North from Yumthang - I propose a trip

I found an announcement the other day:
a call for entries from Salomon, for a contest for women to describe their dream adventure
(in National Geographic Adventure):

Where have you always wanted to go?
Who would you take?
Tell Salomon about you dream trip (yes, yes I will, thank you) for a chance to have us pay for your travel, gear and guide expenses.

And so I crafted a trip, in a euphoric rush, the details fell into place - the resources I either knew or knew where to find - the trip and my team built itself.

Buoying sensation of putting all your knowledge/wishes/contact eggs into one beautiful basket. Slight sinking of spirit in the submitting (two-days of esoteric error messages from a french server), but couldn't kill the buoyancy.

I won't jinx my trip's chances by leaking details, or naming team members, but in spirit of sharing:

Arrive in Badogra airport (from all corners).
Jeep to Darjeeling.
Darjeeling for two weeks. We'd embark on the Mountaineering Course at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, founded by Tenzing Norgay.
Thus prepared, acclimatized and acquainted, we'd head to Gangtok.
Gangtok: meet with Sikkim friends, monks and school founders, local publicity for trip, secure permits (process begun 6 months previous) and gather necessities.
Then, NORTH: first to Yumthang Valley (pictured) via Lachung, then west into the dramatic and snowy, Himalayan terrain of the Green Lake region and the magically named Zumu Glacier, Yabuk, Jakthang.

I submit an itinerary, costs, alternate modes of funding, profiles of proposed team members and, in perhaps the most fun part, a wish list for Salomon products we'd like to take:

Identify key Salomon products you want to take with you:
Fleece lined beanies
Arctic underpinnings
Snow clogs (for around monastery)
Valdez vests
Thruster pants (cold nights out)
Scrambler boots
Light and super-weight gloves
Lightest/warmest down parkas
Large rolling Equipe bags
Little Salomon gifts to distribute in Sikkim

Cross your snow shoes - this would be a dream trip for a dream team. An overdue recognition and forum for Sikkim - wihout a voice since National Geographic's 1963 article, a chance to wear a sponsor-supplied beanie.

C