Sandakphu - Darjeeling

Midnight Oil

Trekking has always been a passion for me as is for all true highlanders. Trekking exploits are always the toast of many. It was materialize one fine day when four of my friends from Delhi were excited to trek Sandakphu.

March 25, 2008 a band of eager enthusiast flew Bagdogra (nearest Airport to Darjeeling) around 10 am. As promised my friends car drove us to Kurseong.

Kurseong : The Land of White Orchid” Situated at an altitude of 1458 mts (4860ft.), Kurseong is a beautiful town set in the hills odd 47 km from Siliguri and 30 km from Darjeeling. The word Kurseong means – “The Land of White Orchid”. Because of its lower elevation, Kurseong enjoys milder and very healthy climate throughout the year. Trekking trails abound in the vicinity and the untouched beauty around pervades the senses.

Put on your walking shoes and trek up to Eagle’s Crag which offers a fantastic view of the Balasun River. Visit the Deer Park and temples like the Ambotay Shiva Mandir, Giddhapahar Mandir in Kurseong.

Climate: Kurseong is blessed with moderate temperatures the year round, with the temperature rarely rising above 30° C in summer and never falling below 6° C in winter. It receives annual rainfall of 160 cm, between June and August.

March 26, 2008 : 1hour 45 drive brought us to a roadside hamlet Maneybhangyang, dominantly inhabited by the Sherpas ‘one of the Gorkha tribe’.
From Maneybhangyang one could visualize the trekking route, both the trekkers path as well as the longer and winding Mule track.

As our team had no prior booking for the tourist huts (it is advisable to have advance booking done from the tourist office) on the route, we decided to quick march Maneybhangyang. As I had carried along an altimeter I gave it a look, it read 2134 mts above MSL and the temperature 16 C.

Trekking is all about traveling on foot, as we trekked along the mountain path we trailed behind the prayers flags (chorten) of Maneybhangyang. The path was 65 degree steep our back packs were already tugging us but having just started, we were on full stream.

An hour steep climb brought us to a beautiful place – Chitray. The sense of achievement and the scenic surroundings rejuvenated us. Ten minutes rest, we again moved towards Sandakphu. The next three hours took us through dense forest (alpine), stretches of wild flowers and strange plants to a small group of houses with friendly people – Tumling.

With provisions for overnight stay and food, Tumling is a nice place for a break journey. Tumling falls in Nepal. Well the trek routes crisscrosses in and out of the international border, and thank god you don’t have to hand you passport along with your binoculars.

After a welcome break at Tumling, we entered Singalila National Park, the habitat of the Red Panda. Here is an entry fee of Rs.10/- person.

Two and half hour trek from Tumling brought us to a village with restaurants and lodges, called Jaubari. It was already 5.30 pm and the dying sun was throwing its last rays, so we decided to halt at Jaubari. If not a tee, to taller, the fiery Guras Raksi (Rhododendron Wine) is a special treat here.

Well the rates for a single person at Jaubari were as follows:
Lodge : Rs. 35/- (entire bedding provided)
Meal : Rs. 30/- (heavy but only veg)
Breakfast : Rs. 20/-
Eggs : Rs. 5/- (boiled or fried)
Tea : Rs. 3/-

March 26, 2008: After heavy breakfast, (always recommended by Scottish Highlanders) around 5.30 am a downhill route brought us to a small village Gairibass (2621 mts). From there onwards it was again a steep climb, as we took breathers in between, we also stole a glance around the beautiful scenery, the hypnotic greens and majestic mountain hills. Three hours on we came to a surreal place, a dark lake with hundreds of Chortens (prayer flags) flittering in the wind. This was not the simmering lake of Wordworth’s ‘The Daffodils’ beside the bank of flowers, there was a mystery that clouded it like dense fog. This place was Kalpokhri, named after the color of the lake which was black in color.

Three hours of steep walk through forest of Gurans (Rhododendrons) and chap (Magnolias) brought us to the foot of Sandakphu – Bikhey Bhangyang (Poisonous Valley). From Bikhey Bhangyang, Sandakphu towered over us like Hitler’s – The Wolf Lair.

Bikhey Bhangyang, got its name as bushes of poisonous berries abound at the foot that high craggy ledge. The view have promised of what was waiting for us at the top, which is one feature of this trek trail even though tired one is simply pushed forward by the promise to sheer beauty.

Finally, a height of 3636 mts above msl, we reached our destination – Destination Sandakphu. It waited for us with breathtaking beauty.

Sparsely populating alpine forest, the magnificent Kanchenjunga straight ahead and to the far left – Everest, Makalu and Lhotse simply awe inspiring. We planned to stay back that night at Sandakphu (known among others for its unforgettable sunrise).

In the wee hours, noise outside my window woke me, when I opened, I found myself in a sea of snow. The trees and hills all decked in snow had turned it into a fairly tale setting, pleasurable moments were fleeting, so we immediately started playing in the snow, throwing snow to each other, making a snowman and clicking unforgettable snaps. Suddenly, everyone had turned into small kids, at least in their acts and laughter echoed all over the hills. If only things could last, nevertheless this is one place one must visit.

The rates at Sandakphu for a single person were:

Lodge : Rs. 60/- (entire bedding provided)
Meal : Rs. 50/- (heavy but only veg)
Breakfast : Rs. 25/-
Tea : Rs. 5/-

March 27, 2008: The next spot on the route was Phalut, and again after a heavy breakfast we stared for Phalut.

The trek was relatively easier as it was only an endless stretch of undulating (verdant landscape usually) snow except for the pathway. Immediately on the way from Sandakphu we were greeted by Rhododendrons of around 4 ft and lesser, natural bonsai. The cold atmosphere had stunted their growth, but the final stretch was bereft of any vegetation. Only when we reached the foot of the summit on which Phalut was perched did the climb again started. We reached Phalut at a height of 3600 mts above MSL and a 7 hours walk from Sandakphu.

From Phalut, Kanchenzonga is only 40kms straight as the crow flies and above the tourist hut is the view point which is the common point where Nepal, India and erstwhile Sikkim Kingdom meet. Here, one can also come across Yak trains en-route to Tapleyjung (Nepal) carrying salt and other essential commodities. On enquiry we found that the rates for food and lodging were similar to Sandakphu. The meeting point of Nepal, Darjeeling, India and Sikkim – Phalut or ‘Denuded Peak’ is known for its magnificent sun ray against the mountains.

As it grew very cold and we still had time in our hands, we changed our plans of staying and headed for Gorkhay at around 2.30pm. We took a shortcut and within 4 hours we reached Gorkhay at an altitude of 2480 mts above MSL.

On the way to Gorkhay, one can have a panoramic view of Samanden – The Lost Valley. Samanden, a fertile plateau in the middle of a dense alpine forest which is contrasted by the yellow and which mustard and pea flowers during season. It was already dark and all were tired so after dinner we went to sleep without much fuss.

Along with the altitude, the rates too came down though slightly at Gorkhay.

Lodge : Rs. 45/- (entire bedding provided)
Meal : Rs. 35/- (heavy but only veg)
Breakfast : Rs. 20/-
Tea : Rs. 5/-

If the timing is such, one can also halt at Srikhola, a picturesque hamlet beside a stream with a small suspension bridge; no one will regret the stay at this scenic spot.
March 28, 2008: Around 6.00 am we headed towards Rimbik. Rimbik is a small town with a large hydel project and along the way we were accompanied by two small boys. They came us to show us the way and they prattled about their village and the school they went to which was occasionally visited by teachers. After, five and half hours walk we reached Rimbik at 2286 mts above MSL. There, after our lunch we boarded our cab bound for Darjeeling at 12.30 pm.

Darjeeling, popularly known as the “Queen of the Hills” and produces the famous Darjeeling Tea, one of the world’s finest teas. It is also home to the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway , a World Heritage Site. Darjeeling is a district of West Bengal in the Shivalik hills. Darjeeling with its natural beauty provides a wide variety of activities from leisurely scenic walks to more grueling activities such as trekking and river rafting for the adventurous ones.

Kalimpong, Kurseong and Siliguri are the major towns of the district.

Area 11.4 sq. kms. Altitude 2134 mts (approx)
Population 100,000 (approx.)
Climate Summer: Max 14.89 deg C, Min 8.59 deg C
Winter: Max 6.11 deg C , Min .5 deg C
Rainfall 320 cm (annually)

Clothing Summer: Light woolen and tropical.
Winter: Heavy Woolens.
Language: Gorkhali, Bengali, Hindi and English.
We reached Darjeeling 3.30 pm and our trek was successfully completed.

Time taken:

25th March
Maneybhangyang to Jawbari – 6 hrs 30 mins (approx)

26th March
Jaubari to Sandakphu – 7hrs 30 mins (approx)

27th March
Sandakphu to Phalut – 7 hrs (approx) and Phalut to Gorkhay – 4 hrs (approx) 28th March
Gorkhay to Rimbit – 5 hours 30 mins (approx) and Rimbik to Darjeeling – 4 hrs (by cab)
General Information

Clothes:
Ski Cap, Gloves, Muffler, Warm Jacket, Woolen Socks, warm trousers, durable and comfortable shoes (spots shoe advisable).

First Aid Kit :
One must include painkillers, antiseptic ointment, bandages and band aids, Voloni Gel and other basic gel.

Miscellaneous:
Camera, cold cream, pocket knife, torch with extra batteries, candles, matches, diary and pen and possibly a cellular phone as it can be used throughout the route.

Lastly but equally important:
It is a national resource so one should enjoy it as well as preserve it. The bio-diverse enclave has to e protected, so avoid hurting, plucking and carving on the growing trees. Boisterous behavior disturbs other and attracts bears (avoid it). The group if kept small can easily accommodate and everyone can enjoy. Do not litter, use only bio-degradable items as far as possible. Pick and burn any litter but make sure not to start a forest fire.

“Take nothing but memories and pictures, Leave nothing but your foot prints”


Maneybhangyang to Tonglu : 11 kms
Tonglu to Gairibas : 09 kms
Gairibas to Sandakphu : 12 kms
Sandakphu to Sabagram : 14 kms
Sabagram to Phalut : 15 kms
Phalut to Gorkhay : 15 kms
Gorkhay to Ramman : 08 kms
Ramman to Rimbit : 19 kms

vko

Very nice write-up!

One question, can this whole stretch be done without a guide?

__________________
-Vikas

Midnight Oil

Yes you can go for this trek without a guide... people are very warm and welcoming. You wont have any problem.