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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 ATTRACTIONSNyingma 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.