Trekking and scaling different mountain peaks is an extraordinary experience altogether. Isn’t it? Would it be wrong to say that trekking is the best means to find solace in blissful nature? Here’s the story of Ajeya, who has been trekking for several years including 3 treks in the Himalayas and various other peaks. The Goecha La trek is the longest trek in the Himalayan range and took Ajeya almost 8 days to scale the mountain. 

Let’s begin the adventurous 8-day journey of Ajeya and the group!

Day – 1 Starting the expedition to the Himalayas

 Being the starting point, it was an easy stretch. During the trek, they witnessed the Rathong lake, a couple of waterfalls, and on top of that, an extremely dense forest. They reached Sachen in the afternoon and were welcomed by pleasant weather. Suddenly, it began raining, the group gathered around and had an interesting conversation about the lifestyle of Sikkim. Towards the end, they had a sumptuous dinner and called it a day.

Day -2 From Sachen to Tsokha 

After a filling breakfast, Ajeya got to know about the inhabitants of Yuksom village were associated with three ethnic groups. During this trek, Ajeya also tried some fresh wild strawberries and also saw the beautiful Rhododendron flower. The group also bonded with other trekking groups and had a good time conversing with each other. At night, the trekkers were spellbound to witness such a clear sky fully lit with stars. 

Day – 3 From Tsokha to Dzonghri 

There were multiple peaks visible from this point. The trail was filled with oak trees, pine trees, and Rhododendron flowers blossoming on the way. Ajeya didn’t forget to sketch another beautiful view from their camp at Dzonghri. As they had to wake up at 3:30 am, the group had some dinner and went to sleep early to get adequate rest. 

Day – 4 From Dzonghri to Thansing

The hike to Dzonghri was a steep one but it turned out to be as the group didn’t have any luggage. It was so pleasant that they spent nearly 2 hours at the summit. After adequate rest, they headed towards Thansing. The group also faced a ferocious hailstorm with ice balls of about 1 cm. They hid behind some rocks and somehow managed to wear their poncho to continue the trek and get some shelter.  Being a cold night, the drained trekkers headed to bed. 

Day – 5 From Thansing to Lamuney 

After witnessing a hailstorm, it was now time for some snowfall. As it began snowing heavily, the trekkers pitched their tents immediately and lunch was also served. When the snowfall ended, Ajeya was ecstatic to see everything covered in white. The day ended at the base of Mountain Pandim. 

Day – 6 Meeting the Himalayas and then back to Kokchurang

 At 3:30 in the morning, the group began their ascent. On their way, they reached Samiti Lake which looked fabulous under the moonlight. It was a very risky expedition as it was a steep ascent and a slight slip could land you right down the mountain. The summit was simply amazing as Ajeya had never been so close to the Himalayas. From Goecha La viewpoint 1, there stood Mt Kanchenjunga painted in sunlight. The night was cold, but Ajeya’s eyes were lit up as today, he saw the view of a lifetime!

Day – 7 From Kokchurang to Tsokha

 The group reached Tsokha in the afternoon which was also wrapped in a blanket of mist. Ajeya and his friends sat together and shared their experience of the trek. As a kind gesture, the cook presented the group with a special cake, being their last dinner on the trek. 

Day – 8 From Tsokha to Yuksom

On the last day, the group bid farewell to the organisers and headed back to Yuksom. On reaching Yuksom, they celebrated the end of their trek with hot momos and also some Rhododendron wine. They also had a Nepalese drink- Chang which is made up of fermented millet. The next day, after waving goodbye to Yuksom, Ajeya and the gang left in a shared taxi with bright eyes and wide smiles

Trekking is something a travel lover should pursue once in his/her lifetime. The passion is so tempting and addictive, once you start, there’s no turning back!