This March, I decided to explore the myriad trekking opportunities in Sikkim with my friends. The classic trek to Dzongri peak (altitude 4000 meters) in West Sikkim, passing through magnificent rhododendron forests and culminating with the magnificent views of snow clad peaks at Dzongri, caught our immediate attention. Our high energy found an immediate resonance with the chill and thrill of Dzongri, the meeting place of man and mountain gods.
When to Visit Dzongri
The best time to visit Dzongri is from mid March-April, and then from September to mid October, so as to avoid snowfall and monsoon rains. Although, owing to high altitude, there is a definite probability of the climate taking unexpected turns during any time of the year.Getting to Dzongri
Our journey started from Delhi, where we boarded the Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express for a 21 hour journey from New Delhi to New Jalpaiguri. From New Jalpaiguri, we traveled for six more hours in private taxi to Yuksom, the erstwhile capital of Sikkim and our base camp for the Dzongri.Dzongri Trek Arrangements
Yuksom is a small village in Sikkim, with a population of about 150. The open roads and view of snow clad peaks produce an immediate contrast with the otherwise crowded roads of Delhi.We stayed at hotel Yangri Gang, which is a nice and cheap hotel in Yuksom. It cost us 150 rupees ($3) for a double room, with shared bathrooms, for a day.
We hired a guide cum cook, a porter and some essential utensils, and two yaks for 1000 rupees ($20) per day for our group of four.
The economy of Yuksom is mostly based on tourism, so the necessary logistics for the trip can be arranged locally. Alternatively, numerous travel agents in Gangtok can organize the Dzongri trek in advance. Travel agents generally charge 1500-2000 rupees per person per day for the trek, though there is a heavy bargaining depending upon the number of people in the trekking group.Everyone must register at the Local police station at Yuksom with a valid identity proof. Separate trekking permits are also mandatory for foreigners. The trekking permits are available at Tourism offices in Gangtok, or else contact Sikkim House in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
The Dzongri Trek
The trek starts from Kachenjunga National Park in Yuksom. We paid around 1000 rupees for four persons, two still cameras and our trekking crew of porter, guide and yaks as the fee for national park entry.The trek to Dzongri is ideally five days, with one day of acclimatization at Tshoka village. However, it's possible to complete it in four days if one decides to skip the acclimatization day.
For staying, Sikkim Tourism has constructed a wooden trekker's hut on the way, for which they charge 50 rupees ($1) per day for one room.
Day 1: Yuksom-Saachen-Bakkhim-Tshokha (18 kilometers). The trek to Tshokha passes through dense tropical forests of Kachenjunga National Park, with magnificent views of mountains peaks and the mystical music of river flowing down in the valley. The initial 8-10 kilometers of the trek are fairly easy, with picturesque waterfalls, few hanging bridges and magnificent red and white rhododendron flowers. The last few kilometers are particularly strenuous, as the trek has a continuous ascent with a gradient of 45 to 60 degrees right up to Tshoka.
We took around eight hours to reach Tshoka, where we stayed in the trekker's hut at night. It was pretty cold in the evening, but the nice food cooked by our cook and the warmth of trekker’s hut made us feel comfortable after a tiring day.
Day 2: Tshoka-Phetang-Dzongri (8 kilometers). The next morning, we woke up with a clear blue sky and got some shining views of Mt. Pandim. After having a light breakfast, we started to trek ahead towards Dzongri at 8 a.m.
This part of the trek can be challenging, as symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness may start showing up due to altitude. A rest day at Tshoka may help with acclimatization, but given our time constraints we decided to skip the acclimatization day and move ahead.
The adventure on this part is compounded by intermittent rains and frequent snowfalls. Although trek is well marked with wooden steps, snow can sometimes make it invisible. On my way, the weather took an unexpected turn and it started snowing. That was the first time ever that I was trekking in snowfall on a Himalayan mountain, and I suddenly felt that traveling a few thousand kilometers was worth the effort. We were totally lost enjoying with snow and only realized the chilling temperature when the water streams en route started freezing and our digital camera slowed down.
All of a sudden we felt a a sense of urgency, and we decided to race ahead towards Dzongri. We reached Dzongri around 2.30 p.m. amid some heavy snowfall, and immediately got into our sleeping bags. The weather was unrelenting. It snowed and snowed that night. The temperature kept on dipping and the snow winds threatened to blow away our trekker’s hut. With darkness creeping at merely 5 p.m., it was proving to be the longest and the coldest night of my entire life. I was in Dzongri in search of some real adventure and Dzongri didn’t disappoint me.
Day 3: Dzongri-Dzongri Peak-Tshokha. The next morning, we decided to climb up to Dzongri peak but the weather Gods had different plans for us. The sun refused to come out of the cloud blanket, and it was looking like it would snow for ever. Frankly though, I was living the dream moments of a real snow trek.
We all waited patiently in anticipation of the weather to get clearer but the weather gods were harsh on us. The subzero temperatures, and symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness in our team, forced us to move back. It was a really sad moment, as we were returning without viewing the 14 mountain peaks of Kachenjunga range that are visible from the Dzongri peak on a clear day.
We trudged back with heavy hearts but our mission was accomplished -- we were in heaven for a day. I could literally see the mountain peaks waving goodbye from behind the clouds. Unfortunately, weather had won the game.
Day 4: Tshokha-Yuksom. We followed the same trail from Tshokha and came back to Yuksom, putting an end to a mesmerizing trek.
Next page: Dzongri trek tips.
