Rachela

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Rachela is within the Pangolakha Wildlife Santuary. Seen here is a hut (called as "barrack" among the sanctuary staff. The hut is about 30 ft long hall with a wooden platform bed running end to end in the hall. Some of the planks are missing from the bed prob'ly burnt for firewood by miscreants. The lake, the only source of water here, is just about 20 meters away. It is so quiet and peaceful here. Rachela is about 14 km from Aritar and took me about 8 hours of easy walk uphill through mixed and bamboo (this area looks like an excellent Red Panda habitat) forests. Rhododendron (possibly R.dalhousiae) trees that are 40 to 50 ft tall, the tallest I have seen in my entire life, can be seen around the hut. The tri-junction border spot between the Indian state of West Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan is just 10 minutes walk from the hut.