The sleepy, spread-out hamlet of Yoksum,
which occupies a large shelf at the entrance to the
Rathong Chu gorge, 40-km north of Pemayangtse at the
end of the road, holds a special place in Sikkimese
history.
Historic Importance
This was the spot where three lamas converged to enthrone
the first religious king of Sikkim, Chogyal Phuntsog
Namgyal, in 1642. Named the "Great Religious
King" he established Tibetan Buddhism in Sikkim.
Guru Rinpoche predicted this meeting of three lamas
coming from different directions across the Himalayas
nine centuries earlier. Lhatsun Chenpo is supposed
to have buried offerings in Yoksum's large white Norbugang
Chorten built with stones and earth from different
parts of Sikkim.
From here a path branches left through the village
to a small grove and the simple stone throne of the
first Chogyal. In front of the throne an impressive
footprint embedded in a rock by one of the lamas no
doubt impressed the king too.
PRIME ATTRACTIONS
Nyingma Dubdi Monastery
High above the town, prayer flags announce the site
of the Nyingma Dubdi monastery, built in 1701. From
the end of the road at the hospital, a path threads
past water wheels and a small river and rises through
the forest to arrive at the dramatically situated
Gompa, looking out over Yoksum.
Kathok Lake
Kathok Lake, a small scummy pond at the top end of
town has nothing of the pristine beauty of sister-lake,
a small scummy pond at the top end of town has nothing
of the pristine beauty of sister lake Khecheopalri,
but has views of the snow-capped peaks in the distance.
TREKKING
While the Western District headquarters are at Geyzing,
the real adventure begins from Yuksom, which serves
as the base camp for unforgettable treks into the
wilds of the mountains. These high altitude alpine
treks take one through fairy tale landscapes and lush
Rhododendron forests to heights of about 12,800 feet
at Dzongri.
For the more experienced trekker or mountaineer,
trips can be made up to Goe Chala at a height of 18,000
feet and at the foot of the awe-inspiring Mount Khangchendzonga.
HOW TO GET THERE
Road:
Shared jeeps leave from Gehzing for Gangtok, Siliguri
and Pelling and other local destinations from the
main square. A bus to Siliguri leaves early morning
daily, and other buses to Jorethang leave at 9.30
am, 1.00pm and 3.30 pm - change there for Darjeeling
and Siliguri. There is a daily bus for Gangtok at
7.00 am and a daily service to Khecheopalri Lake at
2.30 pm, passing through Pelling. At 2.00 pm another
bus service leaves for Yoksum via Legship and Tashiding.
Note:
Visitors with west Sikkim permits are welcome in Yoksum,
but unless one has a Dzongri trek permit one is not
supposed to venture any further. The police are quite
vigilant, so there's not much chance of a surreptitious
high mountain.
