Umesh and his Wife’s Goechala trek in Sikkim: An Unmissable Story of Firsts!
You name it, you have it.
That was my motto for going on any trek.
Himachal, Uttarakhand, Western Ghats, I have covered it all in the last 7 years. The only one that remained was the northeastern trails. For quite a few days, I have been researching the treks in this part of my country, as I knew they would bring me a new perspective on this sport.
I had the name stuck in my mind, the place I wanted to start my northeast series of treks with-
The Goechala Trek in Sikkim.
This trek was special to me for two reasons- it was my first time visiting Sikkim, and the very first adventure with my wife. Since I had yet to learn about the place, I thought it would be wise to contact a trek operator this time. I had heard a lot of good things about Thrillophilia, that they organise well-planned trekking routes, so I decided to get in touch with them.
It was my wife’s first time trekking, and I did my best to make her understand what to expect or how to prepare. But I knew it would do her better to hear the same from another person, so she got on the call with our assigned trek operators- Shashank and Kumkum- who gave her a detailed idea about the trek and its trails. The second part of the conversation caught my interest as well so I could not help listening to them speak so expertly about the place with such passion.
Rose glasses and unknown roads
I was so excited to go on a trek with my wife that I realised I had never felt the excitement kick in until I saw a glimpse of the mountains. But this time it was different. We both were giggling and laughing all through the flight journey to Bagdogra.
We had to reach Yuksom- the starting point of the trek. Thrillophilia had organised the trek in such a way that all those who were travelling by flight were suggested to book a car to Yuksom together, and the same for those coming by train. Thank god we all were added to a WhatsApp group, so coming to a common point for hiring the vehicle was easy.
Crossing more than 150 km, we reached the mesmerising destination Yuksom- the lofty green peaks, the clouds forming different shapes in the sky and sometimes attempting to roll up the slopes of the mountains to reach the top, only to get lost in the crowd of more clouds.
The village was small and the locals were very friendly. We realised the village had a lot of similarities with Nepal, yes they lie in very close proximity, but the language, dressing, food, and utensils, all resembled the Nepali culture a lot.
We were to start the trek the day after, so without any more delay, we went to sleep thinking we would have plenty of time to explore this village after the trek.
Refreshing memories, stumbling upon a lovely surprise!
Crossing a dense jungle of ferns and Rhododendrons that had just started to bloom, we walked beside the swift Rathong River and reached Paha Khola Bridge. The views from the bridge were too good to be true, the space was narrow and there were beautiful sceneries to our left, right, up, and below!
When we arrived, the chefs had already started to prepare dinner. The tents were also pitched on the site by the time we arrived.
From Tshoka to Dzongri, then to Dzongri top and downhill to Lamuney, we kept on going beyond the best of horizons, only to discover better ones. The trek to Dzongri top was the most difficult part of the journey, and I could see my wife struggling. The ascent was so steep that our knees almost touched our chests. It was a challenge to reach each turning, let alone click pictures of the stunning panoramas that shed blessings on our eyes, minds, and hearts.
The experience was quite different from that of Himachal or Uttarakhand, although these mountain ranges were a part of the same Himalayan range. I was in awe after witnessing how starkly different the landscape was in Sikkim. The slopes were more rugged, almost untouched, and I felt as if it was my first time trekking- the experience was so new. As for my wife, she was enjoying the trek a lot after the Dzongri climb, something I had never expected.
But, who does not like surprises coming from a loved one?
And to be honest, I knew she was the perfect partner because we made an unbeatable team on this journey. We were a power couple, and I did not shy away from expressing this fact to the whole world. We were the perfect support for each other, with the perfect compatibility, the right amount of compassion, and a sprinkle of love.
Lamuney was a paradise, with the expansive valleys glowing in red and orange hues during sunset. The next day, we were to reach Goecha La.
The land of snow
Goecha La was spectacular. We had already found patches of snow on our way to Lamuney, which just thickened as we made our way to the Goecha la pass.
The majestic Mount Kanchenjunga stood right before our eyes, painted yellow in the glow of the rising sun.
After so much struggle and so many hurdles, finally we had achieved what we had set out to do! And that too, what a view we were rewarded with. The sky was clear and we could not think of anything that could bring our spirits down. We both were soaring high above the Kanchenjunga from within, in love or in happiness, or perhaps a blend of both.
We had descended from a different route- Goechala to Kokchurang- then to Tshoka and finally to Yuksom. But, but, but, on our last night of camping in Kokchurang, something big happened.
We saw a shooting star in a sky full of glittering stars. None of us had seen such a clear sky for such a long time, and it literally felt like the universe was calling us to gaze up at it for hours.
And so we did, sharing moments of romance and laughter, and promising to freeze how we were at that moment, for the rest of our lives.
Read More: Thrillophilia North East Trek Reviews