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Duration:
11 Nights and 12 Days
Highest Altitude: 4,940m
Best Time To Trek: June To September &
October To Mid November India Guide
Day 1:
Pemayangste - Yuksom 
It is 35-km by car and 16-km by trekking which takes about
six to eight hours. After visiting the monastery, one of
the oldest in Sikkim, the pilgrimage starts and the six
to eight hours trek gives glimpses of Sikkimese life and
provides a good acclimatization for the next few days.
Passing through
terraced fields of rice, barley and corn, the track is dotted
with Nepalese, Shepra and Lepcha huts. Crossing first, the
Rimbi 'Chu', the trekker gets to the turbulent mountainous
streams of Sikkim. A tableland of barley and apples, Yoksum
provides beautiful vistas of mini lakes with the Himalayan
background. The night can be spent in tourist huts.
Day 2:
Yuksom - Bakhim (2,750m or 9,000 ft)
The trail now runs through rice wood hills abounding in
flora and fauna going, as it does, though moss-laden forests
of Oak, Spruce, Chestnut, Fir, Pines, Giant Magnolias and
Rhododendrn a botanists' paradise. Not to be outdone, the
naturalist's can view hundreds of varieties of exotic of
birds, butterflies and orchids. It takes six hours before
the Bakhim forest bungalow is reached for the night.
Day 3:
Bakhim- Dzongri (4, 550m or 13,221 ft)
8-km and six hours away, each step to Dzongri leads to the
world of the famed Kanchenjunga massive. The spectacle at
dawn and dusk tinted in softest hues, is one never to be
missed - a supernatural vision of ethereal beauty. Camp
in tents or yak huts.
Day 4:
Dzongri-Thangsing (3,930m or 12,467 ft)
7-km from Dzongri, the four hours' trek leads through meadows
and valleys down the burrows leads into the most beautiful
valley of all situated at the base Jopine peak. To reach
the camping grounds dwarfed in the giant valley, one crosses
a wooden bridge over the stream under the watchful even
of majestic Pandim.
Day 5:
Thangsig-Chemathang (4,800m or 15,748 ft)
Situated at the base of mighty Pandim, Chemathang is 8-km
from Thangsing and takes 6 hours to trek.
Day 6:
Chemathang-Goecha La (4,940m) - Chemathang
Still higher and steeper, is the Goecha (also spelt as Guicha)
pass about 5-km away but taking a good three hours to cover.
This is the northernmost and highest point of the trek.
Day 7:
Chemathang - Thangsing
This is the return journey and is spent looking for rare
high altitude birds and blue sheep roaming in the wilderness
of high cliffs and snows, among the thick and low bushes.
Day 8:
Thansing - Dzongri
It is a four to five hour climb through Rhododendron forests
to the camping grounds.
Side Trip To Chowrithang (4,380 metres or 14,370 ft)
It is an eight-hour and 10-km trip to the Chowrithang falls
at the Rohtang glacier. Here is the base camp of the Himalayan
Mountaineering Institute of Darjeeling, world famous as
a centre for training would be mountaineers. Splendid views
of the peaks, Frey, Koktang, Kabru, Ratong, Chandra Peak
and the Kabru Dome are obtained from here. En route one
passes the forbidden Kabur Rock, which none is allowed to
climb. From Chowrithang a two-hour walk along the glacier
leads to the Houe-Chu Lake, the special feature of which
is its accumulated milky water. Also ten years from Chowrithang
on the way to Bakhim is Zamling Gaon, named after Tenzing's
son and a good place to break the journey.
Day 9:
Dzongri - Bakhim via Jamlingthang (Zamling Gaon)
This different route to Bakhim passes through one of the
most spectacular forested areas of Sikkim engulfed in the
fragrance of magnolias, which is all the more beautiful
in the spring when the giant magnolias and more than ten
types of Rhododendron are in bloom and the trail runs through
the garden of flowers.
Day 10:
Bakhim -Yoksum
A leisurely walk of about four hours bring one back to Yoksum.
Day 11:
Yuksom-Tashiding (1,470m or 4,822 ft)
A pleasant 6-7 hour steady and beautiful trail through fields
and Cardamom groves, giant bamboos and orange gardens leads
to the Tashiding monastery which crowns the hill-top. One
can camp near the monastery
Day 12:
Tashiding - Legship (520m)
This is the last day and a 4-5 hour walk down hill all the
way brings the trekker to the village of Legship along the
Rangeet valley ending the delightful 'Pilgrimage Trek'.
From here, there is transport available to Dar/places/cities/darjeeling/index.htmljeeling,
Gangtok or Kalimpong.
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