Goechala Trek

Trek Leader

Activities

Hotel

Drive Distance: 150 KM  |  Drive Duration: 7-8 Hours  |  Altitude: 5800 feet

Report early in the morning at New Jalpaiguri (NJP)  railway station if you book transport with us. Board our vehicle for Yuksom which is a trekking hub. Yuksom is the first capital of the kingdom of Sikkim. The beautiful journey for the Goechala trek begins from NJP and crosses the towns of Siliguri and Jorethang. During this journey, there are two official paper works that need to be done to get the required permissions. Enjoy the drive catching the remarkable views of the mighty Himalayas and majestic Teesta River. For trekkers who wish to dispense money, the last ATM point falls at Legship. If you reach Yuksom a bit early in the evening then explore the town for better acclimatization as it is the vast stretch of flat land nurtured by the rivers which originate from the melting glaciers of the Himalayas. There are plenty of shops where trekkers can fulfil their requirements. Overnight stay will be at a hotel/homestay in Yuksom.

You can book transport from us, which will pick you up from NJP Railway Station at 7:00 AM. Bolero cab costs 8,000 and will be shared by 6-7 trekkers. The transport charge is not included in the trek cost. It is to be split amongst trekkers and pay the driver directly. Otherwise, you can easily reach Yaksom by road transport from New Jalpaiguri and Bagdogra.

Note:- In cases of road block / rainy weather / road conditions, the vehicle might have to go through Darjeeling, which will increase the total cost by an extra Rs 1,600.

Trek Leader

Activities

Tent

Lunch  | Dinner 

Altitude: 7600 feet  |  Trek Distance: 8 KM  |  Trek Duration: 5-6 hours  

Trek to the Goechala Pass is a journey to the Himalayas as you will be trekking to the most remote and inhospitable place in the world crossing the deep gorgeous and holy mountains. The first trekking day destination is Sachen which is at an altitude of 7200 feet. Sachen is about 8 km from Yuksom and it takes approx. 5-6 hours to reach the destination. Start the trail from the base and head towards the first bridge keep walking in the middle of the dense forest and look for some varieties of birds and rhododendrons on the way to Sachen. The initial route is pretty much level with gentle ups and downs. You will find a total of four bridges after the fourth bridge the destination is only 10 minutes away. After reaching the campsite relax for a while and explore the camp area for better acclimatization and when you feel bored listen to the sound of the Rangeet river which comes from Rathong glacier. Overnight stay in tents.

Trek Leader

Activities

Tent

Breakfast  | Lunch  | Dinner 

Altitude: 9800 feet  |  Trek Distance: 7 KM  |  Trek Duration: 5-6 hours  

Start early morning after breakfast and head on the same trail you left yesterday evening. Keep pushing on ascends and descends till you find the iron bridge with a spectacular view of the Prek River with its celebrating sound and don't forget to open your arms to feel the sensational wind. The rest point will be Bakhim which is infamous for its haunted rest house. Have soup and noodles from the tea shop and get energized again to head for Tshoka, you will reach Tshoka in the afternoon. The Tibetan village of Tshoka is inhibited by 10 families who fled from Tibet with the Dalai Lama. After relaxing for a while will have plenty of time to roam around and explore the place. The mountains around the campsite are so vibrant with a thick layer of frost in the month of November and December.

Trek Leader

Activities

Tent

Breakfast  | Lunch  | Dinner 

Altitude: 13100 feet  |  Trek Distance: 9 KM  |  Trek Duration: 8-9 hours  

Wake up early in the morning to see the sunrise view of the mountains. After a heartful breakfast, as we ascend towards our next campsite the pine trees give way to rhododendron trees whose bright flowers grow at high altitudes and attract people from around the world. Pass through the lake and monastery above Tshoka and moments later the mesmerizing wooden trail will start to be careful as it is going to be slippery but the fear won't be any more as you witness the fiery red rhododendron all over the trail welcoming you as their guest. Keep on listening to the orchestra of nature on the way performed by nature's artistic creators (birds, insects, wind).cold and chilly wind on Deorali top may take your warmth away but never stop as the fruits are among the sweetest today and don't forget to keep yourself hydrated as today is the forced ascent day. 

Trek Leader

Activities

Tent

Breakfast  | Lunch  | Dinner 

Altitude: 12950 feet  |  Trek Distance: 10 KM  |  Trek Duration: 6-7 hours  

Start at 4 am for a Dzongri top for a stunning sunrise. The sunrays falling on Mt.Pandim, Singalila range, Kangchenjunga ridge, and other peaks are going to take your breath away and going to give you a heavenly feeling when you see that you are standing above the clouds. After breakfast head for the next campsite which can also be seen from Dzongri top. Move through the trail up and down like a rollercoaster ride (only a slow one) till you Kockchurang, have lunch and get ready for the struggle to touch your limits till you see the next trekker hut at Thansing. You gonna cross the Prekchu River a couple of times to reach Thansing. The Prekchu River originates from the southeast-facing glacier of Mt. Kanchenjunga. The campsite stretches in the open with Prekchu flowing through the valley. The forest there is mostly alpine with short bushes and no trees. This portion of the trail is nearly flat. Explore the beautiful campsite of Thansing and enjoy the day.

Trek Leader

Activities

Tent

Breakfast  | Lunch  | Dinner 

Altitude: 13600 feet  |  Trek Distance: 4 KM  |  Trek Duration: 3-4 hours  

The trail is among the most scenic of all during the whole trek. Trek by the Prekchu River as it shows off its beauty. Cross the valley to see the view of Kangchenjunga and Mt. Pandim. Today we will camp at the foot of Mt. Pandim. The Lamuney is known for dangerous storm winds. It is situated at an altitude of 13650 feet. The trail to Lamuney is quite decent though when getting near to the campsite trekkers get a hard time to reach the campsite. Come out at night for stargazing as this is the best campsite for the same. Take out your cameras to click some of the most beautiful pictures of the time.

Trek Leader

Activities

Tent

Breakfast  | Lunch  | Dinner 

Altitude: 15100 feet  |  Trek Distance: 15 KM  |  Trek Duration: 10-11 hours

Today is the final day of ascending and we gonna gain an altitude of 15100 feet. Start at 1:00 AM and witness the might of Kangchenjunga as the sun rays fall on its top like gold dripping off its body. The valley is filled with peaks like Mt. Kabru North, Mt. Kabru South, Kabru Dome, Kangchenjunga, Pandim, Sinvo, Tenzingkhang, Goechala and glaciers melting away. Several myths surrounding this place. It is said that this place is home to Kangchenjunga demon - a type of Yeti. We start following the Prekchu River over the rough scamble of rocks to reach Samiti Lake. The water of the Samiti lake is crystal clear. You continue trekking on the scrambled of rocks, the thin air and the extremely low temperature make it difficult to walk but the views are worth walking for.  As you reach the viewpoint, the sight is so worth, thousands of prayer flags flapping in the wind. It looks wonderful no wonder the Lepcha people worship this mighty Kangchenjunga mountain. After spending quality time at the viewpoint and admiring the beauty at the most, start descending towards our campsite for the day.

Trek Leader

Activities

Tent

Breakfast  | Lunch  | Dinner 

Altitude: 9800 feet  |  Trek Distance: 16 KM  |  Trek Duration: 6-7 hours 

Wake up early in the morning, enjoy the enchanting views of the mighty Kanchenjunga peak from a nearby ridge and start trekking back to Tshoka. The trail is through the forest with small ascends and descends but a mostly flat gradient. Take a glimpse of the Prekchu River which flows below you. The overnight stay will be at Tshoka.

Trek Leader

Activities

Hotel

Breakfast 

Altitude: 5800 feet  |  Trek Distance: 15 KM  |  Trek Duration: 7-8 hours

Admire the beauty of trails one last time before the trek gets to end. Retrace the same path to reach Yuksom. The trail is mostly downhill and the last section has a few ascend before you reach Yuksom. After reaching Yuksom relax there and your overnight stay will be at a hotel in Yuksom.

Trek Leader

Activities

Drive Distance: 150 KM  |  Drive Duration: 7-8 Hours

If you have booked transport with us, our vehicle will pick you up and drop you at NJP late in the evening.  So your most memorable and magical trek to the Himalayas ends here. 

Goechala trek is a moderate plus trek due to its altitude and terrain. This trek demands physical strength and endurance as it is a 10 days difficult trek. The climbs are steep and challenging so it requires prior experience of high altitude treks. It is recommended for seasoned trekkers or the people who have some experience in moderate level treks.

The best time for Goechala trek is from April to May and September to December.

On Goechala trek the temperature will range from 12° C to 18° C during the day and 3° C to 5° C at night.

You will be accommodated in 3 Men Tents on twin sharing basis. The tents Hikers 360 uses on the trek are 3 plus in which you get enough space for your rucksack and even you get inner & outer gate space for your trekking shoes, trek poles and wet clothes.

Hikers 360 uses well planned nutritious meal menu suitable for high-altitude treks. We provide a full nutritious diet that changes every day. As you wake up in the morning, we serve Milk/Lemon Tea. After that, our Breakfast varies from Bread and Butter/Jam, Poha, Daliya, Sandwiches, Upma, Paranthas and Cornflakes and milk etc. Lunch mainly comprises of Roti, Veggies, Puri with Chole and Rice. After lunch, we serve evening snacks with Tea / Coffee / Soup. In Dinner, we serve Roti, Sabji, Rice, Dal, Salade, Pickle and Desserts. We also serve refreshments (Fruits, Juice, Chocolates, Dry Fruits and Biscuits).

Trekking with Hikers 360 Adventures means you’re trekking with an expert trek leader and experienced local guide. Our leaders are certified mountaineers, first aid responders and search & rescue train. Also, we carry safety Equipment (Ropes, Harness, Carabiners, Jumar, Descender and Ice axe etc.), Medical kit and Oxygen cylinders as required per trek to face any kind of unforeseen situations. So it is safe to trek with us.

A Hikers 360 Adventures team consisting of a qualified Trek leader, Trek Guide, Porters, Cook and support staff.

Our transportation cost is mentioned on each trek, or you can check the inclusion and exclusion tab to see if transportation is included or not. We arrange transport for you and it may be shared by you or the group and the cost is on an actual basis.

Yes, you need adventure sports insurance. As you know, adventure travel has inherent risks and dangers that travel insurance covers, including medical emergencies and evacuations. Therefore, assess how likely it is that you’ll run into any of these issues.

We expect you to carry your personal backpacks on your own, but for any reason you are not able to carry your bag, then you can opt for offloading option by informing us 7 days before the trek so that we can make suitable arrangements for you and offloading in between the trip is not an option.

The trek details page gives a list of things that are essential for this trek. Check the "Things to Carry" on the Trek Itinerary page.

Yes, you can rent trekking gear and other equipment from Hikers 360. Go to our website Rent Gear page and select the date according to your trek date. Here you can find amazing deals on trekking gear rental.

A trekking pole is helpful on the trek. It gives you stability and balance and reduces fatigue. If you want a trekking pole on rent, go to our website and select the rent gear, and get the best deals on rent gear.

You can carry medicines prescribed by your doctor, if any. Although we have our First Aid kit with us on each trek, we suggest you carry some painkillers, Volini spray, kneecap, Electrals/ORS, etc.

Generally, people prefer Diamox for easy acclimatization, but we strictly avoid this kind of acclimatization. We encourage our trekkers to a natural acclimatization process. Hence you shouldn't be on the Diamox course before the start of the trek.

Drinking Alcohol or any other intoxication during the trek is strictly prohibited. Alcohol or this type of stuff dehydrates our body and at high altitudes, dehydration becomes a big cause of Altitude Sickness.

We have expert leaders who are experienced in First Aid on all our events but still, there might be situations under which an emergency evacuation might be needed. If this kind of situation arises, we are committed to making a safe evacuation for you in an emergency. Also, we will make all necessary & adequate arrangements for your evacuation to the nearest road head or hospital. The participant himself would pay any additional expenses incurred during the process. Our company will not be liable to pay for these expenses.

The maximum group size of our treks by any region is 15 participants. We focus on individual attention and the safety of our trekkers.

Yes, we do have our minimum group size as we require just 5 persons to depart. We had never cancelled or combined with other trekking companies any of our group of 5 persons from departure dates.

The toilet tents will be set up on each campsite. Inside the toilet tent, one pit hole would be digged with the help of a shovel, a heap of mud and one shovel kept beside the pit (it is used to spread the mud after you have done your business). Use it in Indian style.

It is not mandatory, but they expect a little token of goodwill gesture and appreciation from you. As a group, you can collect money and distribute it to the local staff by yourself.