Tsomgo Lake
Trip Start
Jul 08, 2008
1
23
Trip End
Ongoing
Gangtok,
Sikkim,
India
Monday, October 20, 2008
In the morning we piled into a jeep with the young Tibetan who worked at the guesthouse and started east for the two hour winding journey. The further we ventured the more beautiful the views became and the simpler the homes appeared. Simpler too was the road which, wide enough for one vehicle, would lead through blind curves and shallow creeks; requiring precise navigation to avoid a plunge to one's untimely death.
We eventually passed a military checkpoint where our permits were examined and proceeded on, sharing the road with the oversized green diesel trucks that seem to characterize the Indian military. Every few minutes we would experience the awkward head-on encounter with an army vehicle that would require one vehicle to back up, making just enough room for the other to pass with inches of clearance. After two hours we arrived at Tsomgo Lake.
I was pleased as our Tibetan guide suggested we climb the nearby peak. I had read about the views but also knew that group travel often required a compromise to avoid difficult tasks and appease the least adventurous of the group. The five of us started climbing the steep trail with our young guide leading the way and I stayed a few feet behind him as the three others in our group quickly fell far behind. We would use our lead as an excuse to take regular breaks, waiting for the others to catch up.
While climbing any steep path up a hill or mountain the end of the trail always seems to move further away at nearly the same speed as your walk. Towards the end we would reach a point where the horizon appeared 20 feet away, trudge about 20 feet, then look up to see the same horizon beckoning us from 20 feet away. This continued for a while until the edge drew nearer and the ground leveled out, revealing the prayer flags strung up at the top of the peak. We had reached the top and now had a panoramic view of the vast surrounding area. The Tibetan border was within view but this wasn't a clear day and the road to Tibet seemed to mystically lead into the clouds which were below us. The Indian army was busy with their drills as the sounds of distant machine gun fire echoed off the mountain sides. We sat and waited for the three others to arrive and after a good 10 minutes they came wandering up, huffing and puffing. At this point I decided that I was long overdue for another trek...
