Home Destinations India SikkimGangtok to Rumtek Monastery Ride

Hard

Cycling

🇮🇳 India

Satellite

This track was identified and mapped via high-resolution satellite imagery.

ID: IN-SK-06

Gangtok to Rumtek Monastery Ride

Added on 14 Oct 2026

Logged by @trailx

A hill ride from Gangtok down to Ranipool and up the opposite ridge to Rumtek Monastery, the Dharma Chakra Centre, seat in exile of the Gyalwang Karmapa inaugurated in 1966. The road gives views back across the valley to Gangtok.

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

A steep descent and climb each way. Expect taxi traffic on the narrow road. October to May is best.

Mission Logs44 waypoints

Distance	Direction & Instruction	Gradient
0.0 km	SW Start Point	-3%
0.5 km	SW Continue on track	-8%
0.8 km	E Steep Descent	-17%
1.3 km	SW Steep Descent	-12%
1.8 km	NE Steep Descent	-10%

Note: Gear suggestions are based on terrain gradient and are for reference only.

Weather check

At Start

1653m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

27.3299, 88.6142

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 27.3299, 88.6142 @ 1653m

Quick Stats

Distance

19.66 km

Type

Cycling Sector

Elevation Range

944m - 1653m

Max Elevation

1653 m

Max Gradient

16.5%

37%

Highlights

Visit Rumtek Monastery and its golden stupa
See the old Rumtek monastery below the main complex
Stop for views back to Gangtok
Visit Ranka monastery on a side trip
Ride the Ranipool river valley

Field Radio Protocol

VHF-UHF Communication

Signal Verified

Emergency Simplex

146.520MHz

Team Coordination

446.006MHz

Scout Primary

146.400MHz

Propagation Telemetry

Ridge Line

92%

Gorge Floor

18%

Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range

Regulatory Compliance

VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.

Technical Analysis

Total Ascent

+703 m

Total Descent

-709 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).

0 (Smooth)50 (Steep)100+ (Extreme)

71.8

Tortuosity Index

Route Curviness Index

Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).

1.0 (Direct)2.0 (Winding)3.0+ (Serpentine)

2.84

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)2%

Moderate (3-8%)35%

Steep (>8%)63%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved2%

Unpaved98%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt

Dirt Track

59%

Rugged/Rock

39%

Water Crossings

Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.

Difficulty Analysis

SCORE: 52

Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.

Resulting CategoryHard

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 27.288682

MAX LAT: 27.330721

MIN LON: 88.561034

MAX LON: 88.614218

Point Spacing: 25.9 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

Reviews & Discussion0

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Plan this trip

Before you go: Gangtok to Rumtek Monastery Ride

Best time to go

Oct–Mar

October to March suits most of the country. The southwest monsoon (June to September) floods the Western Ghats and Kerala, but it is also the main season for Ladakh and Spiti, where high passes are usually open only from June to October.