Vagabondetravel

Himalayan Hideouts:West Sikkim

After spending a few wonderful days in the North, we ride along with Sheetal Bidaye, to yet another region which holds much excitement and breathtaking views. West Sikkim – a beautiful place we shall explore in this part of the Himalayan Hideouts series.

West Sikkim

A ride to West Sikkim takes you on a journey to a mystic world of Tibetan Buddhism. As you ride through the region, you will be overwhelmed by the enchanting landscape of ancient monasteries, sacred prayer flags and the Kanchenjunga. It is here, in the western region of the state that you will discover Sikkim in its purest form as it holds the ancient heart and soul of the land.

Mani Wheels or Prayer Wheels

Rider’s joy

If compared to the Darjeeling Himalayas, western Sikkim is far off the trodden track. Riders will find the hilly routes here to be more rugged than before yet much more beautiful and the locals you come across will be actually Sikkimese rather than immigrants.

The ride to west Sikkim begins from Gangtok as you take the NH-31A to reach Geyzing, the capital of the region. Your ride will cover a distance of about 138kms crossing villages such as Singtam, Ravangla and Legship before you reach Geyzing where the road ends. Located at 5600 feet, Geyzing was also known as Gyalshing until sometime back.

Far off the trodden track

Sikkim – Beauty wherever you may glance

What you can do there:

In this part of Sikkim, you will notice that monasteries are more important than anywhere else. West Sikkim covers an area of 1166 square kilometers and is accessible by road to a large extent, after which its beauty can be explored on foot. The district is a favorite amongst trekkers owing to its high elevations, terraced slopes, high plateau, alpine forests, great snow views and beautiful small lakes – all that combine together to offer some of the best routes ever trekked upon. Are you ready with your trekking gear? You could pick some good ones here.

Jungles of Rhododendron

The most popular trek route in here is the Yuksom-Dzongri-Goecha-la route that covers altitudes over 16000 feet and leads you to the base of Mt. Kanchenjunga. Those of you who aren’t that adventurous enough may opt for any of the several other short treks which are comparatively easier and link interesting villages of the land while passing through forests and covering sacred lakes and monasteries.

Trekking through Yuksom

After exploring and spending a night Geyzing you must visit a settlement called Pemayangtse, which means ‘Perfect Sublime Lotus’. This settlement is ideally located at a point from where you can enjoy unhindered view of Mt. Kanchenjunga and Mt. Pandim along with an unending chain of snow peaked mountains.

The Pemayangtse Monastery

Opposite Pemayangtse is a small hill on top on which stands the principal monastery of Sikkim. Probably built in 1705 by Chogyal Chador Namgyal, this is one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries of the state. Although been damaged in earthquakes, the monastery has undergone many renovations. A big prayer hall which is ornately decorated with Thangkas, murals, colourful images and trellises will transport you to an era of the revered monks and Lamas. Here, you will find one of Pemayangtse’s prized treasures, the ‘Sang-tok-palri’, an elaborate carving of minute details on wood, depicting the Mahaguru’s heavenly ascent, made by the late Dungzin Rinpoche.