| Journey to Green Lake |
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Journey to Green lake ( NORTH SIKKIM ) Day 01: Bagdogra – Gangtok ( Sikkim ) Arrive to Bagdogra and drive to Gangtok ( 3 - 4 hrs ). Stop for formalities at the Sikkim border ( altitude 1256 ft ). Continue along the beautiful Teesta river to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim at an elevation of 5,500 ft. Check into a hotel. Day 02: Gangtok If you wish, you could enjoy a beautiful sunrise view of Kanchendzonga from the hotel. Today we will visit the local market and tour the local sights. Places of interest include Enchey monastery. This name means “place of solitude”. About 90 monks are in residence here. It is important to our hosts that we are respectful when visiting monasteries. Check that your attire is acceptable and be sure to leave a small donation. Most important be sure to walk clockwise around holy objects like mani walls ( prayers carved in stone ). Get introduced to the trek guide in the evening as you start preparing for the journey to North Sikkim. Everyone is advised to take only that is needed for the trek and leave the rest at the hotel, as the group will be returning to Gangtok after the end of the trek. Day 03: GANGTOK – LACHEN (8950 FT ). Start early as it is a long drive today ( 7 – 8 hrs ). You head north from Gangtok as you pass through the first check point of Mangan which is a small town and is one of the four administrative districts of Sikkim. En route you come across terraced farmlands, lush valleys of cardamom and small pockets of village houses belonging to the lepchas and bhutias who are the major tribes of Sikkim. If time permits we will visit the Phodong and Labrang monasteries that are on the way to North Sikkim. After a full day of driving, time spent at the various police check-posts, and stopping for photos we halt overnight at Lachen and get a well deserved rest.
Day 04: LACHEN – JAKTHANG ( 11,250 FT ). As the trek staff loads up the porters and ponies you may take a short walk around Lachen and visit the local monastery. You start trekking towards Zemu, where the Zemu river merges with the Thangu river. The Zemu river flows from the Zemu glacier which is the source of the Teesta river. Todays trek is approximately 6 – 7 hours as you pass through magnificent forest areas where one can find wild orchids for which Sikkim is famous for. After approximately 12 kms you cross a bridge and climb steadily to Shobuk then the trail descends steeply for another 12 kms to Jakthang, a small meadow with a broken herdsmen’s hut which is a good place halt. Camp overnight.
Day 05: JAKTHANG – YABUK ( 13,250 FT ). Today you continue your climb as you ascend approximately 2,000 feet. There are several ascents and descents and after a tiring 8 km you reach your campsite at Yabuk. Since it takes about 4 – 5 hours to reach the campsite you should be there by lunch time allowing you time to explore the local area. Camp overnight. Day 06: YABUK – RIMBIK ( 16,1950 FT ). Prepare for another long and beautiful day as you cross boulders and pebbles on your trail and enter the moraine field of the Zemu Glacier. After 8 km you reach rest camp which is situated at about 15,550 ft and opposite Mt. Siniolchu which is considered one of the most beautiful peak in the world. This is snow leopard country and if one is lucky you could sight a bharal or blue sheep. The rest camp was where the German expedition of the 1930s rested and recuperated. The trail continues gently up the valley along a moraine ridge, for a further 6km to a vast open ground with a wonderful view. Overnight camp. Day 07 EXPLORATION OF THE ZEMU GLACIER: You will now rest , acclimatize and explore. One can also try and go further up the valley towards where the expeditions had their base camp at the foot of the four summits. The peak of Mt. Siniolchu is just a few kilometers away fromt the Zemu glacier. Rest camp is also known as Marcho Polo camp as it is believed that the great adventurer Marco Polo once halted here. After trekking for about 3 hrs from rest camp you reach “Green lake”. Green Lake is a take off point for mountaineering expeditions to the peaks of the area. Although as the name denotes people may conjure up a beautiful green lake, it is sadly just a small pond. Although it seems the lake did exist at one time but eventually drained away into the adjacent Zemu glacier. However the splendid views of the majestic mountains with the huge mass of Kanchendzonga just a few km away it makes the effort to reach green lake all worthwhile. Overnight camp. Day 08: RETURN TO YABUK: We now start our journey back and trek back to rest camp. Overnight camp. Day 09: YABUK - JAKTHANG: You continue your descend as you return back. Day 10: JAKTHANG – LACHEN - GANGTOK: Early morning after breakfast trek to Lachen where you will then drive back to Gangtok. Day 11: GANGTOK – DARJEELING: Enjoy captivating scenes of tea gardens and orange groves as we drive four hours via back roads to Darjeeling. Check into the Hotel. The British originally established Darjeeling as a hill station in the mid 1800s. People come up here to escape the heat of the plains. Pleasantly surrounded by tea plantations on all sides, we can enjoy magnificent views of snowy peaks including Kanchendzonga. Overnight at hotel. Day 12: Darjeeling: Take an early morning trip to Tiger Hill to see the sunrise. Tiger Hill is the highest spot in the area at 8,500 ft and is famous for its dawn views of the Eastern Himalayas including on the clearest days Mt. Everest. On return, visit the famous Ghoom monastery which enshrines an image of the Maitreya Buddha ( the coming Buddha ). A small donation is customary. The monks are friendly and will probably invite us to join them for a cup of salty yak butter tea ( think of it as a light soup or broth as you drink it ). We may take a short ride 4.5 miles back to Darjeeling from Ghoom on the famous toy train. Completed in 1882 the railway connected Darjeeling with the rest of British India. Our ride, although short, will give us a chance to admire the Batasia loop, one of four complete loops and five switchbacks maneuvered on this feat of engineering. After lunch visit the Himalayan Mountaineering institute, zoological park, Tibetan refugee self help centre which is a popular place to shop for arts and crafts. Overnight at hotel, Darjeeling. Day 13: Darjeeling – Bagdogra/Delhi After breakfast drive to Bagdogra airport ( 3.5 hrs ) to catch the flight to Delhi on your way home.
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