Sonam’s friend Chering/Tsering (?) had agreed to take me to Walungchung gola over the high pass which I prefer to call as “Thudam Pass 5250m”. There is another low altitude pass which tourists(what ever less no. of people) take to arrive at Topke Gola. Not even the villagers in Chemthang are aware of this Thudam pass. The villagers of Thudam had crossed this in past to migrate sikkim and border regions. Travels over this pass are rarely undertaken. Thudam people go towards Umbak La for trade/commerce (Technological goods: TV, DVD, Generator, Solar Panels; cosmetics etc; Rice, Salt and Salt like commodities) reasons to Tibet. They go to Chemthang for goods like Millet and rice grown in fields for preparation of beer. They sell medicinal plants and bamboo bars in exchange for their purchase.
So, their dependency for Walungchung gola is less for trade but some of them have family links (marriage) or extended families migrated there. Walungchung gola is connected to “Tipti La” as Thudam is connected to Umbak La. And similarly Walungchung gola people are dependent on crops of low valleys for their “Millet beer” etc for which they go to Lelep.
For these reasons there is less crossing of this pass from either sides. I haven’t seen any other party crossing this pass during my journey as well. Not many Tourists are aware of this and most of travel agencies of Nepal take them over Topke gola route. None of the Indians were in this region (to the east of Makalu base camp route) at all.
As far as I know it was crossed by Mr. Norman Hardie in 1955 late August after his summit of Kanchenjunga (he is one of the First summiteers of Kanchenjunga). I read about his account in his book – “On My own two feet”. My travels were motivated by his exploratory adventures in fifties. He undertook trek from Kanchenjunga to Lukla (Everest base camp region) after summiting Kanchenjunga meet rejoin with his wife going fof Everest base camp. Awesome feet and spirit! As far as my interest goes it’s the simple irresistible call the Himalayas and to walk in the foot prints of the legends.
Tsering and his wife woke up at 4:00AM to start making preparation for my travel. We had to eat heavy early meal so as reduce the ration carriage over the trek and as well keep provision for packed lunch that consisted of some “Rotis” and Curd rice. They let me enjoy the luxury of my sleeping bag. They made space for me to sleep in their house, while they squeezed to one corner. We had to do this so as to avoid the packing of tent in early morning and as well the burden of carrying it in wet conditions.
Half way through their preparations, the kids also awoke with the sounds of the utensils and warmth of the fire. They too have joined with their parents only to be chided away by irate Tsering ocassionally for disturbing him. Food was ready by 6:00AM. We quickly ate the delicious “pyar bhari ” meal and packed the stuff and were ready to leave by 7:00AM. Tsering wife paid a poignant adieu to her husband. She was carrying their baby which is why it was tough for her to part with him. Tsering though agreed to guide me, had only traveled once over this pass when he was just 7yrs of age. He accompanied his “Lama” brother who was migrating to Sikkim for better prospects then. His brother still lives in Gangtok Monastery and had not visited for many years.
By the time we started and walked out of the shrubs above Thudam village it was 7:15AM. We could see the snow peaks towering above the landscape in distant which kept more revealing as we gained altitude and distance. My thoughts were filled with what it would have been 1955 when Norman Haride was crossing it in August month in opposite direction in Nov month.
~ Physical map of the trek I undertook in this region
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