Day 1
From the time we had returned home from our cycling adventure to Zuluk, our mind was inching back to see more of the old silk route. There is something about cycling in the Himalayas that it’s difficult to explain in words. Also, we had the western side of the old silk route was yet to be explored by us and so we decided to plan a short 4-day trip from Gangtok to Nathula pass. This will complete our complete loop of the magnificent old silk route.
We planned our trip to Nathula pass in May for the best possible views of the majestic landscape. It is one of the three trading border posts between India and China which is open for tourists. It has played a significant role in the Sino-Indian trade back in the time. Excited to visit this rugged terrain we landed at Pakyaong airport on Wednesday morning. We had hired a car as personal vehicles are not allowed beyond a specific point on this side of the silk route. Cycling from the airport to our hotel in Gangtok was a good 25km warmup for us. The beauty of the landscape was mesmerizing.
DAY 2
Today and the next day we were going to spend acclimatizing ourselves to get ready for the ascent on Saturday. The first thing we did was to get a PAP (Protected Area Permit) to visit the Nathula pass. We applied in the morning and got it by the afternoon. The rest of the day was spent exploring Gangtok. Eating momos while enjoying the view of the city from Gangtok ropeway was an amazing experience. At first, we taught of cycling to the Ranka Monastery nearby but decided to take the car to conserve our energy for tomorrow. We tuned our MTBs in the evening and went to sleep.
Day 3
Waking up in the cold weather at 6:00 AM, we started cycling towards Nathula. The car was trailing us from behind. We had protected ourselves with good quality base layers to tackle the cold weather as we move up in the mountains. The plan was to cycle up to Tsomgo lake which is at approx 40km mark. Beyond which we would be traveling by car as per the rules of the area. I wish cycling was allowed.
We were cycling at a steady pace on this gradual climb. As we were moving up the beauty of the landscape was becoming even more enchanting. The rugged mountains around us, Himalayan rivers, and the golden hour light from the sun. It was all coming together perfectly. As we were cycling we noticed several locals and tourists surprised to see us cycling up the winding road. Probably not many cyclists take this path. I am sure we must have inspired at least a few of them to start cycling.
At around the 30km mark, we took our first major break for food at the only hotel along the way. It was a noodle soup loaded with lots of seasonal vegetables, organic spices called Thukpa. It was the perfect savory breakfast we needed to recover the lost salts in our bodies. The two of us started cycling again this time a bit faster as the traffic was starting to increase and we had a lot of points to be covered. After about 3 and a half hours, 2000m of elevation gain, and 40km later we were at Tsomgo lake viewpoint. It was such an amazing view. The lake was surrounded by two mountains and was still as a rock. Felt like a natural mirror placed on the ground.
After enjoying the view for some time we packed our cycles in our car. It was time to explore the remaining area by car and if time permits descend from this same point while coming back. As we started the reaming journey towards Nathula pass we had to stop at the highest ATM in India by UTI bank and withdrew some cash as a souvenir. Just a few km ahead and we were at the Nathula pass. It’s a different feeling looking at the Chinese and Indian soldiers right in front of each other. Reminded me of the Wagha border.
We descended the long stairway and were on our way further ahead to explore the Baba Harbhajan temple. Army men still believe his soul still lives on here. For me, it didn’t feel like going back home as were going on exploring the other points on the old silk route. Memencho lake, Kupup yak golf course, and the old Baba Harbhajan temple. By the time we reached Tukla valley, it was around 2 pm. We started our return journey to Tsmongo lake which took approx 2hrs. We had a dish called Gundruk in our lunch there as our late lunch. It consisted of a ton of vegetables and leaves and was super tasty ad healthy. With our tummies and full and time in hand, we started our 20km descent back to Gangtok.
DAY 4
Walking up with dreams of the amazing adventure we had yesterday to Nathula pass, we got ready. Satisfied after completing the complete old-silk route loop on our cycles we returned home with a lot of unforgettable memories. Hope you enjoyed reading our experience of the journey and it inspired you to go out and explore on your humble bicycle. I would like to thank cyclinginindia.com for their excellent arrangement of the tour. We never faced any problems concerning the logistics in our entire adventure as always. With that note, I end my blog here and see you on a new adventure very soon.
