I did the Goechala trek in April 2021 with a few friends. I found it to be a surreal experience and consider it to be one of the best non-technical treks in the Himalayas. Here is my attempt to put together everything that you should know before you go for the Goechala Trek.
What is the Goechala trek like?
In one word: spectacular.
The trek route runs through the lush Kanchenjunga national park and offers incredible views of the Himalayas. In the month of April, Rhododendron and Magnolia flowers bloom giving the forest beautiful red, pink and white hues. I felt like I was walking through an artists canvas.
Terrain, altitude and difficulty level
The Goechala trek route crosses varied terrain in the Kunchanjunga National Park. There is never a dull moment on this trek. The first couple of days of the trek are through a lush forest of Rhododendron and Magnolia. Above the tree line, the route crosses a large shrub forest before Dzongri. From Dzongri, there is a meadow walk and then a steep descent through the forest to Kokchurang. From Kokchurang, the route crosses the Prek Chu and ascends to Thansing through a dense forest.
Thansing to Lamunay is an almost level walk in a valley with snow covered peaks on one side and barren mountains, across the river, on the other. From Lamunay to Goechala viewpoint 1, there is a climb through mountains with shrubbery which makes it slightly difficult to traverse in the dark. In the month of April, we walked though snow to get to viewpoint 1. Between Lamunay and Goechala lies the Samiti lake which has abundant bird and animal life around it. We stopped here for a cup of tea on the way back – Thanks Dom for carrying the thermos of tea 🙂
One of the reasons why I loved the Goechala Trek is the varied terrain throughout the trek. It evolves as the days go by and each day has a new story.
Difficulty level
The maximum altitude of the trek is at the Goechala viewpoint 1 and is 4,600 meters. See the day wise distance and elevation details to assess the difficulty level of the trek as per your fitness.
Things to carry on this trek
Apart from the list which your trekking company will give you, here are a few things which I found useful:
- Sleeping bag liner – get a cotton on silk one from Decathlon. Put this inside your sleeping bag for warmth and hygiene
- Warmee – small pouches filled with chemical which get activated when you rub them. Put one in your sleeping bag at night and it will radiate heat for 8 hours. Pick them up from the Amazon website
- Dry fruits, peanuts – keep snacking while hiking
- Swimming trunks or swim suit – you will cross forest pools under bridges and if you’re like me, you’ll be tempted to jump right in! I loved the dip in one of the pools
- Camphor tablets – put them in a small pouch and keep them in your pocket. Keep “snorting” these and they will help you acclimatize and refresh you
- Woolen socks – while walking, your feet will be warm with normal socks. In the evenings, at the campsite, woolen socks will keep your feet warm
How to make life easy during the trek
We did 2 things on the trek to make our life easy…
- We offloaded our luggage. All we kept on us were small day packs with a couple of water bottles, packed lunch, snacks, a rain jacket and another jacket to layer up, if needed. With the backpacks offloaded, we trekked light, were able to take picture breaks and soak in the surroundings
- We stayed in huts wherever possible – We found huts at Tshoka (2 nights), Dzongri (2 nights) and Kokchurang (1 night). They were more comfortable than camping. By no means is camping not fun, but I guess we’re just getting old! See all the camping and accommodation options on the Goechala Trek.
Phone signal
You’ll get signal at a couple of places between Yuksom and Sachen on day 1. Our Airtel phones worked at these places. At the end of day 2 you’ll reach Tshoka. In Tshoka you’ll get a Jio signal at the Monastery and Lake and at a few other points. None of the other networks work at Tshoka.
Ahead of Tshoka, you won’t get a mobile signal.
Overall impression of the Goechala Trek
As I’ve said multiple times, this trek is a must do one for all trekking lovers. The route is beautiful, the views astounding and the overall experience is something which you won’t forget for a long time.
Have you done the Goecha la trek or do you have questions about this trek? Do share your comments/ thoughts/ experience/ questions here:
