Brown Yak

Geshela Peak: A Photogenic Detour from Tawang

I’ve been inactive of late just like most other people. I don’t think I’ve had such a long gap between two posts since my first year of blogging. But the current situation was bound to take a toll. I don’t feel like doing too much and I do not even have too much material with limited travels in the last twelve months. Anyway, we still need to get back to work to maintain sanity. So, I am gradually getting back to my normal schedule.

Geshela 8
An Early Morning Drive

Geshela Peak or Geshila Peak is sort of a local offbeat detour from Tawang that not many people know of except the locals. As we were returning with Holiday Scout after a visit to Tawang, it was decided that we drive a few hours extra and take this detour. We woke up early in the morning to return to Dirang from Tawang. But instead of going down, we started going upwards along the road that goes towards Bum La & Madhuri Lake. Soon we reached a lake called PT Tso (Pangateng Tso). At this point, we left the main road and took the right turn. This is a newly developed, not a very smooth road through a sparsely populated region. There was barely a village or two and we were told of a gompa that we did not visit. Apart from that, it was pure delightful wilderness all the way of this 25-30 KM stretch that eventually rejoins the highway below.

Geshela 9
PT Tso Lake

So, we are now focusing on this narrow detour One of the reasons for this detour was to spot rare birds if possible. We did see a few but I failed to capture most of them. However, I was delighted more by the landscapes. A great offbeat route, the Geshila route is covered with rhododendron forests and splattered with nameless lakes, and can be a delight for cyclists, bikers, and offroaders. Trekking can be great here too although not yet explored fully. Just imagine the rhododendron forest in the spring.

Geshela 4
Identify these trees in the foreground and imagine them in spring.
Geshela 2
Appreciating autumn colours
Geshela 5
An austere breakfast

Geshela is a peak, apparently, a smaller and nearer one from Tawang compared to higher and more famous Gorichen. So this road goes nearer to the peaks and we did get some good peak views although I’m not good at identifying the peaks. It was autumn, most of the greenery had been wiped off already and the reddish-brown hue all over the landscape was a decent site but I was already fantasizing about a spring trip through this intense rhododendron forest. As it turned out, the second wave ruined that possibility (although I made a good spring trip to Shergaon before everything closed down).

Geshela 7
More of the peak
Geshela 1
Ephemeral delights of a dandelion
Geshela 6
A short break

Towards the fag end of the trip, we also came across many small lakes. I am not sure they even have names but they are frequented by locals and adorned with prayer flags too. The last big lake was not far from the main highway and I finally saw locals from Tawang, enjoying a picnic by the roadside. From this stretch, you also get to see the Tawang town, especially the massive Tawang Monastery stands out as a big yellow dot.

Geshela Tawang 3
One of the Lakes en-route
Geshela Tawang 2
Tawang Monastery from Geshela

So, that’s it for today from Geshila. We saw a nice brown yak too while coming back. So, I’ll leave you with that. Hopefully, I’ll be able to come back with a longer post next time.

Brown Yak
Brown Yak Bidding Adieu

What & Where exactly is Geshela?

Geshela Route Map
Geshela Route Map

Have a look at this map. The yellow road is the highway that comes from Bomdila/Dirang via Se La and reaches Tawang. From there the red line goes upwards towards Bum La but just after PT Tso, you take the right turn to get to the Geshela route we are talking about. It eventually meets the yellow one down below. But we are concerned about the red part here.

How to Get to Geshila?

As you can see, the road is clear. But there is a military presence in this area, so you may have to face a few queries just before you reach PT Tso. Beyond that, it is a clear road. As mentioned already, it is a sparsely populated area. Do not expect any public transport but if you have a vehicle, it will offer great views. It is also a great idea for mountain bikers and cyclists.

 

Jitaditya Narzary

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