“Every man should pull a boat over a mountain once in his life” – Werner Herzog

Yes. I believe one must go to the mountains at least once to discover things within. There is no other adventure (read experience) compared to the one in the mountains. Mountains and their surroundings have the ability to liberate your soul from all bonds.

Many mountaineers/adventurers are not sure about picking their destination and most of the time they end up exploring the northern Himalayas. Not their fault as very few know or explore the eastern Himalayas of Arunachal.

Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India is full of mesmerising mountains. There are 51 named mountains in Arunachal and many more are still to be named and explored. Today, my focus is on Gori Chen Mountain. Gori Chen peak, which can be the perfect place for adventure enthusiasts, is located at an elevation of 22500 feet above sea level between the districts of Tawang and West Kameng. The Gori Chen mountain peak is considered to be one of the most sacred places. For the locals here, it has the capability to protect the Godly people from all the outside evils. For this reason, perhaps, they named this mountain "Sa-Nga Phu," which means "The Kingdom of the Deities."

The Gori Chen trek is considered one of the most difficult trek routes in the Northeast region. One should know that it is not an easy trekking trail to reach this sacred peak. One must be a skilled trekker to go there. There is a proverb in Hindi that says "mehnat ka pal mitha hota hai" which means you will definitely get a reward if you work hard. Besides its difficulty, it is also the most exciting trek you will ever experience, offering a beautiful 360-degree view of the surrounding valleys. The trek to the Gori Chen peak lasts for 15-20 days and the route will take you through dense green forests, alpine meadows, picturesque glacial lakes, and captivating views of the Himalayas. Even, if you are not able to reach or decide not to go to the summit, you will definitely enjoy the experience of trekking around one of the beautiful mountain peaks.

How to get there:

To get there, one must reach Tawang first. The trek starts from Jang, which is just 30 km away from the main town of Tawang. From there, the guides will take you to the Chokersam base, from where the beautiful trekking adventure will begin. Cabs are available there to take you to the Jang region.

Note: The best time to trek here is between April and June. The post-monsoon month of September is also an ideal time to visit. Please take or engage expert help while exploring the region.