My Himalayan Trekking Adventure: Goecha La – Lamuney – Kokchurong

We continue on from Samiti Lake. We haven’t gained that much in altitude. We are at 4,300m (14,100ft) and the steepest climb is yet to come. We will make it to 5,000m (16,400ft).

The closer we get, the harder it gets. I try not to think how long it will take. I will get there. It becomes more difficult to breathe and I have to take frequent breaks. Everyone is moving in slow motion. It is as if we are on the moon. I develop a headache and stop to take an aspirin. Everyone is spread far apart, but I can see people in front of me - up above - and behind me - below. We keep at it, step by step.

The sun is rising. I walk in segments and rest. And walk and rest. One last tough incline, and I am there. Ravi has reached it. Others from our group are already there, celebrating and taking photos. I made it. Amazing. My face is numb and my nose is runny. I am so numb from the cold, I can’t feel my nose dripping.

Me - Pankaj Hotchandani - Ravi Raj Mishra
in front of Mt Khangchendzonga
(Photo by Varoon Desai)

I made it. Even our fellow trekkers’ - Pankaj and Varoon's - dog who has followed them all along the trek has made it to the top. The dog doesn’t belong to anyone. He follows the trekkers and lives off the food shared with him. I bet he’s done this many times and could be a guide by now.

Good dog!
(Photo by Pankaj or Varoon)

I take out my thermos and we share the hot tea. The hot liquid feels good. I feel good, and I am so grateful that high altitude sickness has not affected me. I try to let this moment sink in. I try to memorize the view. I am in the presence of majestic Mount Khangchendzonga. She is a sacred mountain to the local people, and is the 3rd highest mountain in the world, with an elevation of 8,586m (28,169ft).

The descent is so much easier but very steep, requiring focus. There is some snow on the ground but not deep. We go back the same way we came. We reach Lake Samiti again. I must say, she is my favorite attraction on this trek. This time she is in hues of blue ranging from lightest blue to azure to emerald green. The sun is out and it feels so nice to warm up. I feel radiant inside. I don’t want this feeling to pass.

Lake Samiti

As we approach Lamuney, we come across sections of what looks like piles of rocks to me. But they are sacred tablets with ancient writing – prayers etched into them. I am fascinated by these ancient stones. I wonder who brought them and why. They look heavy. It wouldn’t have been an easy task.

Sacred stones near Lamuney

We reach Lamuney camp by 9:00 a.m. I am relaxed and relieved. Fellow trekkers come out to congratulate us. It hits me just now that I accomplished something special. We rest outside in the sun. I even fall asleep a bit. We have been up since 3:00 a.m.

We pack it up and return to Thansing. It is an easy hike. We gather up all the things we have left overnight at the hut and head back for Kokchurong. We are back to the rocky path of ancient boulders. It is much easier on the way down. We reach Kokchurong in the afternoon. It is cool and damp here. The Prek Chu river flows next to us.

I rest in the hut, and keep scrolling through the pictures I have taken so far. I try to figure out when was the last time that I communicated with the outside world. It has been 5 days. We go to sleep. From Kokchurong, we will bypass Dzongri and go straight to Phedang to Tsokha to Bakhim, all in one day.

Next: What has happened to my face?! (Kokchurong – Phedang – Tsokha – Bakhim)

My Himalayan Trekking Adventure: Thansing – Lamuney – Lake Samiti

Today is Sunday, May 11, 2014. We have spent the night at Thansing, inside the hut. First thing in the morning, Ravi takes me for a closer view of the great Kangchendzonga. We hike for a bit, and there she is, lighted up by the morning sun. A grand beauty. So breathtaking.

Ravi and Mt Kangchendzonga

The weather is nicer today with the sun out. We relax. The hike from Thansing to Lamuney is short and easy compared to all the other stretches. This is also because we leave most of our gear at the hut in Thansing. The groundskeeper keeps the room for us under lock and key.

Lamuney is a wide open field with a small hut. We have brought two of our tents with us. Evening approaches and it is chilly. There is the six of us, and there are also two other groups of trekkers – a team of two and another team of six to eight, all young men.

The cooks begin to make dinner and I try to keep warm. It’s not easy to stay warm if you’re not moving. We hang out on a wooden ledge in the hut, which is used by the cooks and porters as a sleeping area. A few of them are taking a nap right now.

After sunset, temperatures drop, and it begins to snow. We are scheduled to leave at 3:30 a.m. to make our final ascent. I wonder to myself if the snow will stop, and whether we will go at all. What if we get snowed in, I wonder. We stay inside the hut, all huddled up on the ledge - our bed. We fall asleep.

We have taken the cooks’ and porters’ sleeping area. They are the nicest and kindest people I have ever met. Humble and patient - they make these treks possible. They sleep on the ground below us. It is a cold and windy night. I am in and out of sleep. It is silent except for the howling wind. Everyone is wrapped up like a mummy. Forget about using the toilet right now.

Me - ready for Goecha La

I wake when the cooks stir to make tea and breakfast for us. It is almost 3:00 a.m. Ravi goes outside to check out the snow. It has stopped snowing. There is little accumulation, and we can proceed. Our cook pours some tea into my thermos. I will take it with me.

I have all possible layers of clothing on me, and I still feel the chill. I take my cross-body bag with my camera, aspirin, and thermos inside. I am ready to go, mostly because it is so cold and I want to get moving. The moon is out, and I feel giddy with nervous anticipation.

Samiti Lake

We walk across the open Lamuney field and start climbing - cautiously. We will ascend from 4,300m (14,100ft) to 5,000m (16,400ft) within 3.5 hours. It is 4:00 a.m. It is dark, cold, and the path is narrow and rocky. It is hard work, reminding me of the tough climb to Dzongri.

We pass Samiti Lake. A little treasure sleeping nestled among some hills. It is a shade of cool blue before the sunrise. I stop to admire the view.

Next: Goecha La – Lamuney – Kokchurong.