Is it possible to trek from Zero Point to Gurudongmar Lake via Donkiala pass and Cholamu Lake in Sikkim, India
- By
- Aparna Patel
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- 30 Jul, 2023
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Warning: as of June 2016 in the comments here in the post you link to, the route is out of bounds for tourists currently. Do enquire with the guy who entertains the blog as he seems both informed and responsive.
Looks like a nice trek. Besides the report that you could find, here is another trip report as of 2007 from Zero Point to Cholamu lake that I came across.
It seems they were taken by vehicle to zero point and then made the hike to the pass:
The motorable road ends thirty kilometres away from Yumthang via Yumey Samdong at a place called Zadong-at an altitude of about 16030 ft. We disembark from the vehicle and ask the driver to reach Cholamu via Lachen by the next day to receive us. From here to Cholamu Lake via the Donkiala pass is about a 8 kilometers trek and takes 5 to 6 hours for the average walker. We start walking along the narrow Donkiachu river.
The apparent route is actually well visible on Google Maps in satellite view when you zoom in. Other maps that are not quite as helpful are here and here.
The second blog I found also mentions spending the night in a yak herders hut and I guess he was part of some arranged tour. I suggest you also try to find such as the trek could be fairly extreme given the altitude and region. This list of recommendations might be useful but is of 2012.
Finally here is another trip report of how not to reach lake Chomalu in winter from 2010.
For more detailed info, as said above, reach out to Vishnu, he seems responsive also to itineraries. Likely you can arrange transport from the nearby villages and people there will be able to point our more details and guides if necessary. Note that this is on the border to China so access might be restricted (and if you are not an Indian national you need even more special permits). Also mind that trekking at this altitude is dangerous for many reasons so if you have no previous experience do get a guide / go with an experienced person and don’t risk your life.
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
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