In Photos: When Sikkim’s Himalayas Welcome You With Open Arms

Sikkim’s Himalayas.

(Photo: The Quint/Pallavi Prasad) 

In the first week of March, I travelled to Sikkim. Gangtok, yes, but mainly I ventured into the surreal lap of North Sikkim living and travelling only 10,000 feet above sea level and higher. The Himalayas have always awed me; mountains have a way of making you reflect your entire narcissistic existence in the quietest way possible, but Sikkim’s peaks were...different. If I had better words (or any at all), I would use them to tell you what I saw and felt, but words have failed me. (They rarely do, you can ask my editor).

So, instead, here is a collection of snapshots clicked on my recent travels to North Sikkim, complete with the snow-peaked Himalayas, an icy cold Teesta river, waterfalls that melt your heart, blue lagoons that shimmer gold in the sun and in general, all-round gorgeousness.

En route to Gurudongmar Lake in North Sikkim at higher than 10,000 feet above sea level, before sunrise. 

Sikkim’s Himalayas are less mountains and more towering blocks and walls of stone and snow. 

Snow clouds accumulate on the peaks of the high Himalayas in North Sikkim. 

Witnessing heavy snowfall surrounded by forests, snowy peaks, waterfalls, a timid sun, mist and fresh air. 

Fresh snow melts into a waterfall that will go on to join the Teesta river as it flows through Sikkim. 

A turquoise Teesta, marbled rocks, bridges with hundreds of Buddhist prayer flags, alpine forests, mist and snow. Perfect spot for chai. 

The small town of Lachen in rural Sikkim where tourists stay to acclimatise to the altitude before carrying on further up. 

Our driver told us that the reason prayer flags were more in number on bridges and near edges of mountains: the windier the place, the more the flags fly and the better vibes they bring. 

If looking at these giant wonders is a religious experience, road trips in the mountains is the pilgrimage you have to put in. 

When the terrain slowly changed from alpine forests to arid rocks and then snow-clad mountains on our way up to Yumthang Valley in North Sikkim. 

At 11,693 feet, Yumthang is a lane with eight shops selling alcohol, Maggi, chai and the odd chips and a valley that is surrounded by a 360 degree view of snow mountains. 

Stopping to walk down to Yumthang Valley, which by April is covered in red and pink rhododendrons. But we contended with snow. 

The valley, with a feeble Teesta and a view fit for kings and queens. 

Another contender for The Most Surreal Places To Take A Chai Break, in Yumthang in North Sikkim. 

Exploring Yumthang Valley, because who would ever have the heart to walk away from this magnificence. 

When you’re so close to the high Himalayas that you can touch the base where they begin, but can only wonder what it feels like on the top. 

How many pictures of how surreal and awe-inspiring our world is, are too many pictures?

The view from down below was a lot like playing peek-a-boo with the mountains, except they weren’t going anywhere. 

Stumbling upon magic on our way downhill to Lachung: a shimmering blue lagoon at the base of snow covered mountains and alpine trees. 

The lagoon on our way down to Lachung changed colours: from blue to aqua, to purple and red along the edges, all while shimmering golden. 

How topography changes in the upper Himalayas: from rock to snow. 

The impenetrable Himalayas are stacked together as you gain altitude. 

Witnessing the sun and clouds play on the peaks of the Himlayas. 

The sun won in this case and the result was being able to see the sheer glory and fortress-like nature of the Himalayas. 

When you witness 30-40 picture perfect waterfalls in North Sikkim, you stop at one and well...frame it. 

The Ban Jhakri falls in Gangtok are not the most stunning compared to what you’ll see in North Sikkim, but it’s the first sign on what the underrated state has in store for tourists. 

The view from my room in Gangtok; it had rained the previous night. 

Right from when you enter Sikkim, till you reach as high as 17,000 feet above sea level, the graceful Teesta stays with you throughout as you drive up.

I often wonder: how do people who live here get used to seeing rolling, silhouetted hills and towering mountains everyday? 

Sikkim’s Himalayas had a way of making me feel small and self-assured, at the same time. 

Driving up above the clouds in North Sikkim to see what lies beyond. 

When the heavens opened up and shone down on the mighty Himalayas somewhere in North Sikkim’s wilderness. 

(You can follow the photographer on Instagram @pallaviprsd to see more of her shutter-happy adventures.)