Kupup is a high hamlet at about 3,940 m below Jelep La, at the top of the Silk Route circuit. It is known for Bitang Tso, the Elephant Lake, and the army's Yak golf course, which Guinness World Records lists as the world's highest. Administratively it lies in Gangtok district. Indian nationals only.
Tibetan nameBitang Tso (Elephant Lake)Means: lake of the cow-yakSource: Wikipedia: Kupup
Best months
Apr–May and Oct–Nov; Dec–Mar for snow when open
Nights we suggest
Visit by day on the Silk Route circuit
From Gangtok
≈ 55 km · 2.5–3 h via Tsomgo Lake
Altitude
≈ 3,940 m
Known for
Elephant Lake, Yak golf course, Jelep La road
Permit
Restricted-area permit via registered agent; Indian nationals only. District: Gangtok
Kupup sits in a high, bare valley under the Dongkya range, a few kilometres short of Jelep La, the old trade pass to Tibet. The hamlet is small, around 250 people in 2017 by Wikipedia's count, and is outnumbered by army camps. A moraine ridge across the valley divides the waters: on one side streams run to the Teesta, on the other to the Dichu.
Most travellers reach Kupup on the Silk Route circuit, driving up from Nathang Valley and continuing down past Baba Mandir and Tsomgo Lake to Gangtok, or doing the reverse. The road passes Bitang Tso, a small glacial lake whose outline from above is said to resemble an elephant, the army's Yak golf course on the valley floor, and, lower down, Lake Menmecho, the source of the Rangpo river.
One note on geography: although Kupup is sold as part of the Pakyong Silk Route, it lies administratively in Gangtok district (East Sikkim). The upper road is restricted: Indian nationals need permits through a registered agent, and foreigners are not allowed on this circuit. Snow often closes it in winter. Check current status before you travel.
Highlights
What to see and do
Elephant Lake (Bitang Tso)
A small glacial lake in the Kupup valley whose outline from the road above is said to look like an elephant. Its older name, Bitang Tso, means the lake of the cow-yak. It freezes over in winter.
The Yak golf course
Guinness World Records lists the army's Yak golf course here, measured in 2006 at 3,970 m, as the world's highest. It lies inside a military area; most visitors simply see it from the road.
Lake Menmecho
Below Kupup, the larger Lake Menmecho feeds the Rangpo river. It is seen from the road on the way down towards Tsomgo, deep blue in autumn and frozen in mid-winter.
Old Baba Mandir
Between Nathang and Kupup, many drivers stop at the older shrine to Baba Harbhajan Singh, the Punjab Regiment soldier who died in 1968 and is revered by the army in Sikkim. The newer, larger Baba Mandir is lower, near Tsomgo.
Under Jelep La
Kupup is the last settlement below Jelep La, the 4,390 m pass on the old Kalimpong–Lhasa trade route. The pass itself is closed to tourists, but standing here you are at the head of that historic road.
The story of Kupup
The pass road and the lake of the cow-yak
Kupup lies on the old route from Kalimpong to Lhasa, which climbed through Rongli and Zuluk, crossed the high valleys and went over Jelep La into the Chumbi valley. Wikipedia's article on Jelep La records that the British began building a cart road towards the pass in 1884, that Younghusband's expedition went to Lhasa this way in 1904, and that the 13th Dalai Lama fled south over Jelep La in 1910. Wool and furs came down the route to Kalimpong for much of the twentieth century, until the passes closed after the 1962 war. Below the pass, the lake the army calls Elephant Lake has an older name, Bitang Tso, which Wikipedia translates as the lake of the cow-yak, and it is regarded as the source of the Dichu. In 2017, during the 73-day Doklam standoff, Kupup was a key link for the Indian military; a road from here reaches Doka La, about 5 km away.
Source: Wikipedia: Jelep La; Wikipedia: Kupup
Little known
Things most visitors never hear
Guinness World Records lists the Yak golf course at Kupup, measured on 10 October 2006 at 3,970 m (13,025 ft), as the highest golf course in the world; it is part of an Indian Army base.
Source: Guinness World Records: Highest golf course
Lake Menmecho, below Kupup, is the source of the Rangpo river, which flows past Rolep, Rongli and Rorathang to join the Teesta at Rangpo; the explorer J. W. Edgar called it especially beautiful.
Source: Wikipedia: Kupup; Wikipedia: Rangpo River
A moraine ridge across the Kupup valley forms part of the watershed between the Teesta and Dichu river basins, so streams a few hundred metres apart run in opposite directions.
Shared jeeps run from Gangtok to Tsomgo and Baba Mandir in season, about ₹600–900 a seat including permits through agents, but Kupup is usually reached on a reserved Silk Route circuit car. Ask us for shared SUV seats on group circuits.
Private car
From Gangtok, about 55 km and 2.5–3 hours via Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir. From Nathang Valley, about 10–15 km and 30–45 minutes. Only Sikkim-registered vehicles with the right permits can go; book through a registered agent.
From Bagdogra / NJP
Not as a day trip. Reach Gangtok first (about 4–5 hours via NH10, or via Kalimpong when NH10 is closed after monsoon slides), then visit with permits. Or arrive from the Zuluk side on a Silk Route circuit. Check current status before you travel.
Permits in Pakyong and the Silk Route
The upper Silk Route beyond Rongli, including Lingtam, Padamchen, Zuluk, Thambi View Point, Nathang and Kupup, is a protected area open to Indian nationals only. The permit is processed at Rongli for named people, dates and a vehicle, usually through a registered agent, driver or homestay; carry original photo ID, copies and two passport photos. Foreign nationals, including OCI holders, are not allowed beyond Rongli, but Aritar, Mankhim, Rhenock, Rorathang, Rangpo and Pakyong town need only the general Sikkim entry permit. For Rolep, ask us. Check current status before you travel.
We do not suggest sleeping at Kupup: it is very high, cold and mostly military. Visit it by day on the Silk Route circuit, sleeping the night before at Zuluk, Lungthung or Nathang Valley and the night after in Gangtok, about 2.5–3 hours below via Tsomgo. If you are doing the circuit from Gangtok, the reverse also works: a day up to Kupup and Nathang, down to Zuluk for the night.
From the Gangtok desk
Tips we give friends
Kupup is administratively in Gangtok district; your permit is arranged by a registered agent either way.
Do not photograph army camps, vehicles or the golf course buildings, and never fly a drone.
Spend no more than an hour or two at this height if you have come straight up from Gangtok.
Carry warm layers and sunglasses: wind and glare are fierce even on sunny days.
The road often closes after snow from December to March; keep a backup plan via Zuluk.
Month by month
When to visit Kupup
JFMAMJJASOND
BestGoodAvoid or closed
Kupup is at 3,940 m. Spend a night lower down first, climb slowly and drink water. Headache, nausea or breathlessness at rest mean go down. The altitude ladder.
No. Kupup is usually sold as part of the Pakyong Silk Route circuit, but administratively it lies in Gangtok district (East Sikkim), in the Gangtok subdivision. That changes nothing for travellers: permits come through registered agents and the road links Nathang Valley in Pakyong district with Tsomgo in Gangtok district.
Can foreigners visit Kupup?
No. Foreign nationals can visit Tsomgo Lake on a protected-area permit, but the road beyond to Kupup, Nathang and Zuluk is closed to them. Indian nationals need restricted-area permits through a registered agent. Rules change, so check current status before you travel.
What is the altitude of Kupup?
About 3,940 m (12,930 ft) according to Wikipedia, with the Yak golf course measured at 3,970 m. That is high enough to cause headache and breathlessness in people who drive straight up from Gangtok. Keep your visit short, drink water and descend if you feel unwell.
How do we include Kupup in a Silk Route trip?
The usual circuit runs Rongli, Padamchen, Zuluk, Thambi, Lungthung, Nathang, then Kupup, Baba Mandir and Tsomgo to Gangtok, or the reverse. Kupup is a day stop on that circuit. Your permit covers it when arranged through a registered agent.
Can we see Jelep La from Kupup?
Jelep La is a few kilometres beyond Kupup at about 4,390 m on the border with Tibet. The pass is closed to tourists, and views towards it depend on where the army lets vehicles stop. You will see the high ridges that carry the old route, but not cross them.
Is there anywhere to eat at Kupup?
A few small stalls and army-run canteens on the circuit may serve tea, noodles and snacks in season, but do not rely on them. Carry water and snacks from Zuluk, Nathang or Gangtok. A proper meal is easier at Nathang homestays or back in Gangtok.
When is the Kupup road open?
Usually from spring to early winter, with closures after heavy snow from December to March and occasional closures for army movements. Monsoon months bring landslides lower down. Your agent will know the day before. Check current status before you travel.
Is Kupup safe for children?
A short stop is usually fine for children who are well and have travelled up gradually, but avoid long walks and keep them warm. Infants and people with heart or lung conditions should avoid the high circuit. If anyone gets a headache, vomits or is unusually drowsy, go down at once.
Why is Kupup important to the army?
It lies close to the border with Tibet below Jelep La, and Wikipedia notes that a road from Kupup reaches Doka La about 5 km away. During the 73-day Doklam standoff in 2017, Kupup was a key link for Indian forces. That is why photography of military sites is not allowed.
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