Entering Sikkim is like entering another country. Sikkim has more security than any other state I’ve been to in India. Just to enter the state you require a Restricted Area Permit (RAP). This is free and valid for 15 days. You can extend it. I got mine at Darjeeling. Your passport must be stamped at a checkpoint into the state.
On the way out, you must make sure you travel through one of the checkpoints, have your passport stamped again, and return your permit. It’s possible to leave Sikkim without going through a checkpoint, as someone I met did. We weren’t sure of the consequences but, after realising, the person took a taxi to the checkpoint to complete the formalities.
Going to some areas within Sikkim requires a Permit for Protected Area (PAP) and an official guide.
Foreigners are not allowed to go to certain areas, such as Nathula Pass. This restriction includes even Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs).
One of the most popular tourist destinations from Gangtok is Tsomgo Lake (also called Changgu Lake). I tried to arrange this with one taxi driver. Just when I thought it was confirmed, he sent me a message to say that foreigners must go in groups of two or more.
On Gangtok’s main shopping street, MG Marg, there are several tour operators. I popped into one and they said they could arrange the trip and permit (PAP). They would pair me with another foreigner. Foreigners also have to pay Rs2500 for a government-certified tour guide. It’s a way of putting extra money into the economy.
My taxi driver turned up at 7.30am and we drove to an internal checkpoint. The road was filled with many large cars. We waited for a new permit to be issued. I’d already submitted documents to the tour guide. Apart from passport and visa (OCI), they required the Sikkim permit (RAP). They also wanted to see the Sikkim stamp in my passport.
Gangtok’s altitude is about 1600m. Tsomgo Lake is at 3700m. The cable car takes you to 4000m. Gaining over 2400m relatively quickly doesn’t give you much time to acclimatise. When we were walking around the lake, going uphill, I was short of breath when I tried to talk and walk at the same time! After about five minutes, I was fine. My guess is that when I was in Darjeeling for a week, its altitude (2000m) helped me acclimatise. Going from zero to 4000m would probably have been dangerous.
On the way up, amongst all the food and clothes sellers, I noticed people walking around selling canisters. I asked one person what they were. They contained oxygen: which is useful for those people who hadn’t had time to acclimatise.
A general rule of thumb is that for every 1000m gained, the oxygen available to you decreases by 10%. So at 2000m, oxygen is about 80% of that available at sea-level; at 4000%, it’s 60%. The actual oxygen percentage in the air remains the same (21%). However, the lower air pressure means there are fewer oxygen molecules per breath.
When facing higher altitudes, you body starts breathing more rapidly to take in more oxygen. Your heart pumps faster to deliver more oxygen to your tissues. Your body reduces the liquid part of blood (plasma) to concentrate the red blood cells, which carry the oxygen.
If you have days to weeks to acclimatise (which I did in Darjeeling), three things happen. First, your body increases the production of red blood cells. Second, cells improve their ability to use oxygen efficiently. Finally, more tiny blood vessels develop in tissues to improve oxygen density.
If you have weeks to months to acclimatise, other bodily changes occur. Muscle metabolism changes and lung efficiency is enhanced. This is one of the reasons some athletes train at altitude.
It took about 30 minutes for the new travel permit to be issued. The six staff issuing these permits were overwhelmed by the number of tourists. After getting our permit, we drove off. I didn’t meet the other foreigner paired with me for the trip to the lake! It makes a mockery of the process that prevents a solo foreigner travelling to the lake because I ended up travelling without another foreigner!
There is a semi-permanent haze around Sikkim, a result of human (pollution, fires) and natural factors (moisture, fog, temperature). I was lucky that the weather was good. The sun was out.
When I arrived, there weren’t many people at the lake. I was able to quickly take the ropeway to the top. Many mountains were visible. Kanchenjunga, which I’d seen the other day, wasn’t visible. But I still had a spectacular panoramic view of the Himalayas.
On returning back to the lake, I had momo, a local speciality. It consists of meat or veg in a pastry. The accompanying chilli sauce makes all the difference and I had a particularly spicy one.
Tsomgo Lake is sacred to the local Buddhist and Hindu communities. Local Hindus, for example, believe Lord Shiva meditated near the lake. It’s known for its changing colours with the seasons. Historically, Buddhists monks studied the colour changes to predict the future.
This part of Sikkim is home to yaks, red pandas, and migratory birds. There were people taking yak rides along the lake.
The area around the lake has seen significant military activity, especially after the 1962 Sino-Indian war. Being close to the India-China border, the region has a strong Indian Army presence. It also explains why foreigner access to Sikkim is heavily regulated. Access to areas closer to the border is completely prohibited.
2 thoughts on “Tsomgo Lake”