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 Kangchendzunga
Trek (SIKKIM HIMALAYAS) |
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| Season |
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March To May & October-November |
| Duration |
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6-days Tour, 9-days Trek |
| Grade |
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Strenuous |
| Highest Point |
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4,940m approx. |
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| The trek goes through moss-laden forests,
abounding in a variety of flora and fauna, through scenarios
of grazing yaks, mountain sheep and Tibetan resettlement villages,
passes with flattering flags. The trail leads through some of
the most spectacular forested areas of Sikkim particularly beautiful
during the spring when the rhododendrons, giant magnolias and
a profusion of other wildflowers are in full bloom. At Dzongri
one comes face to face with a magnificent view of Mount Kangchenzonga
(8585 Mts.), which, to the Sikkimese, is an all-powerful God.
As we hike along ridge tops, our views of the peak are steady,
awesome, and intimate. The Five Treasures of Great Snow, possibly
the most sacred, and surely the most imposing of the world's
great peaks, reveals herself. A rugged terrain from Smiti Lake
leads to Goecha La (4940 Mts.), the highest point on the trek.
The top of the pass places you at the foot of Kangchenzonga,
as close to the mountain as possible. On the return journey
from Goecha La one can keep a look out for rare high altitude
birds and the Blue Sheep. Gradually rise along the east ridge
of Dzongri till Phedang and from there descend to Tsoka/Bakhim
and on to Yuksum, from where you drive to Gangtok and visit
the famous Buddhist Monastery of Rumtek.
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Day 01: Arrive Delhi |
| Arrive at New Delhi’s international
airport a Mountain Trails representative will be waiting for you outside
the EXIT gate of arrival terminal, holding a placard. Met upon
arrival and transfer to your hotel for overnight stay. |
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Day
02: Delhi-Bagdogra (Flight 9W 601 D: 1005 A: 1200)
Bagdogra-Darjeeling (Drive 82
Kms, 3 Hours) |
| After a buffet breakfast,
you will be transferred to domestic airport to board the
flight 9W 601 for Bagdogra. Met upon arrival at Bagdogra
airport and proceed for a drive to Darjeeling, a three
hours drive uphill through tea gardens and small towns.
We will occasionally meet the famous Darjeeling toy train,
huffing and puffing across the road Rest of the evening
will be at leisure. |
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| Day
03 : Darjeeling |
| Early morning visit Tiger
Hill for fabulous sunrise views of Mt. Kangchenzonga (8585 Mts.),
the third highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest and a host
of other Himalayan giants are also seen on the horizon. Drive
back to the hotel and after breakfast you shall visit Ghoom,
a Tibetan-Buddhist monastery, botanical gardens to see their
collection of rare orchids and other plants and one of Tea Garden
in around Darjeeling. Afternoon visit the Himalayan Mountaineering
Institute. Overnight at Hotel |
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| Day
04 : Darjeeling – Yuksum (1780 Mts.): (Drive 7-8 Hours) |
After a Buffet Breakfast at our hotel
at Darjeeling you will be driven to Yuksum (1780 Mts.) in Western
Sikkim. Yuksum is the original capital of Sikkim; the tiny hill
town of Yuksum is the base for treks and expeditions to Mt.
Kangchenzonga and other important peaks.
Overnight at Hotel |
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| Day
05 : Yuksum – Tsoka (3710 Mts.): (Trek 6-7 Hours) |
| Begin trekking after a Buffet Breakfast
at your hotel in Yuksum, the trail passes through the dense,
lush green forest and rises gradually in the beginning, its
only after the last of the total three bridges the gradient
increases and this ascent continues till the camp at Tsoka,
a small Tibetan settlement, which is the only one on this trek,
first views of Mt. Pandim comes just before you reach Tsoka.
There is a small monastery in the village, which is worth visiting
during evening prayers. Overnight in Tents. |
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| Day
06 : Tsoka - Dzongri: (4030 m) (Trek 6-7 Hours) |
The trail passes through
thick Rhododendron forest and rises almost continuously
in the beginning, we shall take a halt at Phedang, known
as half ground in local language, continue walking on
the trail which keeps on ascending till you reach Devrali,
the highest point of today’s trek, the trail after
Devrali goes over a few humps before it reaches the high
altitude grazing grounds of Dzongri. At Dzongri there
are a few Yak huts made by local herds man as shelter
for their stock.
Overnight in Tents |
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| Day
07 : Dzongri |
This day will be utilized for acclimatization
for even higher altitudes of Smiti Lake & Goecha La, you
shall be taking an early morning excursion to the Dzongri La,
the views of Mt. Rathong, Kabru range and Goecha peak from here
are breathtaking. Return to the camp at Dzongri for breakfast,
rest of the day will be free for independent activities, you
can climb up the Dzongri top, a spire abruptly rising over grazing
grounds, on a clear day, views of Mt. Kangchendzonga are superb
from here.
Overnight in Tents. |
| Day
08 : Dzongri – Thangsing (3800 m): (Trek 5-6 Hours) |
The trail in
the beginning shoots towards Mt. Pandim turns left and
after going over a few humps, dips steeply into the
Krok Chu, we will cross the stream over a bridge and
will continue walking to reach the campsite of Thangsing,
with magnificent Mt. Pandim and Mt. Goecha La in the
backdrop. Overnight in Tents |
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| Day
09 : Thangsing - Smiti Lake (4200 m): (Trek 3-4 Hours) |
A level
walk, with only one steep ascent just before the sacred
lake of Smiti, continuous views of Mt. Goecha on left
and Mt. Pandim on the right, the lake is separated by
a high ridge from the base of Mt. Pandim., till
you reach Trek to Smiti lake. Yaks and Dzos wander in
wild here at Smiti. Rest of the day free to explore the
area on own.
Overnight in Tents. |
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| Day
10 : Smiti Lake-Goecha La (4940 Mts.)- Thangsing: (Trek 9-10
Hours) |
| Today, we will start very early
in the morning to beat the clouds, blanketing the Kangchendzonga
Massive. We will cross the Lake of Smiti along the bank,
the trail then will rise steeply for about an hour, to
reach the high point, commonly referred as view point,
some good views of the massive are possible during day,
if the weather is clear. For next one hour we will be
hopping over the boulders to reach small plateau of Zemathang,
which not long ago was a camping site for the excursions
to Goecha La, but the lack of water gives this camping
site a abundant look now, you will be walking through
the stream bed with high mountains, spires towering all
over you, you shall follow the valley to right and then
to left to reach the base of Goecha La, start ascending
to reach the ridge leading to the Goecha La, the view
from the top of ridge are magnificent, a walk along the
ridge brings you to another view point with Buddhist flags
flattering high, this view point is often mistaken as
Goecha La by many trekkers, the views are good but not
better then Goecha La itself, which is just a half an
hour walk from here, you shall reach the |
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| Goecha La negotiating
some snow, on a clear day, the views of majestic Kangchendzonga
leaves you breathless, the massive rises almost at 90
degrees. Depending upon the weather condition, you shall
be spending about half an hour on the La, take the trail
back to reach Smiti, where our Kitchen team will be waiting
for you with hot lunch, after having lunch we shall return
to the lower camp of Thangsing. Overnight in Tents.
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| Day
11 : Thangsing – Phedang – Tsoka (3710 Mts) |
Today we will trek back to reach the village
of Tsoka, we will avoid climbing to Dzongri yet again, by trekking
from Krok Chu to Phedang, more or less a level walking through
a thin trail. Evening will be spent nurturing the local brew,
Tongba served in small, improvised Bamboo vessel.
Overnight in Tents. |
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| Day
12 : Tsoka - Yuksum: (Trek 5-6 Hours) |
| Trek back to reach Yuksum.
Rest of the day will be at leisure to explore Yuksum. Overnight
at Hotel |
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| Day
13 : Yuksum – Gangtok (Drive 6-7 Hours) |
| After breakfast drive
to Gangtok enroute stopping at famous Rumtek Monastery,
the seat of the Karmapa Lama who heads the Kagyupa Sect
of Buddhism. Thangkas and frescoes decorate the walls
of this ancient monastery, now renovated. His holiness
Gyalwa Karmapa was the 16th reincarnate. The style of
the monastery, strictly traditional has been patterned
on the lines of the Lamas series of Tibet. This monastery
was first built in 1717 but crumbled |
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to ruins due to aging. The present monastery was constructed
by his holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa in 1960s. The monastery
is certainly the largest in sprawling over a huge area. It
includes a school built on modern lines to impart teachings
in Tibetan and various aspects of Buddhism. An aviary containing
the most exotic birds also exists in the monastery complex.
Some distance above the monastery is a hermitage in which
monks go into complete seclusion for meditation for period's
up-to 3 years. Later, we visit the Institute of Tibetology,
which has a collection of almost 30,000 volumes on diverse
subjects like astrology, philosophy, magic and religion. After
lunch we visit the Orchid Sanctuary, which has over 200 species
of temperate and intermediate orchids on beautifully landscaped
grounds. |
| Day
14 : Gangtok |
After a leisurely breakfast
at your hotel proceed for sight seeing of Institute of Tibetology,
Chorten, Enchey monastery, Orchid Garden, also explore the local
markets. Later return to your hotel.
Overnight at Hotel |
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| Day
15 : Gangtok - Bagdogra - Delhi |
| Drive to Bagdogra airport
to board flight to Delhi, met upon arrival at New Delhi’s
domestic airport and transfer to your Hotel, where you will
be provided with day use rooms before you connect onward flight.
Later, transfer to International airport to board the flight
for onward destination. |
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| Day
16 : Delhi – Excursion to Agra & Board Flight for
onward destination |
Full Day excursion to Agra.
Leave Delhi early for 3-4 hours drive to reach Agra, proceed
for sight seeing of Taj Mahal and Red Fort of Agra.
Agra, with the arrivals of the Mughals led
by Babur (in 1526), Agra grew in prominence as almost all of
India came under the rule of the Mughal Empire. But Agra reached
its zenith between 1556 and 1658, under Akbar, Shah Jahan and
Jehangir. It was under the rule of Akbar that Agra became a
leading centre of art, science, commerce and culture. Agra,
in terms of ambience, is still associated with its Mughal period.
Half day city tour of Agra visiting Taj Mahal, which is essentially
one man’s monumental testimony to love, has become synonymous
not only with this city but with India as a whole. Visit this
mausoleum built by Shah Jahan for his empress, Mumtaz Mahal.
The construction is believed to have taken 18 years (1631-1648)
with over 20,000 craftsmen working around the clock. Also visit
Agra Fort on the banks of the river Yamuna is almost in the
centre of town. The fort represents the architecture in the
periods of the three great Mughal emperors, Akbar, Jehangir
and Shah Jahan. The conspicuous structures within the complex
are Jehangiri Mahal, Anguri Bagh, Khas Mahal and Moti Masjid.
Later afternoon drive back to Delhi in time to board the flight
for Onward Destination |
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