 14hrs. at least. I calculated that with lunch and dinner break, we would reach Yuksom at 5 AM the next day, none of us were amused by this realization. Fortunately, the driver was way off is his estimation.

The original driving route from Siliguri to Yuksom is via the scenic Sevoke, passing the Coronation Bridge, Teesta Bazar, Teesta Bridge before entering Jorethang (in Sikkim). Jorethang is a junction point for share jeeps to other places in Sikkim. After this comes the Akar Suspension Bridge, then a right turn towards West Sikkim. Finally, after crossing Geyzing (capital of West Sikkim) and Pelling comes the village of Yuksom. We took this route while coming back on the last day, by then the roads were fixed back to a quasi-normal state. I took some random videos along the way (on 1st Nov), placing some snaps of the important points from them here for the sake of route continuity. (they are of very average quality).

We took the alternate route, it was not as picturesque, plus it was mostly cloudy and most of us were tired. Hence, except the 3:30 PM lunch break, I mostly slept though the journey. Some moments I do remembered, due to the others (all non-Bengalis) being too excited to see Darjeeling for the first time, at about 5:45 PM our car was being driven parallel to a Toy Train near Ghum. This Toy Train is a 2 ft. gauge railway running from NJP to Darjeeling. It is

basically the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) and part of India’s rich heritage since 1879-81. What we encountered was the daily tourist train from Darjeeling to Ghum (India's highest railway station). This is still a Steam-hauled service. The DHR has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since the last 21 years.

At about 7:30 PM we crossed Rammam bridge over Rammam river to enter Sikkim. It is a border crossing between West Bengal and Sikkim. Hence, it was surprising that the road leading up to it was dark. After some 2 hrs. more we joined the original Siliguri-Yuksom route at Jorethang. By the time we reached our hotel (Himsagar Hotel) at Yuksom it was 10:40 PM, more than 6hrs. earlier than the driver’s prediction. Our trek leader Vijay (the same one from my Kashmir Great Lakes Trek) welcomed us. We had a quick bath and simple dinner and went to sleep. Meet was my room partner.

DAY - 2: [YUKSOM – SACHEN (~7150 ft.)] – 24th October 2021(Sunday) ~8 KM Trek

Yuksom (~160 KM from Siliguri) is a historical village/town of West Sikkim. Back in 1642, the first Chogyal of Sikkim Phuntsog Namgyal was crowned here. He then decreed it as the first capital of Sikkim. The word ‘Yuksom’ is Tibetan in origin, it means ‘meeting place of the three learned monks (three lamas)’. The story is, in the mid-17th century, three holy men were gathered to find a leader for Denzong or ‘the hidden country’ (Sikkim). They were being guided by the divine ‘Five Great Treasures of the Snow’ (Mt. Khangchendzonga/Kangchenjunga/Kanchenjunga). Out of them three, one was a lama, Lhatsun Chembo Namgyal (from north, Tibet) while the other two arrived from south and the west. They waited at Norbugang (in Yuksom). As. it was a holy place blessed by Padmasambhava (Rinpoche) in the 9th century. Then when a learned young man named Phuntsok/Phuntsog arrived from the east, they chose him as leader. They crowned him as Chogyal (Religious King/the king who rules with righteousness) of Sikkim. Lhatsun Chembo gave the Chogyal his own title, Namgyal. Since then, Yuksom was the capital of Sikkim until it was shifted to Rabdentse near Pelling. The coronation site is known as ‘Throne of Norbugang’ (maintained by the ASI as a National Monument). I missed visiting this place due to scarcity of time.

Tired from yesterday’s journey, I woke up at 7:15 AM. Following breakfast at nearby Gupta's restaurant at 8:30 AM, I loitered around Yuksom accompanying Nagen, Kritika and Meet. Yuksom seemed to have a simple life, small plantations, prayer flags and sacred monasteries. Others were rushing ahead while I was busy observing locals.

My first stop was a prayer hall. Right at the center of Yuksom is this glass-walled, temple like

building having 18 oversized prayer wheels distributed within two rows. Each of the wheel seemed made of embossed, part-gilded copper. They are heavy, turning them is more of a workout than meditation. Locally these halls are called ‘Mani Halls’ and the wheel is 'khor lo.

A mantra is written on each wheel stating ‘Om mani padme hum’. I have already discussed it in details in my Pin Bhaba Trek experience. According Tibetan Buddhist tradition, spinning such a wheel has the same effect of orally reciting prayers.

Next stop, a small temple mimicking what to me seemed like, the Kunzum Mata goddess temple in Kunzum La, Himachal Pradesh (refer to Pin Bhaba blog for details) on the middle of the road entering Yuksom.

Following this I went to Kathok Wodsal monastery after being chased through the road by a small vicious dog. This monastery is one the left hand side of the road a little uphill.

Coming down further ahead is Kathok Lake. It is said that water from this lake was used during the coronation ceremony of the first king of Sikkim. This is a sacred lake. It is regarded as the ‘Lahtsho’ (soul lake) of Lama Kathok Kuntu Zangpo (who introduced Buddhism here in 1642 A.D.). He once sanctified this lake. Now each year other Lamas perform Tru-sol (purification ceremony) here to sustain its sanctity.

This term ‘Kathok’ is very important in Tibetan Buddhism in another context. Guru Padmasambhava (Or, Rinpoche) started an old school of Tibetan Buddhism, called the ‘Nyingma school’. ‘Nyingma’ means ‘ancient’. This school of thought believes in Six Mother Monasteries of great importance. Out of which Kathok is one. Kathok Monastery is credited with being the original monastery, after which the other five grew. The original Kathok Monastery is in Tibet.

There are other places of interest too here. I had to give them amiss due to not having enough time.

We started our trek from Yuksom at exact 11 AM from behind the forest check post. All the required identity proofs and forms were handled by our local guide Vicky bhai. Before that is was northwards on a metal road bypassing the Kathok Lake on our right till the check post.

Initially, we walked around the fields of Yuksom, then the river valley of Rathong and then through dense jungles with occasional exposure to sunlight.

Just besides the check post, there is a huge signboard with a map of the trek route, another signboard states the dos and don’ts of the trek. Onwards, the straight road is a small shop on the right, besides which is a flight of stone stairs taking us up hill to mark the start of the main trekking path. Further up, turn left to leave human settlements behind and enter a narrow jungle route with steep rocks on right side and a deep gorge on left. Occasionally we had to stop to give way to porters, Dzo and Mules carrying provisions.

Vijay, our trek leader informed us about two unique features of this trail. One, the alpine (height>10K ft.) vegetation. In other parts of Himalaya, the alpine vegetation is mostly shrubs, void of any major long trees. But, in Sikkim even is such great heights one can see dense forest, till Thansing. Two, Dzo. They seemed like Yaks to me and they were. Atleast

a fraction of them. A Dzo is a hybrid of Yak and domestic cattle (just like a mule is of donkey and horse). Technically 'Dzo' is the male hybrid, while a female is called 'Dzomo' or, 'Zhom'. They are alternatively called Yattle (Yak + Cattle) or, Yakow (Yak + Cow) too. Dzomo are fertile (or, fecund - has potential to reproduce) unlike Dzo or mules, who are sterile. They are larger and stronger than Yak or cattle from the region. Scientifically, Dzo inherit two different types of proteins, one from each parent, and their mitochondrial structure and function changes. This significantly changes the Dzo's ability to survive in higher altitudes than both parents can. Hybrid species are more often than not weaker or not able to survive. However, this particular species is more successful in ways, such as strength and size, that cattle and Yaks cannot achieve [collected from Wikipedia].

At about 12:30 in noon, we crossed the first (of three in total till Tshoka) long suspension bridge over Pakhola stream after walking through Rathong river valley for the last 30 minutes.

Locally a river is called 'Chu'. Hence, the gorge below was pointed to us by Vijay to show Rathong Chu. The Pakhola stream has its origin from a small waterfall descending from a height into the Rathong Chu downstream. Right after this bridge ends, a gate is present

signaling the entrance to Kanchenjunga National Park ("WELCOME TO KHANGCHENDZONGA NATIONAL PARK" etched on it). It has a small office, we found it totally empty and filthy. Vijay

informed me, a while ago permit papers were re-checked here. This gate was built as recent as 2013.

Some steep hike through thicker jungle took us to the second suspension bridge over Tshushay Khola waterfalls. The time was 1:32 PM. Note: we were taking small breaks in between. The waterfall here is of lesser height, it rather rolls down than fall and meets with Rathong Chu. We took a lunch break here.

By the time we reached the third cement bridge over Mintok Khola stream it was already 3 PM (I guess it was an hour long walk from the 2nd one). This bridge was a smaller one. The water creeks here are calmer. Hence, this is a water point. And we were asked by our trek-lead to drink 7 liters of water daily during these days. Hence we took another small break here. This was our last bridge today; after which it was a steep ascend till Sachen that lasted

about 20 minutes more. By 3:34 PM we were at Sachen Campsite. It is a small clearing in forest marked by a wooden shelter and a forest kitchen hut. Another prominent river Prek Chu runs farther down in the valley below, though not visible from the campsite. Our tents were set up at some 2-3 minutes walking distance from the wooden shelter. The area surrounding the wooden shelter has two Indian toilets available for public access. After some cool down exercise led by Vijay, we had our evening tea. I dislike drinking both tea and coffee. But, Vijay ordered this is not optional - you have to drink it to adjust to the climate. Hence, I had to follow suite.

I asked around among the local to find the meaning of Sachen. A local cook in Kitchen hut mentioned Sachen Kunga Nyingpo. Then he said, he is not sure. No one else knew. So, net result, this place may have gotten its name from Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (born. 1092), a Tibetan spiritual leader and the first of the five venerable supreme Sakya Masters of Tibet. Sakya is one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. I have mentioned another while discussing Kathok monastery as ‘Nyingma’, the other two being Kagyu and Gelug.

We the strangers were just getting acquainted. It was early days; the exercise session did some ice-breaking. But, for introverts like me it took a few days more. It was really dark. Hence, after a 7 PM dinner we all went inside our tents. The nocturnal chattering of crickets and other insects were bothering my sleep. I used my disinfectant spray inside the tent and came out to let it work for 10 minutes. Even after explaining it to Meet, he immediately went inside and inhaled most of it. He later clarified he couldn’t gather what I meant. I understood he is going to be fun (cheeky smile). We went to sleep looking forward to the next day once the haze in his mind cleared.

DAY - 3: [SACHEN – TSHOKA (~9700 ft.)] – 25th October 2021(Monday) ~10 KM Trek

By trekking standards, I woke up late. It was 6:30 AM. I shall admit, I am a deep sleeper. Be it a cozy bed, a tent with sleeping bag or, even a paper sheet in a railway station floor, I have a good reputation in sleeping. The breakfast timing was set at 7:30 PM. It was simple but sumptuous. We started from Sachen at 8:20 AM.

The jungle trail was filled with numerous birds’ chirping. I couldn't spot any though due to the thick greenery around. I was missing Arnab here; he is the spotter of artifacts in my weakly bonded friend circle. I felt like an audience in an orchestra of nature. I was walking through some steep descents. It was 9:10 AM, when I heard a thunderous sound of water. We had reached the third suspension bridge (fourth overall) in this trek.

We took a break here just to observe the beauty of it all, nobody was tired - yet. This hanging suspension bridge is the longest of the three. It runs across the Prek Chu (river) over a 100 feet deep gorge called Mentogang (Mintok) Khola. This bridge was decorated beautiful prayer flags. Buddhist believe as these flags flutter, prayers on them flows with the wind making the surroundings holy. When you cross this bridge it dwindles giving you goosebumps. Don't cross when the Dzos are in this bridge too, like I did. Else you will dwindle too. I hear some porters calling Prek Chu as Prek Khola. 'No way, Man' (in Sunil Gavaskar's Caribbean accent). The only thing 'Khola' ('open' in Bengali) was my mouth after looking downwards to see the ferocious force of water. It is a full-fledged river.

After this, it was mostly moderate ascent with very small steep sections. I was amidst thick forests of oak, magnolias, hemlock, conifers and rhododendron. But, it was autumn, not the season for bloom. The group's average trekking pace was pretty good. By 11:33 AM we were at Bakhim (~8999 ft.).

Bakhim, literally meaning ‘bamboo hut’, is a camping ground with scenic views and our resting point today. We took a 30 minutes break there. Tshoka was a further 2 KM hike. A road-sign said, we were 14 KM from Yuksom now. Bakhim used to have a forest rest house some time ago. This was Vijay's eighth trek to Goecha, even he hasn't seen it. He said, there was an earthquake (~2015) which caused cracks to the rest house wall. Since then, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) stopped housing their team in it on way to base camp. Later, I was demolished totally due to further degradation. From here Mt. Pandim is visible if the sky is clear; It was not, when we were there.

After a long rest and some snacks, we started again. The path was slight ascent. By 1:45 PM we were at Tshoka. This is where things changed. I had read earlier that, when the area after the first suspension bridge was included inside Khangchendzonga National Park (by erecting an entrance wall), people from Tshoka were moved to Yuksom or other places. It is no more a village, rather a ghost town. What I saw contradicted this story. There are multiple active lodges here, inhabited by the caretakers and their families. I seemed like a scarcely populated village to me.

In front of the Trekker’s lodge at Tshoka, there is a camping ground where our tents were already pitched. We had our team's cooling down exercise drill followed by hot tea, lunch and some rest. By 2:40 PM, I was up and about exploring Tshoka. Near the lodges, just beside the toilet rooms there is a small section where spare foods and thrown. It had a water pipe attached nearby, where I saw a beautiful yellow beaked magpie with long tail, scavenging for food. It was so fast, that I could not take a picture, I was missing Arnab again. Later from Anju’s insta-feed, I came to know she got a clear shot.

The land section close to Tshoka lodges has a boundary cover made with bamboo spikes. After that the trail goes downwards. If you following along and go down then straight till the edge of a cliff, in you front view stands Mt. Pandim (21952 ft.), Mt. Tien Chen Khang (~19718 ft.) and Mt. Jopuno (~19475 ft.) (left to right). I couldn't see them; it was too cloudy. But, in the next morning it was my lucky hour.

At about 3:30 PM, Vijay asked all of us to join him for an acclimatization walk, to better prepare for tomorrow rigorous walk to Dzongri. We visited a small but serene monastery hiking a bit upwards, besides it there is a water-body. Tibetan Buddhists believe that long and hard journeys to reach the holy place purifies sins. It can be a reason for this monastery to be so far away from civilization. When we were there the monastery was closed. <pic> Vijay informed me, it remains open from 6 - 10 AM, I made a mental note. On our journey back, I visited here again (on 31st Oct), this time in early morning to find it open.

Our dinner at 6 PM today and the time leading up to it was filled with ghosts’ stories. Mountain and ghosts have mutual respect for each other one providing other with ample flavor. I don’t believe in ghost, plus Bengali concept of ghost for Brahmin male is both chauvinistic and otherwise discriminatory. So I like to take the mickey out of it, saying if I die unmarried I will become a Brohmodyotti unlike others who will become just general Vut (if male) or, Petni (if female). But, in that cold, dark atmosphere with nocturnal noises all around the sleepy village it was picture perfect setting for a horror tale. Both Vijay and Vicky were master story tellers. They had one condition though, no story about Tshoka in Tshoka. They will narrate such stories daily. But, not about the place we are currently in.

Myself and Meet encountered a ghost that day. I talked about it with other in Dzongri camp, following the norms set already by our trek lead. We were getting easy with others. People were sharing tales from their personal life. I joined the band wagon too. Nagen was the most open person among us all, his stories about his past love lives were really interesting ones. I can’t share them here because that will be a breach in trust, that I was shown. For the first time in my life I found that I am more comfortable sharing personal struggles with others if I don’t know them. I feel less judgment from them, I judge them even lesser. It is a good practice to try to understand yourself better. Good Night.

DAY - 4: [TSHOKA – DZONGRI (12980 ft.)] – 26th October 2021(Tuesday) ~7 KM Trek

The word Tshoka means 'source of water' in Sikkimese. May be that's why people set up a village here. At 6:15 AM just before breakfast, I was close to the cliff side near Trekker's lodge again, to try to find Mt. Pandim. Vijay had joined us by then. I forgot to mention this earlier, on the way to cliff there lies to two friendly small stupas.

I couldn't find any markings of them explaining what they are for (on Day-5, I will know how important these are. These are called chortens). Exactly at 6:33 PM, Vijay started naming the peaks visible; Mt. Pandim, Mt. Tien Cheng Khang (Thinchenkhan), Mt. Jupano (Jopuno) (left to right) then towards the extreme right was Lama–Lamini (~19144 ft.) peaks. Others he couldn't recount.

8:28 AM was our starting time from Tshoka. Vijay wanted a group session. He said, it is our most demanding day of this trek, we will gain and altitude over a 1000 meters today.

- “Aj jor jor se nehi chalna he” (do not rush your pace today).

- “pani pike varlo sab, samne mid-point Phedang ane taq water source nehi he. Hydrated rakho khudko.” (Drink now, fill you bottles, till our mid-point in Phedang today water source is scarce. Keep yourself adequately hydrated).

It was sunny today. This stretch from Tshoka to Phedang was tiring. We walked besides the monastery, through rhododendron forests going entirely uphill.

After the first steep climb ended, I took a breather near a stretch of wooden pathway. It was 9 AM. I took more breaks to catch my breath.

It was 11:42 AM when I was at Phedang, about three and a half hours since we started, mostly (if not entirely) really steep climb. The initial section was paved with wooden logs, flanked by rhododendron (without bloom) on the left and right; then came the dense alpine forest; then after a stone filled rocky terrain was a forest clearing at Phedang, surrounded by snow clad mountains all around, this is long break point. Dzongri was still a good 4-5 hours’ trek away.

Phedang was muddy due to some vicious rainfall prior to the start of our trek (on 23rd October). Vicky bhai said we could take our lunch break here, but Vijay suggested to take it later. There is a small hut shop here though. Hence, a small snack session was eminent.

From Phedang till Deorali top it is all steep ascents. It was 2:24 PM when we reached Deorali top. It had a magnificent view, the first time in this trail we saw Mt. Kangchenjunga. Besides that, there were numerous colorful prayer flags in front. I had a wide angle view of several peaks (right to left) like Mt. Jopuno, Tien Chen Khang, Mt. Pandim, Mt. Kangchenjunga, Mt. Kabru North, Mt. Kabru Dome, Mt. Kabru South, Black Kabru and Rathong. Far left Koktang & Frey’s Peak was also visible, but not distinct as these peaks. This was okay. But, the best view of all of these is from Dzongri Top. Hence, I will share that picture later. We took a ~40 minutes break at the Deorali Top. Vijay mentioned that the climb of the day is over.

Kiran is a ladies’ man, as I found out that day. There was a group of three Sikkimese ladies trekking to Goechala just in front of us. They were carrying a lot of prayer flag reels and putting them up in several holy points. Deorali was one of them. They offered us one. Myself and Kiran hanged the flag reel on two branches of a leaf-less tree. They said to us, while tying them up, make a wish for girlfriend and your wish will come true. Kiran took this opportunity to ask one of them if she had any romantic partner currently, there was a lot of giggling going around.

After having lunch, we started for Dzongri at 3:06 PM. The downhill path on our left was leading towards Dzongri, full of abundant mud, sides with rows of juniper shrubs. We were gradually descending into a valley. At 3:55 PM we were at Dzongri campsite. I saw a sign with 'Dzongri' written on it, hanging from a wall of a trekker's hut. There are currently three trekker’s hut in Dzongri. Though we were comfortable in our tents. A lot of people prefer these huts (actually brick room), I don't. Tent is much cleaner, healthier and unique experience. Only problem of Dzongri is, it does not have any view. One has to go to Dzongri top for that.

Some of us had small niggles. Meet was under the pump; he was having severe headaches. Vijay advised him to drink more fluids, even scolded him for not drinking enough already. This was the start of our first medical emergency. Rest of us were keeping ourselves hydrated and not sleeping in tent during the day. Except Kiran, he was suffering from insomnia during night.

I was exploring the campsite, when Anju first spotted a peacock like creature far within the high lands shrubs. One of the porter called in Monal. Vijay said, Himalayan Monal is a pheasant native to Himalayan forests and shrub lands (6,900–14,800 ft.). Again, I was missing my great photographer friends. I took a zoomed video because my mobile camera was ill equipped and the creature was fast moving. The bird was not a colorful one, it was a female. Other than human beings, for all creature the general rule, is male are the more beautiful ones. As, it is their responsibility to woo their female counterparts. Monals are no exception.

It was getting colder. We were asked to sleep early (even by the standards we were in, like before 6:30 PM). As the next day we had a 4 AM hike planned to see sunrise at Dzongri Top. Meet was getting worse, his headache started shifting to the backside. These were perilous signs. I knew from my Pin Bhaba experience, back of the head pain means early indications of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). Vijay came to check on him once, at night. He asked me to keep an eye on him and shout immediately if anything changes. Meet was asked not to take any medication without asking Vijay. As sometimes these medicines give temporary relief masking the actual severity of the pain, misleading proper diagnosis. Vijay is certified in Basic and Advance Mountaineering Course plus, Search and Rescue course from HMI. He is the best help we got here. But, everyone has to listen and follow his every word. Else, it is not possible for one person to force seven novices. Unfortunately, in this instance Meet missed doing that for a while.

DAY - 5: [DZONGRI – DZONGRI TOP (~13675 ft.) – DZONGRI – THANSING (~12900 ft.), FIRST MEDICAL EMERGENCY] – 27th October 2021(Wednesday) ~10 KM Trek

At Dzongri kitchen tent yesterday, Vicky was explaining to us the meaning of names of our different campsites. I have already mentioned the meaning of Yuksom, Tshoka and Kangchenjunga. Dzongri, means 'the meeting place of men and the mountain, of god and nature'.

5:10 AM is not the time we targeted yesterday to reach Dzongri top. But, it was the time when we reached there. When you pressurize yourself into achieving something to meet a goal, it generally doesn't happen. Yesterday I went to sleep early planning to wake up by 3AM the next day. I mentioned, I am a heavy sleeper. But, even my sleep broke in the middle of the hearing sounds of Meet's struggle with severe headache. I wanted to inform Vijay, he asked me not too. In hindsight, it was a mistake.

By 4 AM, we were all up and mostly ready. It is a steep trail to reach Dzongri top. My fellow trekkers had their headlamps on. Somehow I was getting well-adjusted to the surrounding dark. Hence I didn't put mine on. I just kept tailing them. It might not have been very wise. But, Vijay said, do whatever feels natural to you. I mentioned earlier that the team's average trekking speed was good. We took about 40 minutes to reach Dzongri Top. One by one huge tall gigantic peaks started appearing, although the view was vague. It was still dark. Vijay said, the sunrise is supposed to happen at 5:20AM. It was still semi-cloudy.

We were searching hard for views of the Singalilla, Kanchenjunga ranges. I was told, on a day with clear weather, these ranges turn to molten gold during early morning sun. I was a bit disappointed that this was not the case today, even after 5:20 AM. The most beautiful view was seen during 5:45 AM. Again at 6 AM, it was back to cloudy gloom. I saw numerous prayer flags here making a nice foreground.

As Vijay described sometime around 5:45 AM, in front of us was a black peak, Black Kabur (or, Kabru - though Vijay said this one is not called so). Unlike other peaks there, it has no snow cover on top. Hence, it shows its original rock color, black. A Petrologist will have better answers for sure. But, in my insignificant knowledge, it might be due to one of two reasons. One, snow never forms on it due to the rock formation ingredients being special to not allow it. Two, the temperature in top of Black Kabur in conjunction with elements around creates Glaze ice, a transparent/homogeneous ice coating. I may be totally off here though.

Anyhow, the locals call Black Kabur, the protector of all other mountains in the range. Just, behind Black Kabur, we saw Kabru South (~24009 ft.), Kabru North (~24124 ft.) and Kabru Dome (~21654 ft.) [left to right w.r.t. my viewpoint]. Right to Kabru Dome skipping one peak was Mt. Kangchenjunga only visible to us for some minutes. The rays of sun hits Kabru group of peaks first, then Kangchenjunga. Other than these he could point us to Mt. Koktang (~20167 ft.), Frey's peak (~19127 ft.), Mt. Rathong (~21913 ft.) [all on the left of Kabru group w.r.t. my viewpoint].

On the right (from Kabru group) w.r.t. my viewpoint, Vijay said there were Mt. Pandim, Tien Cheng Khang, Mt. Jupano. None of them were visible to us though, due to heavy cloud cover. We saw Mt. Pandim momentarily only for a minute at most. Fast, cold wind was blowing us away. I was moving constantly to keep my body temperature up. He didn't mention other peaks like Talung, Simvo, Khang, Rinok and Sangri at all. It was may be due to the total invisibility of them. It was really dark suddenly around 6 AM. Vicky bhai was trying to tell us about something. I couldn't clearly listen as the crowd gathered by now was making a lot of noise. I could hear him saying,

- “Charten hey age, Buddhist ka jaga. Waha akein Kangchenjunga ka puja hota hai humare ek festival mein. Kangchenjunga ko bhagawan mante he na, islie.” (he was mentioning a place nearby was each year a festival occurs to please Mt. Kangchenjunga, as they consider it as god).

I was lost in my own thoughts. But, his words got recorded in one of my mobile clips. I tried searching what he meant and from the book “Sikkim: A Traveller’s Guide” by Sujoy Das and Arundhati Ray, I found the followings: four "chortens" (Tibetan Stupa) are present on an elevated ground further down from Dzongri Top, near the ridge of Dablakhang. Lamas from Pemayangtse Monastery come here on a yearly basis to pray to Kangchenjunga. Similar stupas are there in Tshoka's no man’s land. At that time, I didn't know what they were. Alas from Dzongri Top they are not viewable, we were not informed to walk ahead to find them too.

I want to start writing about Mt. Kangchenjunga here. As, the main intention of going to Dzongri Top and later Goecha view point is to have the best view of it. Mt. Kangchenjunga peaks are in total five in number. The highest one is at an elevation of ~28,169 ft., is the third highest peak of the world. Three of these peaks (Main, Central, and South) are on the border of India and Nepal. The other two (West, Kangbachen) are in Nepal's Taplejung District. In 1955, a British expedition of Joe Brown and George Band climbed Mt. Kangchenjunga for the first time, only to stop a bit short of the summit. They had promised the then Chogyal to keep the top of the mountain virgin. It still remains so. I will write more about Mt. Kangchenjunga during our summit day.

By 7:15 AM we back in Dzongri campsite. We were taking it easy as Vijay said,

- “Dzongri Top done, to samjho Goechala ho gaya” (reaching Dzongri Top means, you will complete Goechala trek easily now).

Alas, this statement only holds true for some people, not all.

After our 8:15 AM breakfast Meet was down in our tent, unable to lift his head. He seemed fine in the morning. He was enjoying at Dzongri Top. Took a lot of pictures, walked okay. Suddenly now though, the headache was back. His hands were firmly placed in the back of his head. I called Vijay. He checked Meet's oxygen pressure, his eyes, tongue and lips; thought for about 3 minutes and gave the order. You are going back, try next time. Your trek is done this time around.

It was a 5 minutes long discussion as Meet didn't need much convincing. They how(s) and when(s) were discussed. Vijay clarified it will be serious only if Meet goes up. Hence, Vicky bhai would accompany him back to Tshoka today. Once down, he would be fine, there was a definite confidence in his voice.

By 9:21 AM, we started our onwards journey saying goodbye to both Meet and Vicky bhai. Vijay informed there is little chance of us seeing Vicky again. It would require two days to

take Meet back to Yuksom. Then most likely Vicky will join some other team. Our timeline would be so skewed that, the chances of us sharing the same campsite again in this trail is almost nil. We planned to see Meet again though, back in the same hotel in Yuksom. This was not going to be the case though. By the time we reached Yuksom, he was back at his home in Gandhinagar, Gujrat. He was getting bored at Yuksom, I guess. Many trekking groups were returning from Dzongri. This was the end of their trek. We the six left, kept hiking towards Thansing lead by Vijay.

Initially from Dzongri it is shrub land, then mud land, then a huge meadow for about an hour and half, then some jungle, stream crossing and then some more. After a steep descent, through forest we reached Kokchurang at 12:57 PM. Today, I was carrying Kiran's backpack. He had some leg injury. Though his appearance seemed to suggest something more, like tiredness. We took a break some 100 meters far from Kokchurang trekker's hut at the banks of Prek Chu. The gushing sound of Prek was very loud.

From Kokchurang, it is steep ascent initially through a forest. Then we had to cross Prek Chu through a small wooden bridge, which is really beautiful.

Onwards, the path is a riverbed with Prek Chu on our left and later again jungle on our right. the final stretch is small uphill to reach the flat green open meadows of Thansing.

Our tents were pitched a far from the trekkers. In our front view was Mt. Pandim, it was 3:02 PM, time for our cool down exercise again. The next day, was supposed to be mostly a rest day. It was only a two hours hike till Lamuney. At night the weather was really cold. The green meadows had transformed into milky white. The next morning is when I realized this. I had a new tent partner now, Meet being gone. Nagen is a light sleeper and wakes up really early, even without setting the alarm. My timing concerns were gone from that moment onwards.

At Thansing, one can find a lot of wild Yaks roaming around. Vijay advised us not to go near to them. As, they are unpredictable. We didn't need any second warnings. After dinner, I was lulled to sleep by the clanking of Yak bells.

DAY - 6: [THANSING, SECOND MEDICAL EMERGENCY] – 28th October 2021(Thursday) ~0 KM Trek

One can summit to Goechala view point one, in one of two ways. Start from Thansing, go to summit, come back here and camp at Kokchurang. The second way is ‘Lamuney – View Point – Kokchurang’. The first one comparatively is more tough. As, it requires one to start at 12 at midnight, from Lamuney you can start at even 2:30 AM, as there are three major waterbody crossings in between Thansing to Lamuney, in night crossing them is more time consuming. Secondly, choosing the first option means it will save you one day. But, for two consecutive days you have to wake up at 3 AM (for Dzongri Top) and 12 AM (for summit from Thansing). We were following the second option.

I woke up at around 7:30 AM, this being the easiest day in theory. While coming out of our tent, I had to push through a thin layer of ice-coating over the exterior cover. It was a cold morning, the surrounding meadows had turned white, sky was clear though. Mt. Pandim was brightly visible from here. It was time for breakfast.

At the kitchen tent, all came except Kiran. Mohan informed his leg pain has intensified. He is asking for a few more minutes to get out. The minutes turned into an hour, Kiran never showed up. Mohan frustrated at his lethargy, went to their tent to rebuke him and a minute later from there shouted for Vijay. Vijay went running, Kiran was murmuring something, he was not in a position to even leave his sleeping bag, he was barely conscious.

Four of them – Vijay, Mohan and two other porters carried Kiran out of his tent to the kitchen tent, laid him down, put water in his face. His oximeter reading at that point was 55% (oxygen saturation). The next hour passed in 10x mode. It felt like 5 minutes only. Kiran’s reading changed from 55% to 35% to again at 65%. Vijay was constantly forcing fluids down his throat, and asked Mohan and the others to keep talking to him. "Don’t let him fall asleep totally", he said. Vijay thought very quickly about his next steps and arranged four people and a stretcher bed. Kiran was placed over the bed and plugged into an oxygen cylinder which Vijay was carrying all time, during this trek. He turned to us and said, “You five remain here today. At midnight tomorrow, try to summit directly from here and then come back here only. There is no one left to carry and erect these tent to the next point. Hence, this will be your last campsite point. I will be back, once I have made sure Kiran is OK”. And off he went fast. Mohan followed them till Kokchurang, I went till halfway (to Kokchurang).

Out of seven, we were five left standing at Thansing, without any trek lead or local guide. The campsite had three more tent left except our three. They were empty. Their occupants marched towards summit point at midnight. They were yet to come back. Others, were gone with their tents to Lamuney.

Thansing campsite is an open meadow with the major vegetation being juniper bushes. During October - November, it is cloudy during morning, sunny during day, really dark and cold after evening. Night conditions are so harsh for plants that only a few survives. At the juncture of evening and night near the trekker’s lodge, I saw some locals burning a small patch of juniper bush and wave it around different rooms. They said, it brings good luck for the upcoming day. I thought we needed some ‘luck’ now desperately. There was no news of Kiran yet, none for Meet too. We were waiting in anticipation for someone to come from Dzongri with some news. Before going Vijay had introduced us to a Cook, who will act as our guide from tonight. He said us to enquire in the nearby chowkidar’s house. We tried and got a response, from Tshoka some people are coming here tomorrow, they will reach by afternoon, till then nothing to be done.

The hours were tough to pass, we played some card games, drank water, took basic meals and then called a meeting to discuss tomorrow action plan.

Our team spirit was very high. For five total strangers it was unexpected to me. Nagen opined, we will start by 12:30 AM and walk at a gentle pace with the cook in front of us. Either all of us will make it to the summit or, all will come back even if a single one falls sick. We will stand by each other, no matter what. There was a unanimous acceptance.

DAY - 7: [THANSING – LAMUNEY (~13600 ft.) – SAMITI LAKE (~13800 ft.) – GOECHA VIEW POINT ONE (~15100 ft.) – THANSING] – 29th October 2021(Friday) ~20 KM Trek

However early one goes to sleep, waking up at 12 at night is really tough. Except Nagen, everyone failed to do so. By the time we set out it was already 1:10 AM, surrounding us was a pitch black veil, cold winds. But, surprisingly clear sky. Torches and headlamps were in full glow for everyone, still it was tough to make out the way. Hence, all were walking extra carefully.

Towards Lamuney from Thansing Mt. Pandim, Mt. Tien Chen Khang and Mt. Jopuno falls in your right and the Prek Chu flows by your left. I could hear the gushing of Prek Chu, but could hardly make us any of the mountains in this dark. The first water crossing in this dark was really challenging one. Both myself and Mohan slipped due to a treacherous bolder. While balancing ourselves the shoes and gloves went wet. Both are waterproof, But the water entered inside them and the chilly wind made it ice instantly. I had to remove my socks and carry one wearing shoes. I tied my handkerchief in left hand, packed the right one inside the jacket's pocket and marched ahead. Mohan is a tough cookie, he soldiered ahead without removing anything. Both of us were feeling cold many folds greater than before, we decided to keep walking all the time to keep the body temperature up, even at the summit point.

By 3:05 AM we were at Lamuney and by 5:30 AM at the view point one. Some half an hour before summit, comes Samiti lake after which is the last strenuous uphill hike to summit. From Lamuney till Samiti lake is uphill at start. One has to climb in steep inclination, then down, then walk across rocks with Samiti lake beside. Earlier camping besides Samiti Lake was allowed. We saw a broken down trekkers hut there. Now it is prohibited by the authorities. We found the area from Samiti Lake to 1st view point mostly covered with snow.

Trekkers who go to Goecha La are allowed to venture up to the 1st view point near Chemathang plateau at maximum. The actual Goecha Pass is at the 3rd view point. It was 5:49 AM at the summit. The sky was gradually getting brighter. Towards the first view point, the path is quite narrow. On left there is a deep ravine, who’s edge host what seemed like a Glacier. Remember we had no trek lead or guide now. Hence, I was not sure what I was seeing. Later I found out it was indeed a Glacier, the Onglakhang Glacier. After this Glacier is huge walls of mountain range, seeming like a huge Amphitheatre spread up to the horizon. The mountains till now had a pale glow from retracing moonlight.

From this view point you can easily identify Mt. Kanchenjunga. The local name ‘Kanchinjinga’ (Kang-chen-dzo-nga/Yang-chhen-dzö-nga) means “Five great treasures of snow”. Tibetan word ‘gangs’ (pronounced kaŋ) means snow, ice; ‘chen’ (pronounced tɕen) means great; ‘mzod’ (pronounced jon) means treasure and ‘lnga’ means five. The area around Kangchenjunga is said to be home to a mountain deity, called Dzö-nga or “Kangchenjunga Demon”, a type of yeti or rakshas. A British geological expedition in 1925 spotted a bipedal creature which they asked the locals about, who referred to it as the “Kangchenjunga Demon”. We didn’t spot any, though I may have closely resembled one going nine days without a bath.

Local Lhopo people (Bhutia) believes hidden treasures reveal themselves to the devout when the world is in peril. This treasures comprise salt, gold, turquoise (hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminum) and precious stones, sacred scriptures, invincible armor or ammunition, grain and medicine. Kangchenjunga's name in the Limbu language is Senjelungma or Seseylungma, and is believed to be an abode of the omnipotent goddess Yuma Sammang (goddess of the Limbu community. Yuma Sammang means ‘Mother Earth’ or ‘Grandmother’).

Without any guide, it was tough to know what peaks we were seeing. But, some we could identify from our recent experience with Vijay in Dzongri Top. From left to right (w.r.t. my viewpoint), there is Mt. Kabru South, Mt. Kabru North, Mt. Kabru Dome, an unknown Peak (later googled it as Forked Peak), the mighty Mt. Kangchenjunga. Just where the Plateau (Chemathang) hits horizon, is a V shaped ridge - the 2nd view point, our cook cum temporary guide told me. He also said,

- ‘mein 15 saal pahele ek hi bar gaya tha waha, tab allowed tha jana’ (I went there once, 15 years ago. Then it was allowed).

He also informed me to my utter disappointment that the huge Goecha lake is not visible from the first view point. Similar was our fate for the Goecha Peak. It was invisible for us from there partly due to the semi cloudy weather, partly as no one pointed it to us. I saw sun rays falling on Mt. Kangchenjunga, turning its color to molded gold. Then it spread out to other peaks. There was definite magic, all were spell-bound.

We were there till 6:25 AM. No one wanted to come down. But, we had to get realistic. Near view point one, there is a wooden notice board put out by the Indian Govt. prohibiting trespass beyond this point. This is to safeguard the endangered species like musk deer, snow leopard, red panda, Himalayan blue sheep etc. from the vicious human race.

We were coming down; the strenuous hike was now a steep downhill slide. Soon I was seeing Samiti Lake again at 6:50 AM. This time in all its beauty under clear sunlight. Samiti Lake is an alpine, freshwater Lake. It is locally known as Bunmoten Choo or, Sungmoteng Tsho (in Sikkimese). Water into this lake comes from Mt. Pandim which is right by its side and the outlet goes on the join the Prek Chu, which further joins the Rathong Chu.

My legs were killing me; it was really cold. I had frozen finger tips in both my hands and legs. But, I had surrendered myself fully to mother nature, I was sure she will take care of it and she did. By the time we reached Lamuney, it was very sunny. The ice on my fingertips were mostly melted. It was 8:12 AM. We reached back to our Thansing campsite only a few minutes before 10 AM. By this time only our tents were left. All other groups started going down today. As their summit was completed yesterday. At the whole campsite only five of us were left. Additionally, there was our cook and two locals maintaining empty rooms in trekker’s lodge.

Vijay came at 1 PM, after we had already taken our lunch. He informed, Meet is ‘A-Okay’ and back in Yuksom (at that time he didn’t know about his Gandhinagar return). After Kokchurang yesterday, he had administered a steroid shot to Kiran. After which he regained some strength and his oxygen saturation level gradually improved. During the last stretch to Tshoka, he was able to walk, albeit slowly. He is coming directly from Tshoka today. As, he met Vicky bhai there again coming with another group. He asked him to take Kiran back to Yuksom. He should be back there tomorrow. We all sighed in relief.

Vijay was happy that we could make it and back from summit without any major issues. He asked myself and Mohan to let our shoes dry and walk without them till the sunlight lasts. Rest of the day was spent playing card games and talking about our shared experiences. I learned a lot of card games that day (I didn’t know about more than one or two beforehand). The most interesting one has a vulgar term in its name. It was coined and created jointly by Bikat’s Trek Leads. To keep this blog civil, I am renaming the game as ‘Thief and Rascal’. I shared this with the team there only, none were very happy about it [: P].

Thief and Rascal – Everyone will get similar number of cards randomly. The ‘2s’ are power card, they can close any running hand once showed; the ‘7s’ are reverse card, they reverse the running hand flow for the next show; other cards are same as we know all ready. So it is 3<4<5<6<7<8<9<10<J<Q<K<A<2.All will put down one card at each go. Intention is to finish your cards earlier than others.

(1) If the first one puts down a card ‘X’, next person can only throw a card greater than ‘X’.

(2) If X=2 => that’s the end of that flow. Next flow will begin from the person who threw ‘2’

(3) If X=7 => the next person has to throw a card lesser than ‘7’. Then the next to him/her will proceed with normal rule again.

(4) One can throw multiple cards at once if he/she has a pair/triplet/quartet of the same card. Others following him/her has then need to follow suite, else say pass.

(5) Once, you say pass due to some reason or not having apt card – till that round ends you cannot throw a card again.

(6) The one who finishes first is – King, second one is Wazir (Prime Minister), second last one is Thief and last one is Rascal.

(7) For the next game, after card distribution – Rascal has to give his/her best two cards to King and will receive King’s worst two cards in return. Similarly, Thief and Wazir will exchange one card among them. And the game goes on.

P: S: - I mostly lost. [:(]

DAY - 8: [THANSING – KOKCHURANG (~12000 ft.) – TSHOKA] – 30th October 2021(Saturday) ~17 KM Trek

A trek can be physically challenging. But, it is the return journey where the real challenge lies, in a mental level. At 9:04 AM when we started from Thansing camp it was only the six of us, five participants and Vijay. The porters were coming later. Our destination today is Tshoka. It is important to note here, that though our stopping points were same during both forward and backward journey; the route is a bit different. Return journeys in trekking are usually faster due to their mostly downward trails. Hence, one covers more path within similar amount of time. Plus, you can walk faster and there is no need to think about decaying oxygen density now. As, we are coming down. By, 10:11 AM we were at Kokchurang trekker's hut. If was empty. In fact, till reaching Phedang that day, we were the only ones in the trail. Rest all had either returned a day earlier or, still to reach Tshoka (for the upcoming batches).

From Kokchurang, the route changes. As we don't need to go to Dzongri anymore, it is bypassed via a left side trail through a dense jungle with steep descents in some places. The route seems shaped like a 'S'. There are occasional mud patches and some small water crossings in between.

The jungle is dense and the trail very small, the Dzo and mules couldn’t cross. Hence, they have a separate route from Kokchurang to Phedang. At about 12:10 PM we were within the dense jungle and the path forward was totally blocked by a big fallen tree. We had to walk on the wooden log for some 20-25 ft. to cross it carefully. In between this log and Phedang comes a large water stream where we stopped for lunch, and filled our water bottles. Like most days today also we were carrying packed lunches. As we were targeting to cover a total of about 17 KM.

Walking some more, we reached Phedang at 2:10 PM. Mohan was still feeling very hungry and somehow generated this uncanny affection towards baked potato during this trek. A point to mention here, for the summit day, we were given two baked potatoes each to keep with us. It served as emergency filler when was energy level to walk went low. Phedang has a small wooden shop. From there, he purchases some more baked potatoes. Others were keen for coffee and tea as well. The lady maintaining this shop at Phedang is a native of Yuksom. Her home is somewhere between Yuksom to Bakhim, Vijay informed. She comes from there every day starting around 7 AM and closes the shop around 3:30 PM to return home. The cost of things at that height was understandably very high; 750 ml of boiled water was RS 20/-, black coffee was Rs 80/- in price etc. I was amazed at her ability to walk that much every day to and forth. But, then Vijay said, most of the mountain people are physically really strong. Plus, their walking speed is far greater than ours. Hence, she doesn't need much time in this journey. Only 1.5 hrs. at most for one way.

After Phedang, it is all steep descends with Rhododendron lining all the way down to Tshoka. I was facing some discomfort in leg, earlier injury was worsening. Hence, was behind rest of the team by some 300 meters. Tshoka announced itself for the first time today to me at around 4:49 PM. One by one lodges were appearing on my left.

We were staying at a trekker's lodge today, a single room with six beds. Vijay said, some of the porters are sick after helping him carry Kiran some days ago and others are really tired. Hence, pitching tent is not an option. We were happy to have a room after many days. We asked him to join, in our room for tonight in the additional bed. It was time for our last cool down exercise session in this trek.

That night the cook had prepared a celebratory cake for us to enjoy the successful trek.

DAY - 9: [TSHOKA – YUKSOM] – 31st October 2021(Sunday) ~18 KM

It was our last day of trekking this time around. Yuksom was waiting for us. Retracing our path back was mostly downhill. Though this trail was familiar to us; now, the excitement of exploration was dethroned by a sense of melancholy. The discussions were mainly about where to next, in mountains off course. One can leave the mountain, but the mountain never leaves you. Near the Tshushay Khola we had our lunch break. From there till Pakhola has a couple of ascents. Just before Pakhola, the gate of Kangchenjunga Nation Park bid us adieu, in its wall was 'THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISIT'. It tore away couple of my heart strings. We started at 8:46 AM today. By the time we reached Hotel Himsagar at Yuksom it was 3:50 PM. We were greeted by a gleeful Kiran waiting for our arrival. Our journey was all but done. Only a car ride was left.

That night, during dinner we went to a local small restaurant nearby to our hotel. It had no name. It was drizzling lightly. The mood was set for the alcohol consumers in our team for trying out 'Hit beer'. It is a famous, local brand of Sikkim managed by none other than Danny Denzongpa (Hindi film actor) and his family.

I am not an alcohol consumer. But, in Sikkim it is a very natural

practice. Such consumption may partially exist out of the “necessity” of coping with the tough conditions of mountain life. Another thing I discovered that day was Tongba, a popular alcoholic beverage here, consisting fermented rice millet in a bamboo mug. The restaurant owner cum attendant said, you can mix hot water in it more than once (at most thrice) in the same bamboo mug to make it drinkable. I did experience a couple of sip of Tongba on insistence from others. It had a really strong kick. I realized again, alcohol is absolutely not for me. The dinner was great. Outside weather was conducive to a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow a hectic car journey awaits.

DAY - 10: [YUKSOM – SILIGURI – NJP] – 1stNovember 2021(Monday)

Shared Jeep from Yuksom start at 7 AM for Siliguri. It stops in between in Jorethang once for breakfast break. We were only three passengers today. Kiran, Mohan and Anju were staying behind. They were working from hill for the next seven days exploring other places in Sikkim like Pelling and Gangtok. By 2 PM we were at a Sevoke Road restaurant. I had an 8:40 PM train to catch from NJP. Others had flights to their native states scheduled for the next day. Till evening I stayed with Nagen and Kritika in their hotel. They wanted to explore Siliguri. I said there isn't much to see. We went to the City Center together and after spending some time, I said my ‘sayonara’. The train was only 10 minutes late.

Back in 1903, Douglas Freshfield wrote about Kangchenjunga,

“...in the first awestruck moment of beholding, embodied spirits of overwhelming power and malignity...They have been fearfully searched by winds that mark the course in sweep of the wrinkled drifts and all the scars and lines run downwards giving the mountains an infinitely cheerless and depreciating expression like a sad, worn face."

I don't know why he saw this. May be the weather and surroundings were different back then. May be he was confused by the magnanimity of mountains. But, it does paint a picture doesn't it. The Kangchenjunga, in all its might is so beautiful that it is actually scary thinking, what else treasures does it hold, in its unexplored parts. We will never know. As customs matter. It will remain a virgin peak till foreseeable future as was decided many years ago. But, fear not. Whatever you can still enjoy till Goechala is enough to keep you in awe for one lifetime.

And there is a saying, that somethings are better not understood. Hence, from viewpoint one spread the wings of your imagination to dream about what is lying ahead in the trail. It will be a happy dream; it was for me.

References:

1. Song: I am a Passenger; Artist: Iggy Pop; Album: Lust for Life (1977).

2. Wikipedia, Pinterest, Google Maps.

3. Trek Lead Vijay's personal commentary.

4. Round Kangchenjunga; a narrative of mountain travel and exploration by Freshfield, Douglas William, 1845-1934