Home Destinations India SikkimYumthang to Yumesamdong (Zero Point)

Moderate

Off-Road

🇮🇳 India

Satellite

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

ID: IN-SK-09

North Sikkim protected-area permit arranged in Gangtok through a registered operator; visitors travel on a guided tour with local vehicles. Foreign nationals also need the Sikkim Restricted Area Permit, and Zero Point may be closed to them or for weather.

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lachung

Yumthang to Yumesamdong (Zero Point)

Added on 14 Oct 2026

Logged by @trailx

An excursion beyond the Yumthang Valley up the Lachung river to Yumesamdong, known as Zero Point, at around 4,600 m close to the Chinese border. The road climbs past the last check post through alpine meadows to the end of the tourist road.

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

About 15-20 km one way, roughly an hour's drive from Yumthang. Go early before clouds build; altitude above 4,500 m can cause sickness, so limit time at the top. Road often closed by snow in mid-winter.

Mission Logs11 waypoints

Distance	Direction & Instruction	Gradient	Gear Gearing suggestions are defensive and based on terrain profile. Always assess real-time conditions and the path ahead personally.
0.0 km	W Start Point	1%	2H
1.9 km	N Terrain Change	8%	4H
3.9 km	NE Continue on track	9%	4H
5.9 km	SW Continue on track	9%	4H
7.9 km	N Continue on track	5%	2H

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

Weather check

At Start

3936m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

27.8486, 88.6905

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 27.8486, 88.6905 @ 3936m

Quick Stats

Distance

17.64 km

Type

Off-Road Trail

Elevation Range

3936m - 4653m

Max Elevation

4653 m

Max Gradient

12.4%

Highlights

See the snowfields at Zero Point
Stop at the Yumthang hot springs on return
Walk on the frozen streams in spring
Look for yaks in the high pastures
Visit Lachung Monastery the same day

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

+717 m

Total Descent

-0 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

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

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

40.6

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)

2.36

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)7%

Moderate (3-8%)68%

Steep (>8%)25%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved100%

Unpaved0%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt

100%

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: 34

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

Resulting CategoryModerate

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 27.848599

MAX LAT: 27.913048

MIN LON: 88.690231

MAX LON: 88.713711

Point Spacing: 24.8 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

Reviews & Discussion0

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Plan this trip

Before you go: Yumthang to Yumesamdong (Zero Point)

Best time to go

Jun–Oct

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.