trekking dzongi/goecha la: organize from yuksom or gangtok?

palmstroem08

we will go to sikkim around march,11th. planning on doing a trek there, first stop to get things sorted is sceduled to be gangtok. treks in the goecha la area seem to be the preferred option. problem is that we will be backpacking to the west until mid april (delhi being the destination) afterwards, so all the warm stuff we carry along will be pretty annoying then.

given this, what equipment is really needed? lp recommends a good sleeping bag - how good one do you think (planning to bring a down bag, but should i bring the light one or the warm one?)? how cold will nights be on the trek? is there always a hut, or is it of any use to bring a tent? what kind of trekking boots are needed? gaiters? thermo-underwear? gloves? mittens? glacier-type goggles? imagine me sitting like that in sleeper class on the way to delhi two weeks later...

palmstroem08

we will go to sikkim around march,11th. planning on doing a trek there, first stop to get things sorted is sceduled to be gangtok. treks in the goecha la area seem to be the preferred option. we are two people in our 30s, experienced in backpacking and trekking, but really no mountaineers and not doing much sports these days.

in general, any and all advice that comes to your mind is welcome here. specific topics would be:

should we really start in gangtok, or head straight for yuksom?


what will the weather/climate be around mid march this year? online forecasts speak mostly of rain... what difference does the altitude really make there? gangtok should be around 1800m, but the treks cover heights of up to 4500m?? will it at all be possible to do the full goecha la trek??


given this, what equipment is really needed? lp recommends a good sleeping bag - how good one do you think (planning to bring a down bag, but should i bring the light one or the warm one?)? how cold will nights be on the trek? is there always a hut, or is it of any use to bring a tent? what kind of trekking boots are needed? gaiters? thermo-underwear? gloves? mittens? glacier-type goggles? imagine me sitting like that in sleeper class on the way to delhi two weeks later...


as for the trek itself, can it be done individually, only with a guide, or only with a caravan of porters (think i would feel uncomfortable)? not doing much sports but generally healthy, can we stand the whole tour to goecha la? how long will it take? what about food? bring it all or find along the way? is chemical water purifier enough, or do i need to bring a filter (msr)?


would you recommend some specific tour operator? some special guide (hope this question is okay on the forum)


any good resource for gps-waypoint/routes/digitized maps of the area (garmin vista)?

thank you for any input, martin

palmstroem08

as you might notice, this thread is kind of contradicting my other post in this forum asking for planning help regarding the goecha la trek. sorry for that. as we couldn't really develop a clear opinion on the details so far, we consider switching our itinerary to something less ambitious - please help in sorting this out, as the goecha la trek seems more appealing to us.

given about 8-10 days, 2 backpackers (first himalayan trek for both) in average physical shape and free choice - which is your favourite, and why?

thank you!

Sujoy

There is a possibility of snow above Phidang .. I have trekked twice once in March and once in April and both times we got snow above Phidang so prepare for the snow

robin312007

yep

It would be extreme cold. At night the temperature will fall below zero. So get everything ready to face it !!
Never mind the cold. It will be an experience of a lifetime.

Do take hundreds of Snaps...and post them ASAP.

No need going to gangtok. Head for Yuksum. You will get porters and guides out there. Do take porters and guides too. You cant do the trek without porters as its a hard nut to crack.
Doing the round trip without a porter is no way !!!!

Good Luck

palmstroem08

still in the head-over-feed-planning phase for a visit to sikkim next week (march 11th, 2008)... now that i discovered this forum, i find answers, but a whole lot of new questions comes behind...

if we plan on a trek to dzongi or even goecha la, should we go to gangtok first and arrange it from there (people told me so, because of permits and greater choice of agencies/better prices), or should we go to yuksom straight (smaller town, better hang-out)?

we will come in from bagdogra airport in the afternoon and would like to arrive at our destination same day in order to relax afterwards... is it possible to go from bagdogra/siliguri to yuksom straight as it is to gangtok?

thank you, sorry for being stupid, given the short time i have to browse through the forums and ask questions in parallel...

piran_e

If you plan to do the trek you would have to go to Gantok to arrange for a trekking permit as they do not issue permits from Yuksom.

palmstroem08

I know, this will be seen as cross-, double- or triple-posting. I am sorry. But most of my questions are still unanswered, and the plane will take off in less than 48h. I will break it down to the most important and make it short - if you have the answer, just drop it. Thank you. Quiz starts:

1.) Organizing the Goecha La-Trek from Yuksom possible for foreigners, or Gangtok??
(to go on the Goecha La or Dzrongi Treks, foreigners need permits, to be had through tour operators. So, is it possible to start organizing in Yuksom, or do you have to be in Gangtok for this first?)

2.) Mid-March, this year, is there snow to be expected on the trails?

3.) If porters/guides are compulsory for foreigners, is there any use in bringing own stove, own tent? do we (2)need a tent at all?


Thank you, and no more double posts from here on. promised.