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ROMANCING A HIMALAYAN SANCTUARY© Ashish Kaul
Dec 20, 1999
Something or the other must dominate in this region.
One feature must dictate to another. The elements have
to battle one another. And yet co exist. Struggle for
supremacy from a particular perspective. Exist in
harmony from another perspective.
The Teesta will, for instance, roar threateningly
through deep gorges, carving out narrow valleys. The
slopes here will be steeper than anywhere else in the
world. Mountain faces will be sharper than is normally
the case and yet be greener than can ever be imagined.
Even in the wrong season. The Red Panda, no matter how
cuddly and small, will quietly survive the mercurial
temperament of nature. As will the Yak. Trembling in
the snows, still plodding on. Glaciers will rumble
forbiddingly. Avalanches will thunder down on them.
Yet the peaks would glow, drawing themselves up to
their full height, their beauty brazenly establishing
the true hierarchy of nature.
Snow storms and white will be be at one end of the
spectrum and hot weather at lower climes will define
the climatic boundaries of the region. The
Kangchenjunga will loom above it all, its illusion
making a mockery of the reality of Everest. Amazing though it may seem, this whole glory can be
savoured on a single trek through West Sikkim. Hugging the razor edged Singalila Ridge, the Himalayan
divide between India and Nepal, this much talked about
trek to Dzongri, gets the best of West Sikkim etched
indelibly on adventurous minds. From the trail head at Yuksom, the erstwhile capital
of Sikkim in the velvet green of 5,800 feet, to the
high point of Dzongri Top at 15,000 feet, right in the
splendour of the Kangchenjunga Sanctuary, passing
through thickly forested ridges crowded with rich
flora to the heights above the tree line, finally
culminating at the breathtaking snowy heights of the
Kangchenjunga Sanctuary. An unforgettable panorama of
jagged snow peaks cutting across in an arc of 270
degrees, cuts through the azure sky.
The landscape is incidental. It is the trekker who
changes !
In the next article, read about the trek in detail. This is indeed one of the most spectacular treks in the entire Indian Himalayas and anyone who needs more information or assistance is free to write to me.
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