After introducing paragliding, Sikkim is about to add National Trekking and International Mountain Biking in its bouquet of adventure sports.

In its recent efforts to make Sikkim globally a tourist hub, Travel agent association of Sikkim (TAAS) has come up with an idea of organizing a National trekking meet in the month of April. It is also planning to hold an international mountain bike race on the lines of Tour De France in the year 2012.

The Pangemelung trek near Melli Khecheopalri, a part of Singalila trek will be a venue for a National level trekking summit in coming months of April-May.

This trek is a notified trek and only recently opened for foreigners. Not many people are aware about this route. A national level trek will help to make it popular worldwide and draw its attention to adventure sports enthusiast.

In a conversation with isikkim.com, TAAS president Lukendra Rasaily chalks out his plan. He says “We want to do first a national level trekking on Pangemelung trek for three days and twelve days. Three days trek will culminate at Khecheopalri while 12 days trek will end at Yuksum.

The effort is to make Melli Khecheopalri famous among tourist fraternity. Khecheopalri is a sacred lake in Sikkim and locals often say it as a “Wishing Lake”. With national level trek TAAS expects that lot of developmental projects will come in that place. It will not only improve the economic conditions of locals there but tourists will also get an opportunity to relish the unexplored beauty of Sikkim.

Mr. Rasaily opines “With the help of tourism department and 247 members of association, TAAS is aiming at 500 people to move in that line. We will request Central government to give subsidy and State government to help us for this event. Journalists from national and international media will also be invited to move along. This will surely create huge publicity”.

The other ambitious project of TAAS is to organize international mountain biking race in Sikkim. State government of Sikkim did organize mountain bike race earlier in the year 2007 and 2008. But that failed in becoming a regular annual event.

TAAS is now planning to take up this event and wants to organize it in February 2012. TAAS president Lukendra Rasaily says “We would like to have one year for preparations and promotion. Also we want it to organize on the lines of Tour De France. You never know that in 15 years of time helicopters will be hovering in sky to cover our race”.

TAAS will present this proposal to government in few days. The Sikkim government and the organizing committee have also learned a lot from the last two races they conducted.

In the proposed plan the mountain bikers will cover the distance of approximate 800 kms. The race will start from Gangtok and reach to Singhik from there it will carry on to Lanchen and then Thango. Here bikers will halt and take rest. They will resume their race and from Thango they will cross Mangan, Rabangla, Yuksum, Pelling, Rangpo, Rongali/Aritar and finally to Gangtok. During this they will reach upto an altitude of 15,000 ft. This needs a solid endurance and it will be a big challenge. If mountain biking race happens in Sikkim it will be among one of the toughest races in the world.

“The more tough it is more publicity this race will get and more experienced people would like to come. This track might become number 1 or 2 in the world if organized successfully” adds Mr. Rasaily.

The plans are ambitious but feasible. These events will not only market Sikkim but also attract tourists from all across the globe to Sikkim. With such efforts it is not wrong to say that Sikkim is on its verge to become the Mecca of adventure sports.

 

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