DAY 05
LACHUNG – YUMTHUNG – ZERO POINT – CHUMTHUNG
This day started off with a lull as today we were supposed to cover 71.2km in the entire day.
Our first destination was Yumthang(12040ft) then zero point at Yomensangdong(14000ft approx) lovely place though few parts of the road was distorted by landslides. Temperature was around 5-6 degrees in the morning at Lachun.
After having good breakfast we top upped our fuel tank to make the container lighter. We headed for Yumthang, this place is reachable after crossing Rhododendron Sanctuary, full of multi-colour flowers and varied colours of red flowers graced the entire terrain. While going through we could see few snow capped mountains peeping out at the farthest corner of our perennial vision.
Lachung to Yumthang was about 23.6km the terrain is full of green vegetation and variety of flowers. The beauty of the place is so engrossing that we were forced to make unscheduled halts to capture those beauties through our lenses. No matter how much of snaps one take imbibing that magical bliss with pair of eyes sitting on your own*bike*surpasses every comparison.
When we reached Yumthang it was around 10:30AM, tourists were perplexed seeing such sudden outburst of beauty so we are. The place is worth visiting, think Sikkim is really very under rated as tourist destination. This place can surely be called the Switzerland of India.
While we were planning to set off for Yomensangdong few tourists were wondering why this guys are here and that too with bikes, few came forward asking “ Where are you coming from?” ..”Kolkata” was our humble reply which transformed their eyeballs to protruding footballs!!! Perhaps that was beyond imagination perhaps something next to infinity.
Journey to Yomensangdong was short and tough. This 12km stretch from Yumthang can be safely called mud bikers paradise. We have found uncountable landslides and bolder weighing more than a ton reclining on the middle of the road barely leaving any space to manoeuvre those mighty giants. Then too we managed to cross over to reach Zero Point, the only hot spring in Sikkim.
The place was full of ice, tourists were enjoying skating but we were cherishing otherwise!!! Sitting on an ice slab while sipping on fuming coffee we could see full round view of all the ranges, few of them are conquered, a few are left.
One of us shouted “I’m at top of the World”. Nope, something was yet to come…
Last day we came down to Chumthang, it was a journey of 21.7km we managed this downhill at a decent pace and reached there by 4:30PM after our lunch at Lachung. While coming down, we saw the whaterfall which scared the shit out of us is a designated tourist spot where whater from great height is descending at some fearsome pace.
We managed our accommodation there after some fanatic searching. It was a day when we planned to see this hamlet not with our bikes!! We roamed about the small lanes and by-lanes collecting goodies for our friends and family back home.
This morning we could sense a strange feeling within. We were going to take the left leg of bifurcation, the stretch full of appalling terrains and natural diversity. We were planning to head for Lachen (9020ft) which was only 27.3km far.
Though the distance was less but it took us nearly 4 hrs to climb as the stretch was rather precipitous than conceived. On the entrance of Lachen there is a TCP who checks all the dossiers. The police deputed there found it very difficult to
conceive that 4 partially-mad fellows are there with their bikes. After doing thorough interrogation he reluctantly let us to pass by.
We were scheduled to stay at Zeema. This place is just few km beyond Lachen. We have scheduled this day with no major activity and no biking!!!So while coaxing with localities at our small snacks break they suggested to visit a place 12km hence from where the trekking for green lake starts.
This temptation was too much to resist as trekking to green lake was always our dream. We went up to that place, parked our*Bike**in the bush and started trekking. What a place is was! Green, green and green everywhere! It would be an absolute delight for botany students. Anyway after proceeding one odd km we saw a mammoth glacier beneath which a spring is flowing. Believe me what a sight it is, we were standing over a glacier beneath which a spring has originated and flowing with sharp current!!!
After returning back to Hotel we all could sense the thud within…Next Day is D-Day…our final destination!
to be continued...