When the Mountain Calls, It Calls
Prelude
I had been secretly (and not so secretly) yearning
for a Himalayan trek for years. The information I got was either too much
(bombarded with ads) or too sketchy (never got into a detailed conversation
with people who did it). So when some friends registered for the Goecha La
trek, I tagged along (literally). I registered just a month and a half before
the trek. In the briefing a month before the trek we were given a picture scary
enough to freeze the souls of first time Himalayan trekkers, with never heard of terms like AMS,
HAPE, HACE, etc., of experienced trekkers not making it, of 4 nights in sub
zero temperature, a strict criteria to fulfill the fitness requirement.
Goechala Trekking - At 53 Years - Age is SO NOT a Number!
What started for me was a fitness regime that would
have made any NCC cadet proud. Cardio, weights, jogging with weights, jogging
on incline, backpack and incline, with yoga thrown in for good measure. I hit
the full panic button. Till the body said a firm no! I decided it was better to
be able to go on the trek then being too sick and tired before it started. And
as a friend pointed out... It's just walking...
Yes 90 kms in a rough terrain climbing 9000 ft, but
still just walking!
Preparation
Whoever knew walking needed so much preparation?
Buying, renting poles, shoes, fleece, balaclava,
polar glasses, trail food, back pack, rainwear, and the list goes on and on.
Finally, thanks to online shopping, Decathlon, it all
seemed to align, the shoes, the layers, the jackets, the tiffin, rainwear,
socks, inners, balaclava, gloves for snow, rain, cold, trekking poles etc etc.
When one was allowed just a small kit bag for the mules, and a backpack to
carry, packing had to be just right, even if for 9 days!
The Trekking
It was a relief to finally start walking. After the
trepidation, the intense briefings, the health check ups, the gearing up, the
concern for AMS, HAPE, HACE, even leeches, it was satisfying to hit the trail.
The journey into the Kanchenjunga National Park
started and the first night halt was Sachen. What seemed quite difficult then,
turned out to be the easiest portion of the entire trek!
Everyone has their own pace in a trek. Like, their
own reasons for joining the trek. Falling behind, going ahead, doesn't matter.
It's a journey, to experience many things. Love for mountains, work stress,
life stress, ticking off bucket lists, love, physical fitness, communing with
nature, there are so many reasons, one undertakes a seemingly meaningless
journey. For there is nothing to achieve at the end of it. Nothing that can be
measured anyways.
Walking for hours amidst bird songs, rustle of
leaves, gentle mountain breeze, accompanied by the sound of the river, gurgling
brooks, waterfalls, time stood still, an abstract concept.
One step in front of the other, the next stop always
a little further than one would expect, one moved forward. Having seen 5
decades, I guess I was in no hurry unlike the youngsters. However, there were
some days I wished I didn't have such creaky joints. What a pleasure it would
have been to hop and skip over boulders and streams with a song on the lips.
Just taking in the views without a care in the world. Instead of straining to
reach the next camp, pausing for breath, counting steps, not even daring to
stop long, lest one fall behind too much. Every measured step was a step
forward. Every step up was a move up to reach the approx 14000 ft in over eight
days.
Mountains are dangerous places. There are too many
loose stones, missing steps, falling scree and narrow paths. A small misstep
could land the entire trek in jeopardy. There are many stories of missing or
injured trekkers. But it's the cost of reaching a place where very few go and
just get to gaze at the peaks from up close, sleep under the stars surrounded
by snow capped mountains.
The days moved on, as did the trek. From Sachen to
Tshoka, the rhododendrons made an appearance. But it was the snowy Magnolias
that took one's breath away. On the way was Bakhim. Perched on a cliff
overlooking glorious meadows, falls, streams and a circle of Magnolia trees,
Bakhim was as pretty as can be imagined. A steep climb took one to Tshoka.
Tshoka had one of the prettiest campsites, on a plateau, with a cute monastery
overlooking it and with a gorgeous view of the Pandim/ Kanchenjunga range. Magpies
were plenty around the campsite.
Tshoka to Dzongri was billed as the toughest day of
the trek. Tshoka to Phedang is known as the rhododendron trail. There seemed to
be more rhodos on the way down than on the way up, as they bloom in mid-late
April. Phedang is a plateau with a hut
and a momo shop. It's a junction in the mountains with trails leading to
Kokchurang, Bakhim and Dzhongri. It was our lunch stop both on the way up and
down.
The Ascent Continues
The air became thinner, the trail steeper from
Phedang. The rhododendron trees got dwarfer. The next pit stop after Phedang
was Deorali Top. Honestly I feel the top moved away every time one got closer!
One would have completed a steep ascent and the guide would point to a distant
mountain and say the Deorali point is at the top!! And Dzhongri, our campsite
for the night, was of course beyond that! It was the trail of the disappearing
trekkers for me! They all disappeared from sight one by one. Sometimes I would
catch a glimpse of yellow or red far far away and knew, well, they were
somewhere there. It was a solo trek, me and the sweeper guide.. a plod to the
top! Every bird sound, feature, rustle, trickle was an excuse to stop and
breathe! But I did capture some monals on my dying phone.
The best thing about mountains is that you never feel
alone. However high you go you see the colourful flags. They add a cheer, a
photo op, as they fly away. I feel Buddha is on the lookout for us, the
guardian of the mountains. I kept adding stones to the stone pyramids on the
way for a safe trek for everyone. From Deorali to Dzhongri was a small climb
and descent. We came across the first snow here. What a relief it was to see
the yellow tents of the Dzonghri campsite after the arduous day! And we had reached
14000 ft. There was one unfortunate case of AMS and the trekker had to return
overnight. AMS doesn't distinguish between experienced, inexperienced and from
what I gathered even trek leaders have been known to have AMS.
Dzonghri was an achievement as it was the highest
campsite for us. The next one at Thansing was at an altitude of couple of
hundred ft or so lower.
The Trekkers
What I truly believe after this trek is that trekkers
make the trip. It was a 24-member group and a "passionate about nature,
mountain nymph-like" trek leader. It was a pleasure to return to warm, happy conversation after a day of arduous trekking. The India Hikes support
team got to work after reaching, setting camp, providing hot water, hot snacks, and pitching tents. The trekkers mostly helped in the pitching of their own tents.
What shone through was the positivity that emanated
from everyone. From collecting garbage to following rules, to helping in camp,
to managing the trek, the group exuded warmth and dignity with a helpful
nature. There were morose trekkers, lonely trekkers, jolly trekkers, fast
trekkers, quiet and garrulous trekkers, fashionable trekkers, young, old and
the middle-aged... but all seemed to have a big heart. The number of times
people helped each other was unimaginable. I guess it had something to do with
being stranded in the mountains, with no communication. The few locals who had
shops mostly offered warm water without inhibition, which they had to carry
from the mountain streams in the morning! I, for one, was the largely solo
trekker reaching late to every campsite and finding the sunny yellow campsite
fully set up and my tent already pitched!
The Mountains
The next four nights were all about mountains.
Kanchenjunga and it's various peaks were laid out for us on a white pallette.
Dzongri Top is where one can get a 360 deg view of Kanchenjunga. A night trip
to the top to witness the sunrise was ethereal. The clouds obscured the sunrise
.. the view was nonetheless sublime. We
could see all the peaks, Kabru north and south, Pandim, Kanchenjunga,
Tenchengkhang, the Singlalia range and some more. The trek from Dzonghri to Thansing
was on some interesting landscape, on a ridge filled with sand walking
alongside the Kanchenjunga range of mountains, a steep drop to Kokchurang, and
then right along the Prek Chu river bed to Thansing. The next day the group
started at midnight to the View point while I gave it a miss and went to
Thansing Top some 1000 ft above. Locals say Thansing top has the most beautiful
views, however clouds again played spoilsport.
After four nights under the stars in frozen
temperatures, where the tents were covered with a layer of snow, the drinking
water frozen, and surreal, glowing
mountains in the backdrop, we started our journey back. The most memorable part
of the journey was the trek from Kokchurang to Phedang. It was like walking on
a never-ending fairyland! However, even
fairy lands become tedious when they go on and on! The return route was slightly
different from the ongoing route.
The Folklores and other things
When in the mountains, you cannot escape stories.
There was the resident ghost at Kokchurang, a dead tourist who couldn't be
evacuated on time. There were many such stories of tourists stranded, rescued
in the nick of time, carried on mules, carried on back and stretchers. The
sweep guide who was with me made two journeys evacuating people while we did
our trek. Such is the hardiness of the mountain guide. Even he was glad to lean
on a trekking pole when making the journey back.
The Rathong Chu and Prek Chu rivers were our constant
companions. The bridges over them formed some of the most beautiful backdrops
of the trek. Yaks, mules and horses crossing with their jingling bells were a
regular sight. These beautiful animals carried our tents and load over the
treacherous terrain. One can still hear their jingle sometimes at night. And
Nehika, our trek leader's voice saying, "Get up, get up, get up!"
One can only hope tourism stays limited and the
places preserve their unalloyed beauty for times to come.
Our Route
Yuksom - Sachen - Tshoka - Dzonghri - Thansing -
Tshoka - Yuksom
Other stops en route
Bakhim, Phedang, Deorali Top, Dzonghri Top,
Kokchurang, Thansing Top in order
Distance - 90 plus kms
Height - 14500 ft
Dates - April 2025
