Gangtok, Sikkim

I've made it to Sikkim, a northern Indian state bordered by Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan. Plenty of (very tall) mountains here, so of course it's time to dust off the hiking boots and go for a trek! Looking forward to some much needed wide open space. In India, it seems like there are so many people that you're never quite alone, but I'm pretty sure there aren't going to be many where we're heading. After reading Into Thin Air and visiting the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, you can't come all this way to the base of the Himalayas and not go for a trek! At the highest point, we'll be about 16,000 feet high, over 3 miles above sea level on the Khangchendzonga trek similar to this one. So no updates for about 2 weeks.

And yes, I'm not soloing it, it'll be with an organized tour group with tents, cooks, yaks, guides, and of course porters. And it's not too dangerous, no where as daring as drinking Tsonga beer, made by adding hot water to fermenting millet (tastes like sake).