View source for Goecha La

{{Short description|Mountain pass in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Refimprove|date=July 2012}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Goecha La
| photo = Goechala pass - panoramio.jpg
| photo_caption = View of Goecha La under [[Zemu Gap Peak]]
| map = India Sikkim
| elevation_m = 4940
| elevation_ref = 
| traversed = 
| location = [[India]]
| range = [[Himalaya]]
| coords = {{coord|27|36|28|N|88|11|13|E|type:pass|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| topo = 
}}

[[File:Map Goecha La Trek.JPG|thumb|Trekking map at Yuksom with Goecha La Trek]]
'''Goecha La''' (el. 4940 mt or 16,207&nbsp;ft) is a high [[mountain pass]] in [[Gyalshing district]], [[Sikkim]], [[India]] in the [[Himalaya]] range.
The southeast face of [[Kanchenjunga]], the world's third highest mountain, can be viewed from the pass, which is also a base camp for those aspiring to scale the mountain. They say that when the government authorities first saw the view from Goecha La, they were so moved by the view that they decided to feature it on the Rs.100 note.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.alienadv.com/activityDetails/1187/Dzongri-and-Goecha-La-Trek-in-Sikkim/|title=Dzongri and Goecha La trek in Sikkim|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207130538/https://www.alienadv.com/activitydetails/1187/dzongri-and-goecha-la-trek-in-sikkim/|archive-date=7 February 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Trekking ==
Trekking through the Kanchenjunga National Park, in one of the greenest regions in the world, remains one of the top things to do for any holiday maker in the Himalayas.  The weather remains clear during the winters and dramatic during the pre-monsoon season, with misty clouds.

The trek itself can be challenging in terms of distances to be covered in a day. Acclimatization is important due to the huge changes in altitude over a small time during this trek.

'''List of Himalayan peaks seen on Goechala Trek from Dzongri Top, Thangsing and Goechala: '''
* Kanchenjunga (8586m)
* Talung (7349m)
* Rathong (6679m)
* [[Kabru]] N (7353m)
* Koktang (6147m)
* Simvo (6812m)
* Kabru S (7318m)
* Kabru Dome (6600m)
* Kabru Forked (6100m)
* [[Pandim]] (6691m)
* Tenchenkhang (6010m)
* Jopuno (5650m)

The basic itinerary:
* Drive from Siliguri to Yuksom
* Yuksom to Sachen (10&nbsp;km hike)
* Sachen to Tshoka (7&nbsp;km hike)
* Tshoka to Dzongri (10&nbsp;km hike)
* Rest and hike to Dzongri La Pass (4417 m)
* Dzongri to Thansing (10&nbsp;km hike)
* Thansing to Goecha La Pass and back (14&nbsp;km hike)
* Thansing to Tshoka (16&nbsp;km hike)
* Tshoka to Yuksom (17&nbsp;km hike)
* Drive back to Siliguri

{{wide image|Golden Kanchenjunga - Copy.jpg|860px|Panoramic view of Kabru (centre) and Goecha La (extreme right). Mt. Kanchenjunga seen above Goecha La with snow blowing off of its summit|100%}}

==Film==
* [[Singalila in the Himalaya]] http://theindia.info/SingaliLaInTheHimalaya Film on the history of Singalila ridge through a 14-day trek.
* Goecha La: In Search of Kangchenjunga

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://sikkimtourism.in/trek-in-sikkim/goechala-trek Goechala Trek], <small>A Dazzling Journey to Nature's Lap in Sikkim</small> 

{{Mountain passes of India}}

[[Category:Mountain passes of Sikkim]]