To adventure lovers, trekking in Sikkim is an experience
of many extents. For those who are looking for excitement
plus adventure nothing can match the view of the Himalayan
Mountains, which seem to touch the sky. As the adventurer
passes his way through a mountain trek, he establishes an
easy relationship with nature. Trekkers in Sikkim will be
spell bounded by the profusion of plants and flowers.
Most of the trekking routes are few tens of kilometers
from major towns but going there is like travelling many
hundred years back into time. The best months to trek in
Sikkim are March to May and September to November. However
trekking at altitudes above 14,000 ft should be avoided
in March and April because the winter snow still persists
on the ground and sometimes there is even heavy snowfall
during these months making it difficult to locate the path.
Most of the so called places on the trekking routes in remote
areas have just herders’ hut or shed and some places have
nothing at all but just wilderness and you wonder how they
derived their names in the first place. The places have
names that are whispers on the wind: Yoksum, Zongri, Varsey,
Maenam, Tolung. Some routes are so remote that you can walk
for days together without seeing a soul.
Trekking in Sikkim can be a wonderful experience an antidote
to city stress of daily life and its memories are cherished
lifelong. While trekking one relishes the pure air and the
silence of the wilderness and feels the awakening of senses
dulled by urban living. As one walks through the vales and
dales and past quaint villages, mountains take up strange
wonderful shapes and the beauty of the Himalayas unfolds
itself before you.
Great tracts of virgin forests and deep river valleys,
offering views of ancient monasteries such as Pemayangtse
and Tashiding and the attractive but rapidly developing
hamlet of Pelling, characterize the beautiful region of
Western Sikkim. The old capital, Yoksum, lies at the start
of the trail towards Dzongri and Kanchenjunga.
On the far west, along the border with Nepal, the watershed
of the Singalila range rises along a single ridge, with
giants such as Rathong and Kabru culminating in Kanchenjunga
itself. Although only one high altitude trek is currently
available, several low altitude treks, free from trekking
restrictions, provide tremendous opportunities for trekkers
to enjoy the terraced landscapes, waterfalls and forests.
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Few of the best known trekking
routes in Sikkim are given below. |
8-Day Dzongri Ridge Trek:
Sikkim's most popular short trek to Dzongri Ridge
in the Kanchenjunga National Park. Trek through virgin
rhododendron forests and experience the native culture
of Sikkim.....> more
details |
13-Day Kanchanjunga Base
Camp Treks: A very popular trek which reaches
the foot of Mount Kangchenjunga the 3rd highest peak
in the world. Trek from Yoksum to Goechela pass at
5000m/. A world of subtropical forests, rhododendron
forests, alpine meadows where the hairy yak heards
graze to the high valleys........> more
details |
18-Day Sikkim Singalila
Ridge to Gochela Trek: From the year 2000,
the Sikkim government has opened up, for trekking,
the restricted area, comprising the spine of the Singelila
Ridge along the Sikkim-Nepal border. This has enabled
the Singalila Traverse - a longer but more interesting
approach to Gochela pass below Mt. Kangchenjunga base
camp.......> more
details |
