Ancestral Lineage • Late Serdup Dungzin Rinpoche • Founded 1978 as STTS • Pioneers of Sikkim Exploration • State Award by Governor of Sikkim
Born in the Himalayas • Established 1978
Roots Carved in the Sacred Himalayas
From the sacred creation of the Dzangdopalri at Pemayangtse to founding Sikkim’s original expedition collective—over four decades of authentic native stewardship.
Roam Beyond is not an agency built from outside the Himalayas looking in. We are born of this land. Originally founded in 1978 as Sikkim Trekking & Travel Services (STTS) by tourism pioneer Yeshi Dorjee, our foundation traces directly to his father, the Late Serdup Dungzin Rinpoche, high lama of Pemayangtse Monastery. Today, under the direction of Yeshi Dorjee’s eldest son, Pema Tsewang Topgyal, we continue an unbroken lineage connecting sacred monastic craftsmanship with transformative Himalayan exploration.
Archival Asset: The Hand-Carved Dzangdopalri (Zandog Palri)
Heavenly Abode of Guru Padmasambhava, Royal Pemayangtse Monastery. Crafted entirely by hand over years of devotion, this intricate seven-tiered celestial wooden palace was conceived and carved without a single nail by visionary high lama Late Serdup Dungzin Rinpoche—grandfather of current leader Pema Tsewang Topgyal.
Sacred Heritage & Monastic Lineage
Late Serdup Dungzin Rinpoche & The Dzangdopalri
On the top floor of the Royal Pemayangtse Monastery—one of Sikkim’s most revered Nyingma institutions founded in 1705—stands a seven-tiered masterpiece carved entirely of wood without a single nail: the Dzangdopalri (Zandog Palri), the celestial copper-colored mountain abode of Guru Padmasambhava.
Every rainbow arch, celestial being, tiered pavilion, and gilded detail was conceived and hand-carved by Late Serdup Dungzin Rinpoche, high lama of the monastery and visionary spiritual figure whose entire lifetime preserved sacred Buddhist cosmology in physical form.
Growing up in the presence of this extraordinary achievement gave our family an innate reverence for patience, sacred geometry, and mountain spiritual geography. In Sikkim, architecture, art, and landscapes are not decorative—they are living prayers.
This deep spiritual anchor established the standard for our family’s relationship with Sikkim’s mountains, communities, and monastic traditions, guiding every expedition we conceptualize.
7 Tiers
Hand-Carved Celestial Realm
0 Nails
Sacred Joinery by Dungzin Rinpoche
Founding History • 1978
Pioneering Himalayan Tourism: Yeshi Dorjee & STTS
Transitioning from an independent Himalayan Kingdom to opening Sikkim’s sacred mountain trails to the world.
In 1975, Sikkim underwent a monumental historic shift, transitioning from an independent sovereign Himalayan Kingdom into the 22nd state of India. In the wake of this opening, tourism pioneer Yeshi Dorjee—son of the Late Serdup Dungzin Rinpoche—founded Sikkim Trekking & Travel Services (STTS) in 1978.
As Sikkim began cautiously welcoming international visitors in the late 1980s, Yeshi Dorjee led the vanguard for responsible, culturally respectful mountain exploration. He championed ethical porter welfare, strict environmental stewardship, and deep community partnership long before eco-tourism became a global concept.
In recognition of his steadfast leadership, in 1990 Yeshi Dorjee became the founder President of the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS), helping write the founding standards and safety regulations that continue to protect Sikkim’s delicate alpine ecosystems today.
Mr Y. Dorjee & Dr. Wolfgang Siepen ( Germany )
The Pillars of Our Ethos
Four Dimensions of Native Lineage
How our artisanal lineage informs every journey we lead today.
The Sacred Chisel
Inheriting an uncompromising eye for detail, endurance, and quiet dedication to a craft that takes years of focused devotion to complete.
Mastery of Detail
Living Monastic Kinship
Direct familial ties to the high lamas, khenpos, and monastic elders of Pemayangtse and Western Sikkim, opening doors unseen by ordinary travelers.
Direct Bloodline
Spiritual Cosmology
Experiencing the valleys, ridges, and high passes not as mere geographic routes, but as sacred beyul—living sanctuaries imbued with spiritual meaning.
The Sacred Beyul
Guardianship Over Exploitation
A fierce, non-negotiable commitment to safeguarding authentic Himalayan community heritage against commercial commodification and cultural dilution.
Protective Care
Formal State Recognition
State Award from Governor of Sikkim
Honored with the prestigious State Award by the Governor of Sikkim in formal recognition of decades of steadfast service introducing these sacred mountains with utmost cultural care, conservation, and integrity.
Leadership Continuity
Pema Tsewang Topgyal: Holding East & West in View
Carrying forward his father Yeshi Dorjee’s mantle with engineering precision and scholarly devotion.
Today, Roam Beyond is under the direct leadership of Yeshi Dorjee’s eldest son, Pema Tsewang Topgyal. Raised amid the monastic rituals of Western Sikkim, Pema received his classical schooling at the renowned St. Joseph Catholic School in Darjeeling before earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
Rather than entering the corporate engineering sector, Pema made a deliberate, conscious choice to return home and work alongside his father—applying structured engineering problem-solving and rigorous risk management to complex Himalayan logistics.
Pema spent over five formative years living in California, USA, earning the rank of Star Scout and immersing himself in Western perspectives. This bilingual and bicultural life allows him to effortlessly hold both East and West in view: anticipating the exacting safety and comfort needs of international travelers while unlocking the unwritten folklore, private monastery hearths, and deepest sacred traditions of Sikkim, Bhutan, and Northeast India.
The Roam Beyond Bridge
“Over twenty-five years of seamlessly connecting international discernment—refined comfort, mountain safety, uncompromising logistics—with intimate native authenticity: sacred monastery hearths, unwritten folklore, and rare private access across remote Sikkim, Bhutan, and Northeast India.”
With Pema at my side, I would not hesitate to go anywhere or do anything in the subcontinent or the Himalaya.
Bob Shacochis
National Book Award Winner • Contributing Editor at Outside & Harper’s Magazines
National Geographic Traveler Magazine
“I would heartily recommend Sikkim Trekking (Roam Beyond). I can’t imagine a better ambassador for the subcontinent or the Himalayas, and anyone fortunate to travel with them will be richer for the experience.”
Historical Track Record
Historic Expeditions & Academic Collaborations
Trusted by pioneering mountaineers, international outdoor institutions, and leading world universities for decades.
1999 • Italian Club Singalila First
The very first Sikkim expedition company entrusted to guide the Singalila Ridge for four paying clients of an Italian mountaineering club the moment the range officially opened to western travelers in 1999.
2000s • Buddhist Academic Programs
Pioneered multi-week scholarly immersions with Antioch University (Ohio) and Carleton College on Buddhist philosophy and Himalayan cultural studies across monasteries in Sikkim and Ladakh.
Historic Green Lake • George Band
Organized and led the historic Green Lake Trek in North Sikkim for the late George Band—legendary British mountaineer and first person to summit Kangchenjunga in 1955.
2005 • Loyola Marymount University
Designed and managed a full semester-length academic Himalayan fieldwork curriculum for students and faculty of Loyola Marymount University, USA.
Media & Outdoor Publications
Featured in and collaborator with preeminent publications including Outside Magazine, Summit Magazine (USA), LA Travel, and Harper’s.
Club Alpino Italiano Collaboration
Decades-long liaison with European alpine bodies, introducing alpine explorers to remote Sikkim, Bhutan, and Arunachal Pradesh valleys with uncompromising safety standards.
Our Unwritten Law
Guiding Principles of Expedition
How we preserve the dignity of the Himalayas while ensuring total peace of mind for our travelers.
01
Zero Subcontracting
We do not sell your itinerary to outside tour brokers or impersonal handling agencies. We conceptualize, supervise, and lead every expedition directly alongside our trusted native team.
02
Curated by Kinship
Privileged access to quiet dawn monastic pujas, artisanal family homestays, and sacred pilgrimage paths that remain strictly inaccessible to standard commercial tour buses.
03
Quiet Accountability
Discreet, low-footprint, personalized travel crafted for discerning explorers who value meaningful dialogue, cultural respect, and safety above theatrical luxury.
Private Inquiries
Begin a Conversation with Our Native Team
Every journey we craft begins with dialogue. Tell us about your intellectual interests, physical pacing, and preferred Himalayan regions. Pema and our expedition leaders personally review all inquiries.
- Inquiries answered within 24–48 hours
- Strict privacy & direct bespoke planning
- Gangtok, Sikkim & San Francisco Base