Goechala trek: A journey to the enchanting mountains

Goechala, if you ask any trekking enthusiast, is a dream resting on their bucket list for the longest time ever. It is everything in a nutshell that can be aspired and dreamt of. From the soul-stirring panoramic views of nature?s bounty to electrifying high altitudes, offbeat trails, wild topography and a breathtakingly interesting map of pit stops, the trek to Goechala are wholesome, thrilling as well as truly fulfilling. 

As I recollect the details of the expedition, I can already find myself brimming with nostalgia. It was after months of planning that I and two of my friends finally pulled ourselves together to execute this awesome plan. And now that I look back, I can say in a heartbeat that it was one of my best decisions ever.

We already had a concrete plan since we did not want to leave any room for spoilers. From hiring a trekking guide, backpacking precisely for the trek, outlining the itinerary, to preparing ourselves both mentally and physically for the high altitude regions, we tried our best to figure and sort everything related to the trek, as far as possible. Now, it was simply time for us to just jump in and experience the much-spoken magic of Goechala, first hand. 

All three of us were super pumped and excited to unravel Sikkim?s beauty. We took a train from New Delhi to NJP, West Bengal, to officially kick start the expedition. Upon reaching the NJP railway station we took a cab to reach the beautiful town of Yuksom in West Sikkim. The drive from NJP to Yuksom lasted 7 long hours. It was tiring and exhausting yet the views of vibrant landscapes from the window kept us on our toes all along the journey. Soon after reaching Yuksom, we moved to the police station to register ourselves and paid a nominal fee at the forest check post. This is a usual ritual to be followed by all trekkers. We then moved to our campsite and lay dead in our camps for the night. Our exhaustion knew no limits that night. 

We woke up fresh, relaxed, and full of energy, next morning. We were to trek to Sachen this day. The trek seemed easy initially but got moderately difficult in between and slightly tougher towards the end. At first, we traversed through dense green forests, then we admired a series of Tsushay waterfalls and then ultimately reached the Sachen top at 7,200 ft where we pitched our tents and relaxed for the night. 

Next in line was Tshoka for which we began trekking early in the morning. The trail from Sachen to Tshoka was interesting as well as vibrant with beautiful rhododendrons sneak-peeking in and out of frames. AS we trekked we came across Bakhim which I clearly remember because of its rich Tibetan culture. It was a unique and special place with many cafes and resorts for tourists to chill and vibe with the scenery. We then trekked ahead to finally reach Tshoka that opened into mesmerizing and truly fascinating views of the Kanchenjunga Range resting in its backdrop. The sight was indeed surreal and magical. We stopped at Tshoka that night. 

We knew the next day was going to be daunting and taxing, so we pulled our enthusiasm and embarked on the trek to Dzongri with grit and optimism. Initially, the trail was easy and doable but the complexities kept growing as we trekked higher. However, beautiful landscapes and fresh flora kept us humbled and full of delight throughout the trek. Soon many snow-clad mountain peaks began to enter the frame and appeared bigger as we approached higher altitudes. At this point, we knew that we reached Phedang which meant that Dzongri lay just a little away from us. With steady trekking and our impeccable enthusiasm we reached Dzongri in approximately an hour and stood in the face of nature?s rawness at a height of 13,024 ft. It was unbelievably thrilling and we were totally enjoying the feeling. We pitched our tents and relaxed there for the night. As per the itinerary, we spent an additional day at Dzongri to acclimatize and adapt to the new weather conditions. 

Up next was the Thansing meadow which was to be reached via Kokcharang. We were well-rested and resumed the expedition in full swing. The trail from Dzongri to Kokcharang was moderately defined with a lot of ascents and descents along the way. We traversed through dense green forests to finally reach Kokcharang where we halted for a bit to catch some breath and soon got back on track to reach the alluring Thansing meadow. On our way to Thansing, we also found the pristine and enchanting River Prek Chu flowing effortlessly in all its glory. It was indeed a pleasing and aesthetically satisfying day, that day. 

With thrill and excitement sky-rocketing in us, all three of us were stirred to experience the events lined up for the next day. It was going to be a happening and wild day as per our itinerary and rightly so, it turned out to be. We woke up early, almost at dawn to trek towards the Samiti Lake that laid in the vicinity of the Thansing meadow and was truly taken away by its serenity. The calm and appealing lake appeared as a breath of fresh air, leaving us vaguely satisfied, calm, and composed. We then buckled up to trek towards the Goechala ViewPoint One to catch the rising sun. Our excitement overpowered us and in no time, there we were, standing at an altitude of 15,100 ft, witnessing adrenaline waves crashing within us. There were no boundaries between the shape of the sun and the sky; the sky appeared as a bright orange canvas smeared with shades of red and yellow. Mt Kanchenjunga and its range stood before us flooded with golden brown sun rays; it was indeed a sight worth dying for. After thoroughly enjoying the serenity, bewitching and enchanting beauty of the region from Goechala ViewPoint One, we slowly began to trek towards Samiti Lake to enjoy some time by the lake and finally trekked back to our campsite at the Thansing meadow, the same day.  

Our backward journey had begun and we were to trek back to Tshoka, this morning. It was awful to return but all good and bad things must come to an end. So we tightened our laces and began our trek towards Tshoka where we spent the night reminiscing about the fun that we had trekking upwards. The next morning, we woke up to trek towards Yuksom via Sachen, it was an exhausting day yet it was equally adventurous and fulfilling. At Yuksom, we spent our last night of the expedition and thoroughly enjoyed our last few moments in Sikkim before departing to NJP, next morning. 

Goechala isn?t for beginners, it demands trekkers to have sufficient mountaineering knowledge. Additionally, the trek is best enjoyed during the spring season, i.e in the months of April and May when the flora of the region is freshly blooming and is as vibrant as possible. In fact, even the weather during the spring season remains pleasant and complements trekking and similar activities.