MarthaTho
★★★3.0Wrote on 6 Nov 2023
Goecha La Trek Independently
Doing Goecha La trek independently is not impossible, but you will need some patience and preparation. You will need 2 permits: the trekking permit and the national park entrance. The Yuksom tourist agency mafia will make sure to tell you again and again that you can't go without a guide or a group, but the National Park Rangers and the Police office don't have any problem about it. However, local agencies impose a scheme in which you need them to obtain the trekking permit from the tourism office in pelling and will charge you a ridiculous amount. They will try to force you to go with a group (more profitable for them, but higher impact on the environment and less jobs for the community). You can obtain your national park permit yourself at the start of the trek (park office). As for the trekking permit, talk to different agencies and try to have them issue it for you without imposing a group or a guide. Avoiding a group is easy (as long as you have all the needed equipment), avoiding a guide is harder. A guide can be useful if you are not an experienced hiker at altitude, but it can also be limiting since many of them will only look for their own interest and not for your best experience (overcharging, getting commisions, rerouting, being intrusive, manipulating information and deliberately lying, etc.). Good luck and no worries, everything can be arranged from Yuksom and nothing needs to be. booked in advance!
MarthaTho
★★★3.0Wrote on 6 Nov 2023
Goecha La Trek Independently
Doing Goecha La trek independently is not impossible, but you will need some patience and preparation. You will need 2 permits: the trekking permit and the national park entrance. The Yuksom tourist agency mafia will make sure to tell you again and again that you can't go without a guide or a group, but the National Park Rangers and the Police office don't have any problem about it. However, local agencies impose a scheme in which you need them to obtain the trekking permit from the tourism office in pelling and will charge you a ridiculous amount. They will try to force you to go with a group (more profitable for them, but higher impact on the environment and less jobs for the community). You can obtain your national park permit yourself at the start of the trek (park office). As for the trekking permit, talk to different agencies and try to have them issue it for you without imposing a group or a guide. Avoiding a group is easy (as long as you have all the needed equipment), avoiding a guide is harder. A guide can be useful if you are not an experienced hiker at altitude, but it can also be limiting since many of them will only look for their own interest and not for your best experience (overcharging, getting commisions, rerouting, being intrusive, manipulating information and deliberately lying, etc.). Good luck and no worries, everything can be arranged from Yuksom and nothing needs to be. booked in advance!
