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The Goecha La Trek is one of the most beautiful trails Sikkim has to offer. It is also known as the Kangchenjunga Trail Trek. The highlights of the Goechala Trek include the grand views of the highest mountains of the world including Kangchenjunga; which is the highest mountain in India. This 09-day trek holds many wonders for outdoor enthusiasts. The trail takes you through the rhododendron forest of Tshoka, all the way up to Goechala pass which is a vantage point to witness sunrise over the Kangchenjunga Range. With an altitude gain of almost 10,000 feet, the Goecha La Trek is one of the challenging high-altitude treks in India. The Goecha La Trek is recommended for experienced trekkers as well as fit beginners. With a little determination and preparation, this adventurous journey will allow you to discover the sheer beauty of the Sikkim and in the process, find yourself.
The Goecha La Trek is a long trek and involves 09 days of trekking. Over this period, you will be gaining an altitude of almost 10,000 ft. On the trek, you will be crossing several suspension bridges, thick rhododendron forests, alpine meadows and lakes and some rocky terrain to finally reach the Goecha La Viewpoint 1 which is the farthest one can trek.
For the initial stretch; from Yuksom to Sachen and Sachen to Tshoka, the walk is mostly through a forest, so expect it to be humid. You will cross a total of 4 river bridges before you reach Tshoka, The constant descent whenever there is a bridge and then climb after each bridge makes it a tough day of trekking. The altitude gain is gradual.
Tshoka to Dozngri is a challenging hike as the altitude gain is almost 1000 ft. Expect Dzongri to be very cold and windy and depending on the weather conditions you might experience snowfall. From Dzongri to Thansing and further towards Lamuney it is a comfortable hike through vast meadows. The last section from Lamuney to Goecha La pass is probably the toughest part as you will be trekking in the night at an average elevation of over 3000 metres.
On average you will be walking 7-8 hours a day. It is recommended to walk at your own pace and keep yourself hydrated all the time.
Everything You Need to Know about the Goecha La Trek.
Best Time : Summer: April to June / Autumn: Mid-September to October end
Duration : 10 nights / 11 days
Max. Altitude : 4600 m
Commences At : Yuksom
Ends At : Yuksom
Food: Dinner and Breakfast in Yuksom as well as all meals during the trek.
Transportation: Group Airport pickup and drop
Trekking permits and forest camping charges.
Trekking Gears: Tents, Sleeping bags, Mattress etc.
Services of an expert Adventure-Pulse trek leader. (*For a group of 8 and above)
Services of an expert trek team (guides, cooks, helpers)
Porters/Mules to carry your personal luggage.
Basic first aid kit and medical assistance.
Any medical costs incurred by you, or costs associated with a medical incident, evacuation charges and damage of any nature.
Optional trips or excursions. Personal expenses of any kind.
Tips for local staff and guides.
Costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, landslides, road conditions and any other circumstances beyond our control.
While in Yuksom, Adventure Pulse will put you up in a comfortable hotel/Guesthouse on double sharing plan with breakfast and dinner included. Once we start the trek to Goecha La, the accommodation is in a camp set up. We would have good quality tents on double sharing basis with a separate dinning tent for meals and a separate toilet tent. Sleeping bags and mats are also provided by Adventure Pulse.
You need to be in good physical shape to trek to this mountain pass. It’s a challenging trek and does demand good physical fitness and some bit of prior trekking experience. Please refer to our physical fitness document for more details on this topic.
One needs to fly to Bagdogra Airport for the Goecha La trek. There are regular flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. On your arrival in Bagdogra, you will be picked up by an Adventure Pulse representative and transferred to Yuksom, the start point of the trek. After the trek, we will arrange for transportation from Yuksom to Bagdogra airport.
Any kind of climbing equipment or gears are not required for this trek. For list of other things and warm clothing to carry, please refer to our link - List of things to carry for the Goecha La trek.
Regular phone and data services work in Yuksom. Yuksom has good phone and data connectivity with 3G and 4G services also available on most networks. While on the trek, most days there is no network except at Sachen. One is disconnected on most days during the course of the trek.
We at Adventure Pulse consider acclimatization as one of the most important aspects of trekking / climbing a mountain and spend enough time to do that. We move up the mountain slowly giving enough time to our bodies to acclimatize and one full day is spent at Dzongri to acclimatize and hike around before continuing the trek to Goecha La.
The hotel in Yuksom serves good breakfast (Bread Omelet, Paratha, Puri Bhajii etc) which is included in the meal plan. Dinner is also included in the meal plan which will be a mix of Indian food (Roti-Sabji, Tarkari, Daal Rice etc). While on the trek, all meals are included and the meals are usually a good mix of Indian and continental food. Our cooks are very experienced and will be happy to entertain any particular requests you may have for your meals. All the meals are served in the common dinning tent/in trekkers huts.
Regular shower facilities will be available in the hotel in Yuksom. But while we are higher up on the trek, shower facility is not available for the trekking period.
The Adventure Pulse staff and guides carry a fully equipped medical kit with necessary medicines and an Oxygen meter. As a standard practice, we check oxygen levels of all our clients twice a day and take necessary precautions if any irregularity is found in the oxygen reading. In case the problem persists, the client is sent down with a qualified guide. In case of an Injury where the trekker is not in a position to walk down, a Pony is organized to Yuksom where a vehicle and a doctor visit can be organized.
Adventure Pulse usually plans all it treks during the most favorable season on the mountain, but having said that, weather is always an unpredictable factor. We usually look at weather reports before leaving for the Goecha La Pass. In case the weather is unfavorable, we could delay it to the next day depending upon the Itinerary. A buffer day/s is always built in the itinerary as contingency if we get hit by unfavorable weather conditions. In the worse situation, we may have to turn back midway, but safety is always a priority which cannot be compromised on.
Extreme temperature variations, high altitude, snow glare & proximity to sun are certain factors which necessitate the need to for proper mountaineering equipment. In order to enjoy your experience in the mountains, we have recommended that you carry the following with you.
The Trek to the Goecha La is one of the most beautiful treks in India and requires participants to be in good physical shape to be able to do the trek comfortably. Even though the trek into the Sikkim region can be steep & strenuous at some places, it does not require that you have any previous trekking or mountaineering experience neither does it require any technical experience; only that you be in good physical conditioning and be able to hike at a comfortable pace for 4-6 hours over hilly terrain with a light day pack. Good cardio-vascular conditioning and muscles that are used to hiking will make your trip much more enjoyable. Our goal is to trek to Goecha La Pass at 16,200 feet. You will spend nine days in a land where life is simple, trails are steep and the air is thin. We recommend the following schedule to the participants.
Please remember Consistency is the Key here. Do not do anything to exert yourself or something that will increase chances of Injury. Running / brisk walking 4-5 kms for 5 days in a week is far better than running a 20 km on one day of the week and injuring your Knee / Ligaments in the process. If you can be consistent with above mentioned schedule, Goecha La trek though physically challenging, will become a pleasant and enjoyable experience for you. Feel free to call us or mail us in case you want more details on how to prepare for this trek!
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