We drove to the small village of Yuksom at the
gateway to Khangchendzonga National Park to begin
our trek. The road there was steep, bumpy and often
narrowed to one lane due to rock debris as well as
people traveling on foot with their animals. But the
picturesque views of the deep river valleys, tiered rice
fields, tea plantations and snow-covered mountains
made for a wonderful, worthwhile adventure.
The next morning, after breakfast prepared by
our trek kitchen crew, we set off on our big
adventure. Our tour group included seven hikers, two
guides, four kitchen crew, two animal handlers, seven
dzos (a cow-yak crossbreed), four small horses, two
tent men and two porters.
It was November 2nd, and our first day of hiking
involved a steep trail with lots of ups and downs,
narrow (often swaying) bridges made of wood,
steel and concrete and covered with prayer flags.
Then came dense jungle terrain filled with banana
trees, vines and wild orchids. I kept an eye out
for Red Pandas (never did see one). As we entered
Khangchendzonga National Park, our guide cautioned
us to stay on the “mountain side” of the trail when
passing others or risk being knocked off the trail into
the canyons below. It was good advice, and I learned to
listen for the warning bells around the animals’ necks
so I could stay safely on the trail. We were also told
that if our pack animals fell, there was no good way to
retrieve either the animals or the packs. I never saw this
happen but thought of it often!
We made camp at Sachen (7,150 ft.) after a four-
hour, 1550-foot climb. The kitchen staff prepared a
delicious dinner. After tea, we headed for our tents to
sleep. Our guide reminded us frequently to drink lots
of water and tea to keep hydrated and prevent altitude
sickness. While our sleeping tents were fairly spacious,
the tent toilet was cramped. The downside of hydration
was having to make frequent visits there, especially in
the middle of the night.
Our days began at 6:00 am with hot tea and a warm
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
MARCH/APRIL 2016
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