We started the next morning
as planned and very soon I had
struck up a friendship with my
fellow travellers. The ride was a
long one on mountain roads and
we reached Chungthang in the
evening after stopping for lunch
and crossing several waterfalls
on the way. From here the road
bifurcates; one leads to Lachen and
the other to Lachung, named after
two mountain tributaries of the
Teesta which meet here. The best
thing about a stop in these regions
is that you can have your fill of hot
tea and steaming momos. Another
hour and a half took us to Lachen
at 9,500 ft, a small idyllic town
amidst the clouds where we put up
for the night.
Gurudongmar Lake
Photo: Anagh pal
The halt was not very long as one
may face breathlessness at these
altitudes, so we headed back to
Lachen. After lunch and a little rest
we reached Lachung, which is a
rather pretty village.
Lachung Village
A Thing Of Beauty
The next morning we left early at 3
am. We stopped at Thangu village
at 13,500 ft; an alpine meadow
dotted with small wooden houses,
and had a meal of hot Maggi and
coffee. This was our last stop before
Gurudongmar. We were warmly
clad in woollens and jackets, but
still shivered as the wind was cold
outside. We all huddled next to the
How To Reach
The trip starts from Gangtok.
The nearest airport is Bagdogra,
about 124 km away, and
the nearest railhead is New
Jalpaiguri, 148 km away. Post
that it’s a four-hour drive.
Tour Cost
A 2N/3D package to
Gurudongmar and Yumthang
Valley from Gangtok with
overnight stays at Lachen and
Lachung costs around `3500 per
person, inclusive of food. If you’re
in a group you could hire a car.
Valley Of Flowers
Photo: Anagh pal
wooden fire in a tiny cottage where
an old lady greeted us with a smile.
The next hour and a half was
a steep climb. We went past
Indian military base camps and
crossed the tree line. The beauty
at such high altitudes is not what
we expect mountains to be; it is
actually a desert - stark, devoid of
any vegetation, cold and bleak, yet
mesmerisingly beautiful. Finally
we reached Gurudongmar Lake at
17,800 ft, one of the highest lakes
in the world and located only 5 km
from the Tibetan-Chin