Our experience from April 2021
I did the Goechala trek in the Spring month of April, 2021. Spring is bloom season in the Kanchenjnuga National Park, where the Goechala trek lies. The KNP turns into bright hues of Red, Pink and White as the Rhododendron and Magnolia bloom and hiking here in Spring feels like playing Holi with the gods themselves.
Conditions in April
In April, the weather is a mixed bag. There are days of bright sunlight and there are cold, overcast, rainy and snowy days. We experienced all of this in our 8 days of the trek. Several campsites were freezing cold, we had 2 days of walking and camping in the snow. Even so, the conditions weren’t so harsh that we couldn’t complete the trek.
At the first 2 campsites – Sachen and Tshoka, the weather was beautiful with bright sunshine throughout the day and rain in the evening and night.
As we moved to the Dzongri campsite, the weather started deteriorating and it was freezing cold. During our acclimatization day at Dzongri, the day was overcast, cloudy and rainy. We didn’t have much to do, so we walked to keep ourselves warm!
At the Lamunay campsite, we received a ton of snowfall and our dining tent collapsed while we were eating! The snowfall made the environs spectacular and the next day we trekked in snow for most of the day. However, we were able to see sunlight on the Kunchanjunga peak for just a few seconds before clouds covered the mountain. It was still an incredible experience to see the mountains up close.
At Kokchurang, the weather cleared up and we got bright sunshine at the campsite.
Flowers blooming in Spring on the Goechala Trek Route
Goechala Trek in Autumn
The Autumn month of October is a great time for this trek too. In October, the skies clear up and the chances of viewing the Kanchenjunga peak in first light of the sun are high. Weather wise – it should be as cold as April, but it will have more sunny days. November will good, but cold.
Trekking to Goechala in the Winter
Some companies do conduct the Goechala trek in the winter month of December. However, the cold and potential snow will reduce chances of completing this trek successfully. Comfort levels will be much lower during this time and the difficulty level of the trek will be higher. So go in December only if you’re truly set on a tough winter trek.
The best season for the Goechala trek
March – Frigid!
April – Cold, flowers (The best season in my opinion)
May – Flowers still bloom, however, high chances of rain
September – Rain
October – Crisp sunshine, clear sky, good chances of getting clear views (Second best season)
November – Crisp sunshine, a lot cooler than October
December – Snow reduces chances of completing the trek
Do you have questions about the Goechala Trek? Or have you done the Goechala Trek? Do ask your questions and share your thoughts comments here. 🙂
